Ingredients
1 lb. orecchiette
Kosher salt
1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. butter, divided
4 slices sourdough bread, cut into small cubes (about 4 cups)
6 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
5 1/2 c. whole milk
6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar
2 c. shredded gouda
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 400°. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and immediately rinse pasta under cold water.Step 2Make topping: Put bread cubes in a large bowl. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Remove from heat and pour over bread, tossing to combine. Step 3In the same skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with the bacon fat. Add onion, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Step 4Remove from heat and transfer onion mixture and to bowl with bread. Toss to combine and set aside. Step 5Wipe skillet clean and return to stovetop over medium heat. Melt 6 tablespoons butter. When butter is foamy, whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. (This is your roux.)Step 6Whisking constantly, slowly add about ¼ cup milk to roux until completely incorporated. Continue to whisk in milk, very slowly, until mixture is bubbly and has thickened. Turn off heat and whisk in cheeses until melty. Season with salt and pepper. Step 7Add pasta to skillet and toss until combined. Top with an even layer of bread and onion mixture. Step 8Bake until cheese is bubbly and bread cubes are golden, about 15 minutes. Step 9Top with cooked bacon before serving.
What makes this mac & cheese fancy? This mac & cheese really takes things up a notch in its ingredients and preparation. We used three different cheeses to create our extra-creamy sauce before topping our mac with crispy bacon, buttery sourdough croutons and garlicky onions cooked in a combo of butter, bacon, fat and thyme. Baked until the cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp, if this isn’t worthy of a fancy dinner party or special holiday feast, we’re not sure what is. What is the best cheese to use for mac & cheese? Why use just one when you can use three? To make this mac extra decadent, we added sharp cheddar, gouda and Parmesan to the mix. Pro Tip: For the best, cheesiest mac, we recommend buying your cheese in blocks and freshly grating it instead of buying the pre-shredded bags. Fresh cheese will make a huge difference in melting quality and flavor. What pasta should I use? We used orecchiette in this recipe, but your options don’t stop there! We love orecchiette for its scoop-like shape that holds pockets of the deliciously cheesy mixture, but cavatappi, classic macaroni or any medium-shell pasta would also work wonderfully. Made this fancy mac? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
