The Best Macaroni and Cheese!

This is my kind of old fashioned comfort food!  My mom made this for us when we were young and my family enjoys this dish although my daughter does tend to like the Kraft dinner version! A recipe for a casserole of macaroni, white sauce, and grated yellow cheese was first recorded in the “Boston Cooking School Cookbook” in 1896. Macaroni and cheese was made even more popular when Kraft Foods introduced the Kraft Dinner in 1937.

Serves 6

1 pound elbow pasta (or favorite pasta – I used strozzapreti)
4 slices Applegate bacon, cooked and chopped
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup butter
½ cup flour
4 cups whole milk
1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
1 cup extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
sea salt and pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375°f.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile melt butter in a large saucepan.  Then add flour and stir. Increase heat to medium and add milk – stir constantly with a whisk. Cook until sauce is thickened (coats the back of a spoon).  Remove sauce from heat and add nutmeg, bacon, Gruyère and cheddar cheeses. Stir until cheese has melted. Taste and adjust salt and pepper accordingly.

Add cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Pour into a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until sauce is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  The sauce doesn’t have to be thick when you mix it in with the pasta.  The baking time will allow it to absorb into the pasta leaving you with a creamy texture that is not too wet.  Enjoy!

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