Grown Up Mac and Cheese

I don't know anyone who doesn't love macaroni and cheese.  I love all variations of it...including the cheap kind in a box with the powdered cheese packet.  This recipe, however, is slightly more elegant than the boxed stuff.

Ingredients:  bacon, macaroni, milk, butter, flour, Gruyere cheese, extra sharp cheddar cheese, blue cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, white bread and fresh basil.

Add the macaroni to a pot of salted boiling water with a splash of oil to keep the noodles from sticking and cook according to the package directions.

Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, fry up some bacon until it is crispy.

And chop it up into bits.

To make the topping, cut the crusts off of a couple pieces of white bread and chop it into cubes.  Coarsely chop some fresh basil.

Toss the bread cubes into a food processor.

And pulse until you have coarse crumbs.

Then add the basil.

And pulse until the basil is chopped and well combined with the bread crumbs.  This smells so incredible!!  If you don't have a food processor, you can substitute dried seasoned breadcrumbs.

Melt some butter in a sauce pan.

And add the flour all at once.

Cook over low heat, whisking, for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, scald the milk in a small saucepan.  Don't let it boil.

Slowly whisk the milk into the butter/flour mixture and continue whisking for a couple of minutes over low heat until it thickens.

Then add the cheeses.

Whisk in the cheeses until they have melted then season the cheese sauce with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

Add the cooked macaroni and bacon bits to a large bowl.

Pour in the cheese sauce.

And mix it all together.

Turn it out into a baking dish.

And cover with the basil bread crumbs.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or so until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbly.

O. M. G.  This is creamy and AMAZING!  This one is not for the kiddos.  You can make them the kind that comes from a box ;)

Link to the printable recipe:

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

Source:  Barefoot Contessa