Yami Guru's Creative Vortex

Here’s what’s cooking at my house: Four Cheese Macaroni with Bacon!

This refined riff on the classic uses multiple cheeses and meats. 

Servings: 8-10 as an appetizer or 4-6 as an entrée

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus 3 tbsp
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1  1/2 cups Panko-style bread crumbs
• 6 cups whole milk
• 1 small onion, halved
• 4 oz. bacon (3-4 slices), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 Fuji apples, peeled and diced
• 2tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup sopressata
• 3/4 cup chopped deli-style cooked ham
• Salt
• 1lb. dried shell pasta
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1  1/2 cup grated whole milk mozzarella cheese (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
• 1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese
• 1 cup grated Havarti cheese

Filling:

1. In a large saucepan melt 3 tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until garlic is soft and fragrant (1-2 minutes).  Add bread crumbs and quickly mix to combine.  Remove mixture to a bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan combine milk and onion over medium heat.  Bring milk to a low simmer.  Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. As the milk simmers, return large saucepan to the stove and warm over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crispy (10-12 minutes).  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, keeping the leftover fat in the pan.
4. Add apples to the hot bacon fat in the pan , sautéing until softened (1-2 minutes).  Remove apples and place in a bowl; add vinegar and toss to coat.
5. Add sopressata to hot pan and sauté until crisp (about 1-2 minutes).  Remove and mix with chopped ham in the bowl with the apples.
6. Mince the crisped bacon and place in the bowl with bread-crumb  mixture; toss to combine.  Preheat broiler to high.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta, and cook according to the packaging instructions.

Sauce:

1. As the pasta cooks, melt 1/4 cup butter in saucepan over medium high heat.  Sprinkle flour over butter and whisk together to form a paste.  Let mixture cook until it begins to smell nutty (1-2 minutes).
2. Slowly strain simmered milk and onion.  Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Let sauce thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes).
3. Add 1 cup mozzarella, cheddar, Gouda, and Havarti to the sauce, stirring as the cheese melts. 

Assembly:

1. When pasta is done, drain and add to cheese sauce along with apple mixture.  Stir to combine all ingredients; pour into a lightly greased 13” x 9” baking dish.
2. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture and reserved mozzarella evenly over dish.  Broil until breadcrumbs are golden and cheese bubbles (about 4-5 minutes).
3. Serve immediately, to keep warm in 200º F oven for up to 30 minutes.

From InStyle Magazine / January 2012