It’s cold. It’s miserable. All we think about is Jamaica.

What could possible cheer us up?

A beautiful, deep-dish pan of mac n’ cheese, of course! Fox & Friends Weekend asked us to come on and give our tips & tricks for making this beauty as well as a few other cold weather favorites like Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas Chili and our Ultimate Hot Chocolate.

If we can’t slip into skimpy swimsuits and dive off the cliffs of Negril, we might as well snuggle on the couch enjoy a big bowl of carbs & cheese, right??

Ultimate Bacon Mac n’ Cheese

Serves 6

Sauce
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup onion, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2½ cups milk, heated
1 cup grated Sartori Asiago
1 cup grated Sartori Montamore´

In a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon. When browned and crisp, add the onions and cook until tender. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Add the hot milk gradually while constantly whisking. The mixture will become extremely thick, but thin as more milk is added. Continue whisking until the smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often to prevent scorching. Season with salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook about 20 minutes, stirring every 2 -3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese.

**May be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator.**

 

For the pasta
1 pound pasta (elbows or penne)
½ cup heavy cream or milk
bacon cheese sauce (see previous recipe)
½ cup Sartori Sarvecchio Parmesan
Breadcrumbs for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 500˚ F

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it is just tender. Drain the pasta and set aside in a colander to steam dry for a few minutes.

If the cheese sauce was prepared in advance, warm it and stir in the hot sauce and cream. Combine the drained pasta and cheese sauce, mix well and taste for seasoning.

Pile the pasta high into a large gratin dish or cast iron skillet and cover the top with the Sarvecchio parmesan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Cool the dish outside of the oven at least 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

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