Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (1-inch-thick) slice pancetta, cut into small dice
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 cups whole milk, or more if needed, hot
- 4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups (8 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, plus more for the top
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Irish white cheddar, plus more for the top
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated American cheddar, such as Goot Essa Mountain Valley, plus more for the top
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated aged fontina cheese, plus more for the top
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked just under al dente
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10 by 10 by 2-inch baking dish and set it aside.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add the garlic to the fat in the pan and cook until light golden brown, 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk, raise the heat to high, and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne, and all the different cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add additional warm milk, 1/4 cup at a time.
Put the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce, reserved pancetta, and the parsley, and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Combine an additional 1/4 cup each of Asiago, cheddars, fontina, and Parmesan in a bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake until the dish is heated through and the top is a light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for
10 minutes before serving.
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By atirving0423
on April 07, 2012
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This is the greatest mac & cheese of ALL TIME!!!!! Better than the Capital Grille's Lobster Mac & Cheese. Forget about Thanksgiving and pot lucks, my family's stomachs are the luckiest ones of all! Thanks Bobby Flay, you out-did yourself on this one!
By Yankeefoodie
on February 18, 2012
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By far the best mac and cheese ever!
Yes, it's a bit costly, yes it's a bit labor intensive but by gawd it's the best mac and cheese ever and so worth the cost and work.
I change up the cheeses and add in a sharp cheddar sometimes and always use a parm/reg mix instead of just the parm. Have some fun with it and add the cheese you like.
Also there should be quite a lot of leftovers. No worries, just freeze the rest and you will never be without your mac and cheese fix :D
By eleanorrhaynes
Petaluma, CA
on August 07, 2011
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I made this for my sister's 50th birthday party. It was the most popular dish among many amazing recipes. Super rich, super cheesy and super delicious! The garlic and cayenne made the difference; they added just a little kick at the end, but I wouldn't call it spicy. Even the kids were gobbling it up. It made way more than "4" servings. I would estimate 15 servings as a side dish.
Read all 19 reviews