Been working on my Mac and Cheese for about a year now, FINALLY have a product that I am happy with....bacon fixes everything.



BACON MAC AND CHEESE with mascarpone and thyme

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Ham and Eggs - Days work for the Chicken, lifetime commitment for the Pig!



[This message has been edited by bonfirewillburn (edited 8/14/2011 8:37p).]

Oh my god...

post recipe, plz.

recipe?

Excellent work!

Try tossing is some smoked gouda next time. A-MA-ZING!

please post the recipe

man I don’t want to share this one.......but....


(All measurements are approx - I don’t measure go by taste/touch)
1 small onion - small dice
3 Each garlic clove - minced
2 TBS Butter
1 TBS Bacon fat
1 pnch Salt
- Sweat onion and garlic down in fat over med heat


1/4 cup AP flour
-stir in and allow to cook for a couple of min, stirring constantly


2 cups Whole milk
1 pt Heavy cream

- add 1/2 liquid whisking constantly once thickened add the second half - this should still be a little lose if not add more milk/cream
-Add couple bay leafs, few grinds nutmeg, and some thyme sprigs
-cook over med low heat for 15-20 min stirring every now and then to cook raw taste out of flour


- meanwhile cook 1 lb pasta (1 gallon H2O - add salt so it tastes like the sea - per 1 lb pasta) Cook until JUST UNDER al dente
- remove sauce from heat and add 1.5 c shredded mild cheddar cheese little at a time stirring constantly


- add 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- check flavor and season with salt and pepper to taste


-add pasta to sauce


4 e Thick cut bacon - med dice
- cook crispy fold in to pasta mix
2 E bacon - fine dice
- cook crispy - set aside


-Pour pasta into casserole dish top with cheddar cheese - bake in preheated oven at 400 - until cheese is melted and pasta is hot
remove top with bacon and some fresh thyme leaves



*edit to format


[This message has been edited by bonfirewillburn (edited 8/14/2011 8:19p).]

yum

That may trump my current favorite recipe. Cant wait to play with it!

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Cant wait to play with it

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tee hee hee

IHIOGA that Straw played w/ sausage tonight.

I do something similar but I cut in the onion in large chunks and carmalize until the point of slightly charred edges. Good 1.5" pieces.

I make my sauce and let the onion and crisp (big chunks as well) steep in there.

Mix in pasta and make a crumb topping out of fresh bread crumbs, butter, salt and Garlic.

Broil until crispy.

MMMMMM....MMMMMMMMMM.....MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Yea it pretty much rocks!!!

Im really not TRYING to brag, but like I said ive been working on this recipe for over
a year - at least 20 attempts.


I really hate the Grainy-ness that can develop. It has plagued me for some time. The mascarpone helps even this out a bit (plus it creates a richness that ROCKS.) Also quality cheese improves this a TON.

But, its really all about technique and finess once you add the cheese. Too much heat/heat too long the oil in the cheese will seperate and IMO ruin the dish. Really hard to describe, but the dish will be good anyways (but im hella critical of MY food)

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IHIOGA that Straw played w/ sausage tonight.

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Very true!

And I'm SUPER critical of my food. I have a great mac and cheese recipe that I may try to combine with this.

I made homemade hatch green chile (last ones in the freezer ) mac n cheese tonight. I don't care for the graininess either so I ditch the flour completely and just use straight up heavy cream and cheese. I keep the pasta undercooked enough that the residual starch thickens things up quite nicely.

sauteed 1/4c finely diced onion and clove of garlic in butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 bay leaves

heat till steaming and added

small block of philly cream cheese
8oz grated cheddar
8oz grated queso asadero
about 1 cup of hatch green chiles
salt and pepper

cook till melted and add

1lb 3/4 cooked elbow macaroni noodles

Topped with 1 tbls butter melted with 1 clove grated garlic topped with 1 cup breadcrumbs made from 1/2 pulverized ritz crackers and 1/2 panko

bought 2 lbs of Hatch Chiles tonight as well!!!

Gonna make a Hatch Chile Marmalade and jar it.

gonna serve it over some Brined and Grilled Pork Chops

HEB starts selling them next weekend down here. I did 10lbs last year. I think I may up it to 15 this year so I don't have to ration myself

We got em this week and they are TERRIBLE..... Had to dig through 5 cases to get 2 lbs of decent product. I was getting really saddened about this year (prolly due to the lack of rain....)


If you guys are getting them next week maybe well get some better product then too!!!

Did someone say porkchops?

bonfire, that looks freakin' good. Go ahead and brag. I know people that ruin ramen noodles!

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Did someone say porkchops?

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HECK YEA - 12 oz - bone in - Tomahawk style - gonna be killer!

yum.

For another ingredient try 1 cup of chopped, fresh spinach that has been "flash sauteed" in a little olive oil. It gives it a great look, and 1 cup sautees to nothing. Sounds strange, but it is tasty.

Too much work

Tried this recipe this weekend. It's alot of work, but well worth it. Some of the best Mac n cheese ever!

That looks great!

Bacon cheeseburger hamburger helper. Avoid at all costs.

nice use of an often overlooked italian cheese

how do you think it would work using heavy whipping cream?

The recipe calls for a pint of heavy whipping cream as well the marscapone

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Any hamburger helper. Avoid at all costs.

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Fify, dude

I was thinking in terms of using nothing but the heavy whipping cream? like no milk?

Add truffle oil

Cheeseburger macaroni is very tasty. It's that overwhelming, artificial taste of bacon that totally kills it.

Thanksgiving bump