Photo: Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup diced pancetta
- 1/2 cup small-diced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half or milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1 pound small shell pasta, cooked al dente
- 4 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 4 ounces grated white Cheddar
- 4 ounces grated Gruyere
- 4 ounces grated fontina
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Set a large, wide-mouthed 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta to the pot and cook the pancetta until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter and flour to the pot and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the half-and-half to the pot and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Season with the salt, white pepper and nutmeg and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pasta to the pot and remove from the heat. Add the grated cheeses to the pot and stir to combine well.
Transfer the contents of the pot to a 3-quart baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the Essence and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni. Bake uncovered until golden brown and bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.
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By lardon
League City TX
on November 04, 2012
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I'm never making 'yellow' mac & cheese again. I have made this recipe several times with lesser expensive cheese (swiss and it's not the same. This is the best ever and has become a family favorite.
By Ivorywolf
Lafayette, LA
on April 20, 2012
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This has layers of flavor. My daughter called it the best mac and cheese she's ever eaten, and I think I have to agree. The store was out of Fontina chesse, so I used a little mozzerella in it's place.
By melisa74
on July 20, 2011
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I made this trying to find a good mac n' cheese and simple just being tired of the same old thing. It made a ton! It was very easy to do especially since I had never cooked with some of these things before. It was SOOO good!! My daughter and I just loved it!! She wanted to eat nothing but that all week!! I can;t wait to make it again!! Only thing was some of the cheese was kind of hard to find but I did find it across town, and it was kind of expensive but well worth the cost! It is a great idea to take to feed a crowd!!
Read all 24 reviews