Best Fancy Mac N Cheese Recipes

FANCY MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil, and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside. Try not to eat them before the macaroni's done. Turn down the heat to 350 degrees F.
• Next, fry the thick slices of bacon until chewy, but not yet crisp. Chop up the bacon into bite-size bits. Set aside. Try not to eat them before the macaroni's done.
• In a large skillet over medium-low heat, saute the onions in 1 tablespoon of the butter, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Try not to... oh, never mind.
• Cook the macaroni until just undercooked. Set aside.
• To make the sauce, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking to combine. Let the roux cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Then pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Cook the white sauce until thick and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Next, add the half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Spoon some of the hot white sauce into the beaten eggs to temper them, stirring with a fork to incorporate the mixture without cooking the eggs. Pour the tempered eggs into the white sauce, stirring constantly as you add them. Add the fontina, gruyere, Parmesan and goat cheeses. Stir until the cheese all melts. Add the cooked macaroni and stir to coat. Splash in a little milk or hot water if needed for thinning.
• Butter a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Lay on half the onions, half the macaroni, half the mushrooms, half the gorgonzola and half the bacon. Repeat the layers, ending with the bacon. Bake until bubbly and hot, 20 to 25 minutes.
• This is the stuff that dreams - and love handles - are made of.

GROWN UP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.
• Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.
• Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

FANCY MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Set cheese sauce packet from dinner mix aside. Bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add macaroni; cook for 4 minutes. Add the broccoli, onion and garlic. Cook 3-6 minutes longer or until macaroni is tender; drain.
• In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Stir in cheese sauce mix and milk. Add ham, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in macaroni mixture.
• Transfer to a greased broiler-proof 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Melt remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over top. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 4-5 minutes or until top is golden brown. Yield: 8 servings.

FANCY-BUT-EASY MAC N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the diced onion in a large pot of lightly-salted water; bring to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Transfer the onion and pasta to a casserole dish; season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Stir the butter and brown sugar into the pasta mixture until the butter melts. Add the Cheddar cheese soup, Havarti cheese, Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup of Cheddar cheese; stir well. Sprinkle remaining Cheddar cheese over top of the dish.
• Bake in preheated oven about 45 minutes. Change oven setting to 'Broil' and cook until top is golden brown, about 4 minutes.