5 CHEESE MAC AND CHEESE WITH BACON RECIPES

Steps:

• "Cook pasta in boiling water for about 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Drain and reserve. Pre-heat oven to 350. Spread bacon onto a sheet pan and bake for 8- 10 minutes, until bacon is cooked. Reserve. In a large stock pot on low heat. Melt butter and add flour. Stir often with a wooden spoon to avoid from burning. Let cook for 2 minutes or so, until flour and butter become pasty. Add wine and nutmeg, keep stirring until you start forming a b?chamel base. Add Parmesan cheese and stir, let cook on low for a couple of minutes until it starts to melt. Add Gruyere and Emmenthal, let melt and stir, then add the remaining cheeses. A good rule to keep is adding the cheeses from harder to softer in texture. Once you've add all the cheeses add a 2 quarts of milk and stir. Be careful that you do not burn the bottom of the pan. The bechamel tends to burn quiet easily, so make sure you continue to cook it on low. Let cook for 15 minutes or so. Lastly add the heavy cream and salt to taste. In a casserole dish, add the pasta and pour the cheese mixture over it, enough to cover the noodles with it. Add the cooked bacon and bake in oven for 10 minutes."

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.