Bacon and Caramelized Onion Mac & Cheese
On a recent visit to one of my favorite blogs I saw a recipe for "Fancy Macaroni". It had all the necessary things to make good mac and cheese. Like 4 different kinds of cheese's, butter, half & half and.....what else was it?.....ohhh yeaaa, BACON!
Now, if you haven't followed my blog for long (and why haven't you?) then you might not be aware that I have a severe allergy. I am allergic to anything that DOES NOT contain diary or pork fat! Seriously! It seems like most of the things I make either have tons of cheese or bacon in some form in them! It's a quirk, I know.
So this dish is no exception. A great accompaniment to a big ol' slab-o-meat or, for someone like me who is content with a salad for dinner, as a meal in itself! Here is my adaptation of her recipe.
Bacon and Caramelized Onion Mac & Cheese
Serves approx. 12
Ingredients:
4 cups Macaroni
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 whole Medium Onions, Cut In Half And Sliced Thin
10 slices Regular Bacon
1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease (reserved From Bacon Slices)
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
2 1/2 cups Milk
½ cups Heavy Cream
2 whole Egg Yolks, Beaten
Salt & Pepper (to Taste)
½ cups Grated Gruyere Cheese
1 cups Grated Fontina Cheese
½ cups Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, Shredded (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook macaroni for half the time of the package instructions. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.Fry bacon until slightly crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve grease.
In same skillet with the bacon grease add saute onions and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.
In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in milk and cream, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt & pepper to taste. Remember the pasta will continue to absorb moisture and flavor, so don't undersalt the dish.
Beat egg yolks and pour 1/4 cup hot milk mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. You don't want scrambled eggs so they need to be tempered to allow them to come up to the temperature of the milk. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan and cook for another minute. Stir in cheese until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni and toss to coat all the pasta with cheese sauce. Top with cheddar cheese, if desired.
Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.