Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

grown up mac & cheese

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Patrick Johnson
Kingwood, TX

One of my sons has proven that a human being can actually grow and prosper on mac & cheese alone, well almost. It is a good thing he is very active. This recipe takes the ol' classic and refines it for the more cultured palate. However, just like when you were a kid, you will swear you could bathe in this stuff.

(1 rating)
yield 6 -8
prep time 25 Min
cook time 40 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For grown up mac & cheese

  • 4 oz
    thick sliced bacon
  • vegetable oil
  • kosher salt
  • 2 c
    elbow macaroni or cavatappi
  • 1 1/2 c
    milk
  • 2 Tbsp
    unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp
    all-purpose flour
  • 4 oz
    gruyere cheese, grated
  • 3 oz
    extra-sharp cheddar, grated
  • 2 oz
    roquefort cheese, crumbled
  • 1 Tbsp
    black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 pinch
    nutmeg
  • 2 slice
    white sandwich bread, crusts removed
  • 2 Tbsp
    fresh basil leaves, chopped

How To Make grown up mac & cheese

  • 1
    Cook bacon until crisp.
  • 2
    Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions.
  • 3
    Heat milk in a small saucepan, but do not let it boil.
  • 4
    Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk.
  • 5
    While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for another 2 minutes until thickened and smooth.
  • 6
    Off the heat, add the Gruyere, cheddar, Roquefort, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  • 7
    Add cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well.
  • 8
    Pour into oven save dish.
  • 9
    Place bread slices in food processor and pulse until you have course crumbs. Add basil and pulse to combine.
  • 10
    Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaronie is browned on top.

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