Gourmet macaroni & cheese recipe

March 24, 2:24 AMProvidence Food ExaminerDonna Diegel

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Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese

Tired of Kraft Mac & Cheese? Grown-up Macaroni & Cheese is for sophisticated tastes! Made with bacon, onions, fresh artisan cheeses and basil, this casserole is true comfort food!

Narragansett Creamery Artisan Cheese
At a recent wine tasting, we had the pleasure of meeting Narragansett Creamery's very own cheesemaker, Louella Hill. We instantly hit it off! We knew the same bloggers, shopped at the same markets, what's not to like?  We sat in the front row eagerly devouring all she had to say, as well as all her cheese!

When the tasting was over, she asked if we wanted to take home the left over cheese scraps. She said, "All this cheese would make a fantastic mac & cheese dinner."  I thought for a split second, "Heck yeah!" The sorry looking scraps came home with us that night on a paper plate. The next day it made the most awesome baked Macaroni & Cheese casserole we ever had!

Thanks so much Louella, for not only the cheesey leftovers, but for the opportunity to meet a real cheesemaker. I know it seems hard to believe, but Narragansett Creamery is currently the only producer of cheeses in Rhode Island! Something needs to be done about that. But for now, here's a recipe to make for the family, or for company. It's that good!

These are the cheeses that Louella brought with her that night, and the very cheese that made it into my Macaroni & Cheese. Feel free to vary the cheese, using the flavor and textures you like. After all, it's your Grown-up Mac & Cheese!

Narragansett Creamery Cheese

• Divine Providence Gouda-style with buttery, sharp flavors and a smooth creamy texture.
• Renaissance Ricotta Kettle heated, hand-dipped, un-homogenized ricotta.
• Atwell’s Gold Italian style, aged over 1 year. Nutty with caramel tones.
• Mozzarella Buttery, creamy, feathery, fresh.

Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese

• 1 pound medium shells or cavatappi
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups milk
• 8 ounces thick-sliced bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup fresh red pepper, chopped (optional)
• 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups assorted grated cheese (see list above)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons finely minced fresh or dehydrated basil leaves
• 16-20 Ritz style crackers, crushed

How To Make Macaroni & Cheese

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 inch baking dish and set aside.
• Boil water and 1 tsp salt in a large 3-4 quart saucepan. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Immediately drain and rinse. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat milk in a medium saucepan to hot, but not boiling.
• Using the pan the pasta was cooked in, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove to paper towels to cool, saving some of the reserved bacon fat in the pan. Add butter and saute the chopped onion and optional red peppers in the fat until tender. Add flour and stir, cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
• Slowly add the hot milk to the flour and onions, whisking constantly until thick, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add cheeses and stir until melted and blended.
• Combine the pasta, crumbled bacon, pepper, cumin powder and 1 Tablespoon basil to the cheese mixture. Stir well and pour into prepared baking dish.
• Combine crushed crackers and the remaining basil, and sprinkle over the macaroni & cheese.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes or longer, until cheese is bubbling and the top is a light golden brown.
• Serves 6-8 depending on serving size.
• Refrigerate any leftovers.

Cheese photo: Narragansett Creamery, Dearborn Street, Providence, RI, 401-272-4944.