Cheese Enthusiasts' 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe

Cheese Enthusiasts' 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese

Recipe contributed by Rick Massa

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Servings: 6
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Preparation Time: 35 minutes
• Cooking Time: 1 hour
• Resting Time: 5 minutes

Nutritional Facts Per Serving (1 of 6 servings): Calories 1213, Total Fat 81g, Saturated Fat 47g, Carbohydrates 77g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 12g, Protein 45g, Cholesterol 251mg, Sodium 1141mg

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 (16-ounce) package macaroni (cellentani or any other twisted noodle)
• 1/4 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the baking dish
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Australian white Cheddar
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450F (232C) and butter a 9x13 inch glass baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt generously. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions until al dente, then drain thoroughly.
3. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot, cook the bacon pieces until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and set aside. In the remaining bacon fat, saut the diced onion until softened. Add the 5 tablespoons of butter to the onions and stir until the butter melts.
4. Gradually whisk in the flour to the butter-onion mixture, stirring continuously to form a roux. Blend in the Dijon mustard. Slowly pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
5. Add the thyme sprig, bay leaf, and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, and cook for about 15 minutes until slightly thickened.
6. Strain the mixture into a metal bowl, discarding the herbs and solids. Quickly stir in 1 cup of Fontina, all the blue cheese, 1/2 cup each of Gruyere, white Cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses, along with the reserved cooked bacon and chopped parsley. Continue stirring until the cheeses have fully melted.
7. Toss the cooked noodles into the cheese sauce until evenly coated. Transfer this mixture to the prepared baking dish.
8. Combine the remaining cheese and bread crumbs, then sprinkle this blend evenly over the top.
9. Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.