The plan this last weekend was Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. However, we miscalculated the amount of lobster and ended up not having enough for the dish. Rather than scrap macaroni and cheese altogether, we used some thick maple smoked bacon and it turned out fantastic. I used extra sharp white cheddar and it really gave it a bite. It’s a creamy macaroni and cheese main or side dish with a great pairing of extra sharp white cheddar and maple smoked bacon.
This recipe is adapted from a similar recipe I found on Saveur, with some tweaks and changes for the addition of bacon.
Serve with a green salad and a glass of Cabernet or Sauvignon Blanc.
Makes 8-12 servings
12 ounces elbow macaroni
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly grounded
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup low-fat sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup grated onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
10-12 strips thick maple smoked bacon, cooked and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
7 ounces extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using non-stick spray, coat the bottom and sides of a 9″x13″ baking dish. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook halfway through, about 3-4 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to prepared baking pan. Stir in cubed cheddar cheese and set aside.
Combine flour, mustard, pepper, nutmeg and pepper in a large bowl. Add the sour cream and eggs and mix until smooth. Whisk in the cream, milk, onions and Worcestershire. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta mixture and add the bacon. Stir to evenly distribute the egg mixture and bacon. Sprinkle with the grated cheese evenly over top of pasta.
Bake until the pasta is set around the edges, and slightly golden, about 30 minutes (about 15 minutes for mini-cocottes). Let the pasta set for at least 10 minutes before serving (this will allow the cheese to thicken up).
This post was also featured in the Los Angeles Times Food Section: Daily Dish on January 06, 2011
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
that looks rediculously good.
I love the addition of bacon in this recipe, it just makes mac and cheese that much better!
Hi
I was wondering since you did not saute the onions for this recipe, could you taste the grated onions and did it have a strong onion flavor in this recipe.
Hi Jackie: You could definitely taste the onions. Even though I diced them medium to small, it was evident there was onions. I didn’t think the onions were overpowering with the extra sharp white cheddar…I am not “usually” a fan of onions unless they’re cooked.
These are suggestions…but I preface that I haven’t tried it this way:
If you’re not a fan of too much onion flavor, I might suggest cutting the amount of onions to maybe a tablespoon -OR- lightly saute it in a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil and then add it with the ingredients.
Please share with me if you make this mac N cheese and which route you chose or what you thought about the onions in the dish. ;)
Congrats on the LA Times posting…that dish DEFINITELY looks more than worthy to be there!!
This looks sinfully delicious!
delicious I love mac and cheese too without the bacon :)
Congratulations Christina
I love a sharp cheddar! This recipe sounds right up my alley!
Lovely recipe :) macaroni and cheese make great combination.
And recipe looks great in Los Angeles Times :)
I dont think will ever be a time when I can pass up mac and cheese we eat it often here, love it and this with the extra sharp is right up my alley… btw…the rum was purchased in St Maartin, however looking on line almost all major liqueur stores have it Cruzan makes it. If you can’t find it try banana flavoring and regular rum mixed together, I guess I should have mentioned that…thanks for the catch! xoxo Claudia aka pegasuslegend
Ohhh I so want this right now. comfort food for me :)
I love the extra white cheddar in macaroni and cheese, it really does take the typical macaroni and cheese over the top!
I saw this being tweeted up earlier today, and couldn’t WAIT to sit and absorb the whole recipe…There’s nothing about this I don’t love – photos, recipe…great, great job!
Everything is better with bacon, and your mac and cheese is the creamiest looking, bacon laden mac and cheese I’ve ever seen. How about lobster and bacon mac and cheese? I’ve become quite a cheerleader for fat since blogging lol Happy New Year!!
Gorgeous Mac. I too am developing a lobster Mac and Cheese recipe. So I hope you’ll post yours soon too. GREG
Greg: I’ll be on the lookout for your post on the lobster mac N cheese. It is definitely I something I plan to make.
I’m not a mac&cheese person but add bacon and extra cheese and you totally sell it to be. The photos are amazing. I’m at work and I just want to go home and make this!
Holy cow! These little pots lok so scrumptious!!
Love mac and cheese and just gave my daughter her own dish of my ‘just mac and cheese’ which I made on Tuesday. I will have to try the bacon mac and cheese since we both love bacon.
Thanks for sharing,
Joanne
Did you say bacon? Bacon mac n cheese? Jealous!
Yummm… That looks amazing! And I was already planning mac and cheese for dinner… Might have to add some bacon. :)
I love macaroni and cheese and it is my son’s number one favorite food. This one looks so delicious. I love that it includes white cheddar. Comfort food at it’s best!
Oh yes! Finally some full fat, gooey and utterly butterly delicious mac and cheese..woo…hoo! my kinda start to the New Year :0 I like it~
chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Definitely a great idea subbing the bacon in there! I love lobster and bacon equally, so I bet this would have been great either way! It definitely looks gorgeous!
Mac and cheese is my fave comfort foods! Adding bacon sends it over the top! mmm
ceecee
I love macaroni and cheese…this is definitely a lovely one :) And the idea of doing individual servings is perfect!
Hope your 2011 is an amazing year!
Almost any type of macaroni and cheese makes me happy…especially if it has yummy bacon (although I’m certain that the lobster would have been FANTASTIC!) Thank you for sharing this delicious and creamy dish! I hope you have a wonderful end of your week.
This is the best mac and cheese I’ve ever seen! I love the bacon addition in it. Yum yum!
Mac & cheese, especially made with sharp white cheddar, is pretty much the perfect comfort food, but everything’s better with bacon! Hope your new year is off to a terrific start, Cristina!
ok, now i have to make this:) this looks so yummy… i love extra sharp white cheddar cheese..this is the perfect thing to have on a cold winter night.
Mac and Cheese…they look fabulous, specially with little pieces of bacon :-) Happy New Year!
Yum!
Cristina, you’re speaking my language here! Love the mac and cheese with sharp cheddar! I also like to sprinkle gorgonzola on top for a little extra kick!
Look at that beautiful photo with the cheese just oozing over! I love macaroni and cheese. I was at a potluck recently and one of my friends made mac and cheese. That was 80% of my diet that day! :) Happy new year Cristina.
You are killing me!!! That looks absolutely delicious but seriously, I know I would eat way too much it looks so good! There would be no green salad for me!
I have bookmarked the page :)
Oh heavens! This sounds delicious!! My grandmother used to always say “everything tastes better with bacon”. And I think she is right.
Happy New Year to you!
Wow this looks good. You can’t go wrong with bacon…I’m convinced this applies to just about everything. ;)
oh ,looks so delicious!★•.¸¸.•*¨*❤•.¸¸.•*¨*☆•.¸¸.•*¨*❤
HAPPY NEW 2011 YEAR!!!
❤•.¸¸.•*¨*☆•.¸¸.•*¨*❤•.¸¸.•*¨*★
Alison: That’s adorable your greeting. Thank you and Happy New Year to you too! :)
Cristina, you’ve been making all the recipes on my to-do list. First the palmiers and now the mac-n-cheese. I’ve been wanting to try the lobster version, too. Gosh, does this ever look appetizing. I bet the bites with bacon were total heaven. I would have wanted more than one portion. :-)
Hey Christina, great mac n cheese recipe. The family loves the stuff, especially my dad. I’ll let you know his reaction! Hope you had a great holiday :)
Oh Cristina, this baked macaroni and cheese looks incredible! This is an absolute favorite of mine in the winter months, and thanks for reminding me! As soon as this awful cold I’m fighting passes, I’ll be making this for sure.