Best Blt Rific Mac N Cheese Recipes

BLT MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Toss the lettuce with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet until the lettuce is wilted, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool, but leave the oven on.
• In a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, render the bacon with the canola oil until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Add the flour and cook over medium heat until the flour begins to smell slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add a small amount of the milk to the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk in stages to avoid lumps. Heat until the mixture simmers, then turn off the heat.
• Add the Cheddar and Gruyere to the pan, followed by the nutmeg and drained macaroni. Fold until the macaroni is evenly coated, then add the lettuce, tomatoes and bacon.
• Spread the mixture in a 2-quart baking dish and top with the Herbed Breadcrumbs. Cook until the top is golden, about 35 minutes.
• Combine the panko, butter, parsley and thyme in a medium bowl and mix together.

SPICY SHRIMP MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare the butterfly shrimp according to the package directions for the oven. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions for al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well and reserve.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chile and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until completely moistened and bubbling, about 1 minute. While whisking continuously, slowly pour in the milk and continue to simmer until creamy and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the Parmesan, mascarpone, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the Muenster cheese until completely melted and smooth. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the reserved pasta until evenly combined.
• Top the mac and cheese with the remaining 1/2 cup Muenster cheese, then place the butterfly shrimp in a concentric circle on top, tails facing up. (You may need to shingle or overlap the shrimp slightly so they all fit in the skillet.)
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese is completely melted and the shrimp are warmed through, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with another pinch of cayenne and some chopped parsley.

BLT MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until almost al dente; drain. In the same pot, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat; whisk in the turmeric and stir in the cream cheese. Stir in the cheddar cheese until melted. Add the pasta, bacon and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9-by-13 inch casserole dish and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the yogurt and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce and toss to coat. Serve the salad with the pasta.

BLT MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, place bacon pieces in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from the skillet and set on paper towels to drain excess grease. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease, and carefully discard any extra or save for another use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Return 1/4 cup bacon grease to the skillet, adjusting heat if the skillet is too hot. Whisk in flour until smooth. Allow flour mixture to bubble gently and cook, whisking regularly, about 1 minute. Whisk in canned tomatoes with liquid and milk. Whisk until smooth and mixture is bubbly and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. If mixture is too thick, thin with a little more milk.
• Stir in Cheddar cheese and stir until cheese has melted into the sauce. Thin with a little bit of milk if needed. Taste mixture and season with salt and pepper. Stir grape tomatoes and broccoli into the sauce. Add cooked and drained noodles and stir gently to coat. Fill mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with bacon pieces.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is bubbly and broccoli is crisp-tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Toss arugula with some lemon juice and serve atop the mac and cheese.

QUINTESSENTIAL MAC N CHEESE

Steps:

• For the pasta:
• Prepare pasta stock by adding 5 cloves garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper, paprika, smoked paprika, to the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain stock and return liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil and add macaroni until done. Strain pasta and toss with dry mustard. Toss in salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste.
• Grate all the cheeses, making sure to keep Asiago and Pecorino separate from the Cheddars. Crumble the Gorgonzola cheese. Melt the butter and add the flour through a fine-mesh sieve. Add cream and creme fraiche. Add dry mustard, Dijon mustard, paprika, smoked paprika, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add Gorgonzola and Cheddar cheeses to the sauce, returning to low heat.
• Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and add egg, combine well. Top with grated Asiago and Pecorino. Put in individual crocks and bake until bubbly golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the pesto:
• Blend the olive oil, lemon zest, basil, pine nuts, feta, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor to make basil pesto.
• In a saucier, combine the heavy cream, creme fraiche, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium heat until flavors meld and sauce reduces.
• Cut bread into 8 toastettes. Season with salt, pepper and butter. Put in oven to toast. Remove and drizzle with basil pesto and cream sauce.
• Serve macaroni and cheese and serve immediately with toastettes.

BLT CREAMY MAC 'N' CHEESE (RACHAEL RAY)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.
• While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Stir in half of the shredded cheese, then the reserved pasta cooking water.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Pile into a casserole and top with the tomatoes and remaining shredded cheese. Bake until browned on top, 7 to 8 minutes.
• In a large bowl, toss the arugula and basil with the lemon juice and a drizzle of EVOO. Serve on top of the pasta.