Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

Sometimes you simply need to have comfort food, regardless of whether or not it's even remotely healthy for you. There are a lot of sites out there offering recipes for comfort food that has been "healthified", and bless their hearts for trying, but when I need comfort, I need comfort. Damn the nutrition, full steam ahead. You know?

That's what this is. I'd had a really bad day, I was hungry, there was a bunch of cheese in the refrigerator, and I ran with it.

Maybe it's a tiny bit healthy. I drink fat-free milk, only buying whole milk if I've planned ahead and need it for cooking. Feel free to use whatever level of milk you own. Butter and flour for a roux with the milk, seashell pasta, Swiss, Gouda, sharp Cheddar, Asiago, and bacon bits. No seasoning other than a little white pepper, because the cheese is the featured taste here.

First step is to start your pasta boiling, although I've not taken a picture. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and boil 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Then drain.

Now, it's time to make a roux. I was chatting with a good friend recently, and he told me he never makes roux. I get that, but I can't agree. It makes a difference in the finished product, even if you can't quite put your finger on what that might be. Melt some butter, sprinkle the flour, and whisk constantly under medium-low heat until it turns a beautiful golden brown. With roux, you cannot be in a hurry or you'll burn it and have to start over. If you're new to it, then do low heat until you get more practice.

Next, whisk in the milk. Do this in a steady stream, whisking constantly, making sure roux is blended and smooth. Increase heat slightly, and continue whisking frequently until it starts to thicken. I do this by sight, but if you need to see if it's the right thickness, dip a spoon into it. The milk should coat the back of the spoon.

Add the cheeses all at once, reduce heat back to medium-low, and whisk until cheeses are completely melted and mixture is smooth. Continue heating over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until mixture is desired thickness. If you want, once the cheese is melted you can switch to a spoon for stirring. I simmered for about 10 minutes, but how long it takes depends on how thick you want your sauce.

Once your pasta is drained, return it to the pan and toss with butter. This helps keep it from sticking together, but also will come in handy if you opt to bake your mac & cheese later. Butter coats the pasta so it won't absorb so much of the sauce while it bakes. Or, you can skip this step entirely if you'd prefer.

Once cheese sauce is done, stir in the pepper and bacon bits. This requires almost no cooking, and you can move right on to the good part.

Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to completely coat. You'll notice the sauce to pasta ratio is a bit off, but that's because if I could get away with it I would totally eat just a bowl of cheese sauce. The pasta is there for filler, and also justification for eating the cheese. Depending on how long it's been since your pasta was done, you may have to heat this over low to ensure proper temperature, but if your timing is good you can go ahead and eat.

Unless you're one of those people who insists macaroni and cheese must be baked to be "right". If that's you, you'll want to preheat your oven to 350F when you start cooking, and coat a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the cheese and pasta mixture into the casserole, top with an additional 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (or 1/2 cup breadcrumbs tossed with a tablespoon of melted butter, or both), and bake for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Me, I just eat it, sometimes straight out of the pan.

Four Cheese Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

Serves 6

2 cups small seashell pasta (dry)
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups fat-free milk
4 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded or torn
4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded or torn
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or torn
2 ounces Asiago cheese, shredded or torn
3 ounces bacon bits
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Toss with 1 tablespoon butter and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour and heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until roux is golden. Whisk in milk. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until milk starts to thicken (about 8 minutes).

Add cheese to pan and whisk until completely melted and incorporated into sauce. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until desired thickness. Stir in bacon bits and pasta. Serve immediately.

*Optional: Preheat oven to 350F; coat a 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Pour macaroni and cheese into prepared casserole and top with an additional 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until top is starting to brown.

Serving Size: 210g

Calories: 573

Total Fat: 35g

Saturated Fat: 20.4g

Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 113mg

Sodium: 866mg

Total Carbohydrates: 32.1g

Dietary Fiber: 1.3g

Sugars: 5.9g

Protein: 29.1g