BlendAbout

Favorite recipes and stories about home cooking. We love comfort food and dishes that warm the heart. Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Super Cheesy 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese

So rich and creamy, macaroni and cheese will always be the ultimate comfort food. And the bonus? This savory 5-cheese mac and cheese is fairly simple to make and has layers of cheesy flavor in every bite.

Here's the recipe for my Super Cheesy 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese...

Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ cups milk
- 1 ¼ cup lightly packed grated fresh Cheddar cheese
- 1 ¼ cup lightly packed grated Swiss Ementhal cheese
- 1 ¼ cup lightly packed grated Cotswald cheese
- 1 ¼ cup lightly packed grated Swiss Gruyere cheese
- 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup almonds, roasted and chopped
- 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1-2 strips of crispy-cooked Applewood Bacon (crunched into bits)
- 1 pound short tube-shaped pasta (penne or macaroni)

5 Cheese Mac and Cheese Preparation
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour; stir until well blended. Slowly whisk in hot milk. Bring to simmer, stirring until sauce thickens and there are no lumps. Remove from heat.

Add the first 4 cheeses and blend into the sauce. Whisk until the sauce is smooth. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco.

Cook pasta to al dente stage, drain well and add to cheese sauce, blending thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter bottom and sides of 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Blend 1/2 cup Parmesan, almonds, bacon and breadcrumbs. Add 1/2 almond mixture to prepared dish. Spread gently to cover bottoms and sides evenly.

Transfer pasta and sauce to prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining almond mixture over the top of the macaroni.

Bake until the top is golden and crunchy and the sauce is bubbling (about 30 min.). Cool for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Warnings:
- This dish may be highly addictive.
- We suggest this dish not be served to anyone with high cholesterol.
- Consumption of this dish may invoke a lethargic reaction.


Do you love bacon? Check out these tasty bacon treats!

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