Glorious 7 Cheese Macaroni

Mac-i-licious!

This is the best macaroni and cheese, EVER! Yes, I am patting my back and tooting my own horn (toot, toot, beep, beep).

I have around 10 different macaroni and cheese recipes I make. From the bacon-mac, andouille-mac, shrimp-mac, crab-mac, truffle-mac, mac-mac, you get my point. Well this is the Mac-i-licious-Mac!

The key to excellent macaroni and cheese, and we all want excellent, not just good mac, is great cheese. You can not skimp on cheese. I have tried to substitute cheese and it just does not work.

You have to invest in your Mac and that means investing in the best cheese you can find. This mac is made with Gouda, Fontina, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Jack, Asiago, Romano and Sharp Cheddar.

Yes I have included almost every region of the world for my cheese selection.

An excellent Mac must have a bechamel sauce, which requires mixing flour and butter to form a light roux, cream, milk and then all that glorious cheese. 

Toss in penne pasta that has been slightly undercooked. I cook my pasta 1 minute under al dente around 9 minutes because we still have to bake the pasta.

The trick to this mac and cheese is  to bake the macaroni at 375 degrees for 20 minutes then add the bread crumb topping and extra butter and bake for 20 minutes more to brown the topping.

You have done all the work, it's time to eat, eat and eat a third bowl of this Mac-i-licious Mac.

Glorious 7 Cheese Macaroni

1 lb pasta, penne or large macaroni noodles work best
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 c. jack cheese, grated
1 c. fontina cheese, grated
1 c. gouda cheese, grated
1/4 c. asiago cheese, grated
1/4 c. romano cheese, grated
1/4 c. parmigiano-reggiano
4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 c. heavy cream, room temperature
1 c. milk, room temperature
1 egg
1 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. creole seasoning

topping (recipe below)

For the Toppings:

1/2 jack cheese, grated
1/2 sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1. c panko bread crumbs
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. green onions, sliced thinly

Directions:

Fill a large stock pot full of water and over high heat, bring to a boil. Cover with a lid to bring to boil quickly.

Salt water, add pasta, stir, and cook pasta for 9 minutes or until 1 minute under al dente, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta and rinse pasta with hot water, drain again and set aside.

In a stock pot, heat butter over medium heat, add flour and stir well about 1 minute. Add all the seasonings and stir well 1 minute more.

Lower heat to medium-low and add cream and milk, whisk well. Add cheese by the handful and whisk well after each addition.

Remove cheese sauce from heat and allow to cool about 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 1 egg, whisk well and set aside.

Toss pasta with cheese sauce and place in a large oven proof butter dish.

To prepare toppings, mix all ingredients except butter.

Bake pasta at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, remove from oven top with bread crumb topping and melted butter, bake 15 more minutes are until golden brown. Enjoy.