Picture from navywifecook Image Credit Mercedes |
Three
Cheese Balsamic Pancetta Mac n Cheese
“I loooove
Mac n Cheese, and I've been on the hunt for the perfect homemade Mac n Cheese
recipe for just about forever. My favorite recipe? The blue box. Yep...I love
me some Kraft Mac n Cheese, and I am not ashamed to say it!” Mercedes
Ingredients:
2 packages of
thinly sliced pancetta (3 ounces each)
2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar, separated
4 tablespoons
butter
4 tablespoons
flour
2 teaspoons
fresh rosemary, minced
2 ½ cups
whole milk, warmed
½ cup half
and half, warmed
6 ounces Gouda
cheese, shredded
4 ounces
fontina cheese, shredded
2 ounces
smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
10 ounces
cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta
Salt and
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Heat oven to
400°F.
Place a large
pot of water (for the pasta) over high heat and cover.
Roll up the pancetta slices and slice into
strips with a sharp knife.
In a large
pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta strips until just starting to crisp,
about 3-4
minutes, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar over the
pancetta and stir.
Allow the
cooked pancetta to drain on a paper towel and set aside.
In a medium
sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
When the butter has melted, whisk in the 4
tablespoons of flour.
Continue to
cook and whisk the flour for about 30 seconds.
Add the
rosemary and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
Slowly pour
in the warmed milk and half and half, continue to whisk continuously so that
there
are no lumps.
Allow the
sauce to come to a simmer, stirring constantly.
While waiting
for the sauce to simmer, liberally salt the pot of boiling water.
Add the pasta
to the water and cook for about a minute less than package directions.
When the
sauce has come to a simmer, stir in the 6 ounces of Gouda, and the fontina
cheese
until melted and the sauce is smooth.
Remove from
heat and stir in about 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, or more if you want a
more pronounced flavor.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the
cooked pasta and stir into the cheese sauce until combined.
Pour the
macaroni mixture into a 13x9 baking dish, and sprinkle with half of the smoked Gouda.
Top with the
cooked pancetta and then the remaining smoked Gouda.
Bake for 15
to 20 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and the cheese is bubbly. If the
pancetta
starts to get too dark, cover with a piece of aluminum foil.
Serve hot.
You can
combine this excellent recipe with some others from our collection.
Enjoy this
recipe and many more when visiting navywifecook
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