Macaroni And Cheese With Caramelized Onions And Bacon Food

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, turning once. Drain bacon on paper towels; crumble. Reserve bacon drippings in skillet.
• Cook onion in reserved bacon drippings for 5 to 8 minutes or until onion is tender and golden brown. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and return to saucepan. Stir in the crumbled bacon, onions, 1-1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the gruyere cheese, half-and half, and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Spoon into a 1-1/2-quart casserole.
• Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F ovenfor 20 minutes. Stir gently. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes more or until top of casserole is brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND BACON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add macaroni and cook for 8 minutes (noodles will still be slightly hard). Drain noodles and transfer to a large bowl with 1/4 cup of butter and toss to coat. Whisk together the sour cream, egg, and cream cheese; add to the pasta and mix well. Stir in 3 cups of grated Asiago and 3 cups of grated Cheddar cheese, reserving the remaining 2 cups of cheese for the topping.
• Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate and chop into small pieces.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Stir 2 tablespoons butter, the onion, and garlic into the bacon drippings in the pan and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are very soft and golden brown. Mix the cooked bacon, parsley, and panko breadcrumbs into the onions, transfer mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
• Return the skillet to the heat and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour, and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk the milk into the flour mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook and stir until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Stir in the ground mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Remove sauce from heat and let cool for five minutes.
• Pour the sauce over the macaroni mixture, stirring well. Transfer to a greased 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Top cheese with the onion breadcrumb mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven until bubbling, hot and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

FANCY MACARONI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Cook macaroni for half the time of the package instructions. Drain and set aside.Fry bacon until slightly, but not overly, crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve grease.Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet and then saute onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter (and add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease for good measure!). Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in milk and half & half, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt & pepper to taste. (Do not undersalt!)Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another minute.Add cheeses and stir until melted. Add onions and bacon and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni and stir to coat. Pour into a baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until sizzling and hot. Serve with red meat or a green salad.

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, turning once. Drain bacon on paper towels; crumble. Reserve bacon drippings in skillet.
• Cook onion in reserved bacon drippings for 5 to 8 minutes or until onion is tender and golden brown. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and return to saucepan. Stir in the crumbled bacon, onions, 1-1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the gruyere cheese, half-and half, and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Spoon into a 1-1/2-quart casserole.
• Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F ovenfor 20 minutes. Stir gently. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes more or until top of casserole is brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

ÄLPLERMAGRONEN (SWISS ALPINE MACARONI AND CHEESE)

Steps:

• To make the bacon lardons: add the bacon pieces to a cold frying pan and turn on the heat to medium heat. Cook lardons, stirring regularly, until the fat renders and the bacon is browned and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove lardons with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• To make the caramelized onions: In a frying pan over medium-low heat melt the butter. Alternatively cook the onions in 2 tablespoons bacon fat if you are cooking bacon lardons for the garnish (just use the same frying pan and remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan). Add the onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring regularly until soft and golden, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
• To make the applesauce: Place the apples in a saucepan with water and cover. Simmer gently on medium-low heat, stirring once or twice, until the apple is completely tender, about 20 minutes. Mash with a fork until smooth. Set aside.
• To make the macaroni: Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot and cover generously with salted water. Bring to a boil, add the macaroni and continue to cook until the macaroni is barely al dente and the potatoes are tender. The exact time will depend on the macaroni shape. It's about 10 minutes for ziti. If using a smaller shape with shorter cook time (like elbows which need only 6 minutes for al dente) you may want to boil the potatoes for a couple minutes on their own before adding the macaroni. Drain the macaroni and potatoes.
• Return to the drained macaroni and potatoes to the pot, add the cream and return to medium heat. Stir until the cream starts to heat up (a minute or so) and then add the grated cheese, a little salt, and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg. Keep stirring until the cheese has melted into a thick and luscious sauce.
• Serve the cheesy Alpine macaroni on individual plates topped with caramelized onions, crispy bacon lardons (optional), and with applesauce on the side to eat either with the macaroni or afterwards as dessert based on personal preference.

BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bacon until crisp, turning once. Drain bacon on paper towels; crumble. Drain bacon drippings into saute pan.
• Cook onion in bacon drippings for 8 to 10 minutes or until onion is tender and golden brown. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and return to saucepan. Stir in the crumbled bacon, onions, 1-1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the gruyere cheese, cream, and pepper. Toss gently to combine. Spoon into a 1-1/2-quart casserole.
• Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F ovenfor 20 minutes. Stir gently. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with crumbs. Bake for 10 minutes more or until top of casserole is brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Serve hot with a green salad.