Blue Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

 Blue Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

8 Servings | 10-minute Prep Time | 45-minute Cook Time

A few notes:

This recipe is intended for year-round use, depending on proportions and heat application. During the baking process, your fats are going to become thin. This is because blue cheese is more akin to butter than cheese when heated. 

 Option 1:  If you want it to stay super creamy, omit 1 cup of milk when making the mornay, the breadcrumbs, and the oven baking process — basically, serve after mixing everything in the pot you cooked the macaroni in.

 Option 2:  During the spring and summer, I bake it with breadcrumbs to serve alongside steak. It stays a little lighter and makes a good side dish of carbs this way. During the winter, I usually keep it creamy and hearty to serve as a main alongside some darker cruciferous veg. 

 Option 3:  If you are dead set on having it all, add 1 1/2 cups of grated white cheddar cheese to the mornay, melt it down with the blue cheese, and bake it all off together. The cheddar should help your sauce stand up to the baking process.

Ingredients

16 oz. Elbow Macaroni

 For Mornay:

5 Tbsp Butter

3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

2 cups Milk

4 oz. Blue Cheese

For Filling and Topping:

4 strips Bacon

1 Shallot

½ cup Breadcrumbs

Salt

Pepper

Instructions

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta, preheating oven to 350°F, and mincing the shallot.

 

For Mornay:

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour and whisk until smooth. Whisking frequently to prevent sticking, cook until mixture turns a light brown color, about seven minutes. 

Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in the heavy cream and milk.  Bring to a low simmer and turn down heat.  Continue cooking and stirring until sauce is smooth and the flour has lost its grittiness, about ten minutes. 

Melt in the blue cheese then keep on low heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing everything else.

 

For Assembly:

Cook bacon to crisp in frying pan, then remove and place onto a paper towel. Add shallot to bacon fat and cook briefly until it changes color.  Remove shallot from pan and set aside with bacon. Crumble bacon once it is cool enough to handle. 

Cook pasta to al dente, drain, and return to pot. Fold the mornay, bacon, and shallot into the pasta.

Grease a 9 x 13” baking dish.  Add pasta. Top with breadcrumbs. Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until golden brown and breadcrumbs are toasted.