Prosciutto and Bacon Mac & (5) Cheese

You know I really enjoy cooking. And you know I really enjoy trying out new recipes. I also love to cook for friends who, for whatever reason, could use some help with a hot meal. I usually fix chicken parmesan. I’ve found that if a food chain is in the works, there are likely more than a few meals of lasagna and/or spaghetti. Why not? They are fairly easy and are suitable for the idea of reheating. If that’s the case, I think they’ll welcome something different.

So lately I’ve been looking for the ultimate comfort food that is not real difficult. I think I’ve found it. I usually serve it with some panko chicken tenders. I made it a couple of times now, and I hear that it’s pretty darn good. I hope so, because after looking at the ingredients list, I’ve not made it for my house. If I can plan a night where I can hit the gym for an hour after dinner to cancel out some of the effects, maybe I’ll make it for the family. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Update 2013: my original recipe called for pasta shells and manchego as one of the cheeses. I've since switched to fusilli for two reasons:

1. The shells tend to "nest" when they cook, leaving them only partially cooked.
2. The more surface area to the pasta, the better for "grabbing" the cheese sauce.

So I'm not stuck any one pasta toe, but look for something that has a lot of surface area to soak in the cheesiness. 

I also switched from manchego to fontina. Fontina is much creamier. Since cheddar is a gritty cheese,  I found that combining it with manchego had too much grit in the combined sauce. Since switching to fontina, I've found the texture and taste to be perfect.

Prosciutto and Bacon Mac & (5) Cheese

(Serves many)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces thick cut bacon (or pancetta)

8 ounces prosciutto

1 pound fusilli pasta, or pasta of choice

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

1 cup Vidalia (or yellow) onion finely diced (or subtitute shallots)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 cups grated aged sharp Cheddar, divided

1 cup grated smoked gouda

1 cup grated gruyere

1 cup grated fontina

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, divided

Salt and pepper, as needed

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, plus additional leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat casserole dish with butter.

Place bacon on a baking sheet and cook in oven until half cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain off the grease and set aside. Once cool, chop into approximately 1" pieces. Do the same with the prosciutto, but baking for only 4 minutes.

Cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Strain and toss lightly in olive oil, and set aside.

In a saucepan lightly coated with olive oil, sauté the bacon over medium-high heat until firm. Add the diced onion and cook until transparent. Add the garlic and cook for additional 2 minutes. Dust the pan with the flour, stir in the milk and cream. Continuing to stir, add the prosciutto, nutmeg and the mustard powder. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly for several minutes to avoid scorching. Stir in 1 cup each of Cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, manchego and half a cup of Parmesan. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add the pasta and parsley. Stir until well combined.

Place into buttered baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses and place dish on baking tray and place in the oven. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown,. Let cool about 5 minutes, garnish with the fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy.