5 CHEESE MAC AND CHEESE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain.
• In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, saute the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Saute the onion in the bacon drippings until soft. Add the 5 tablespoons butter to the onion mixture and melt the butter stirring with a wooden spoon.
• Using a whisk, add the flour, and stir constantly until well mixed with the fat making a roux. Whisk in the mustard. Gradually add the milk and cream whisking constantly.
• Add the thyme, bay leaf, and salt. Let come to a simmer and stir frequently for 15 minutes.
• Strain the hot milk mixture into a metal bowl and discard the solids. Working quickly, mix in 1 cup fontina, blue cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere, 1/2 cup white Cheddar, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the reserved bacon, and parsley. Continue to stir until all cheese is melted.
• Add the cooked noodles to the cheese mixture to coat. Add the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Mix the remaining cheese and bread crumbs together and sprinkle on top of the noodles. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown. Remove from oven when done and rest for 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a deep 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
• Make the sauce. In a large bowl, mix the ingredients in order, combining completely between additions. Start by adding the flour, paprika, ground mustard, garlic, scallions, hot sauce, cream cheese, a pinch of salt and more grinds of black pepper than normal. Mix this until combined completely. In a liquid measure, mix the heavy cream and pasta water together and add slowly to the bowl while whisking. Add the Cheddar, Gouda, mozzarella and Pecorino Romano cheeses.
• Bake. Add the pasta to the bowl of liquid and stir until the liquid seeps into the elbows and everything is distributed evenly. Pour into the prepared dish. Level with the back of your spoon. Toss together the Cheddar and mozzarella in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake until the edges are bubbly and the top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.