If your looking for creamy, cheesy, comforting, southern kind of mac and cheese, It’s not here. In fact, the name MAC and cheese doesn’t even do this little lady justice. That’s because she’s all grown up and sophisticated.
She’s got style, she’s got grace, She’s a winner.
She’s a Lady. Whoa whoa whoa, She’s a Lady.
Remember that song? It’s by Tom Jones. Remember?
I’ve had that song on my mind since I made Ina Gartens grown up version of macaroni and cheese. This little dish has Gruyere, sharp Cheddar and blue cheese in it.
I told you she was grown-up.
I was Leary about the blue cheese but it all comes together and it really works! The picky kid, who I thought would hate it, ate two bowls before I could even get the topping on and put it in the oven. The sure sign of a winner in my family.
Thanks to Heather from Randomosity and the girl for picking this Barefoot Bloggers recipe.I say give her a whirl!
But instead of Mac and cheese, let’s call her *Three Cheese and Roni*
Yeah yeah yeah She’s a Lady
Listen to me baby, She’s a
whoa whoa, She’s a Lady
And the Lady is mine!
Grown Up Mac and Cheese
from Ina Garten courtesy of Food Network.com
4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
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
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It’s like you read my mind about the blue cheese and whether fussy eaters would like it – so I guess you could say its not unusual to be loved by anyone
YUMM. I have been seeing this. I loved the dish you baked this in.
Great post! Love the singing! I will have to try this.
I’m seeing this all over the place and it looks delicious to me!
Your title reminds me of the tv show the Dinosaurs – my kids used to watch it and the baby dino would club the daddy and say “not the mama”. My son would do that to anyone who wasn’t me! ha ha. Thanks for the memory there!
I love blue cheese, so I’ll have to try this variation.
Megan, hi there, thanks for stopping by. I’ve been reading all the Grown Up Mac and Cheese recipes and I must say that I think yours has the prettiest presentation. Individual servings is so cool. The photo looks very nice too. Good job.
Piloncillo. Best way to do it is, if it’s semi fresh, you can use a sharp knife to slice off pieces. If it’s a little hard, which most of the time it is, I use a chisel and a mallet to break off the portions I intend to use. It’s a bit of a pain, but boy it sure adds flavor.
I’m not a bleu cheese fan, but you make it look and sound so good, I will have to broaden my horizons!
I have some awards for you, come and check them out!
Yours looks delicious. I think I made my breadcrumbs too tiny. Got a bit carried away with the processing. It really was great mac and cheese tho! I halved the bleu cheese in mine.
BTW welcome to Foodbuzz! I got the email saying you joined because of my reference
And what Lovely Ladies these are. Your picky kid ate it, eh? I may need to float this baby out and see what happens (Ok, now Tom Jones is pulsing thru my head, only it’s “The Love Boat”).
Megan, this blog is soo fun to read!! Mom and I have been having a ball reading it and who knows, maybe we’ll even try a recipe or two.
The wine pairing dinner was fun. Next year it will be at Almanor.
Looks like perfect mac & cheese! Yum!
Your mac and cheese looks amazing!
I think it is way random we have similar posts! I LOVE the Martha Stewart Mac and Cheese, but I also LOVE blue cheese. I’m going to have to try this recipe out when my husband is away on business. He hates blue cheese.