{recipe} Mac N Cheese of Epic Proportions

Macaroni and Cheese has become a standard of the hipster food scene, and seems to be on almost every trendy menu. Yet surprisingly, I’m not sick of it yet! Maybe that’s because it’s just cheese, noodles, butter, bread crumbs, and often some form of bacon or ham. What’s not to like? Seriously, how could I get sick of that combo?

I will say that in addition to Mac N Cheese being hella good, it is also highly changeable and adaptable. This was what I hope to be the first in a series of many experimental Mac N Cheeses. For this one I added roasted garlic, shallots, and a bunch of cheeses including Affinois. If you’ve never had Affinois, it’s a triple-creme brie-style cheese from France that tastes ridiculously good. I had a tough time deciding if I wanted to use the outside crusty part, and in the end I decided to just use the insides. It added a subtle flavor and increased the creaminess.

And then, for the piece de resistance: crispy prosciutto on top. I crisped prosciutto in a low oven, crumbled it, and mixed it with toasted bread crumbs, butter, and freshly grated parmigiano. Once you’ve crisped prosciutto, you’ll start putting it all OVER the place. It’s especially good on salads. Then again it’s also just good on its own- good luck resisting its charms!

Macaroni and Cheese of Epic Proportions
Serves 6 as a main course, 8-10 as a side dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole bulb garlic
• 4 oz. prosciutto
• 1 1/2 lbs. pasta (I used fusilli)
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 qt. whole milk
• 1/2 lb. Affinois, inside scraped out
• 1/2 lb. emmenthal or Swiss cheese, grated
• 1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/3 cup toasted white bread crumbs (I like them a little chunky)
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano
• olive oil for drizzling
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cut top off garlic. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap tightly in foil. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, open foil, and set aside to cool. When cool, squeeze out garlic innards and set aside.
• Meanwhile lay prosciutto out in a single layer on a rack over a sheet pan. Cook on the bottom shelf of the oven for 20-30 minutes, until crispy. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.
• Melt 2 Tblsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallots with thyme sprigs until soft. Add 6 Tblsp butter and melt. Add flour and bring to a boil, whisking, until mixture pulls from sides of pan.
• Add milk and continue to whisk until sauce thickens. Remove thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add Affinois insides, emmenthal, and cheddar, and stir to melt. Taste and re-season if necessary.
• Mix cheese sauce with pasta. Pour into deep 9×13 dish.
• Make topping by crumbling prosciutto in a bowl. Mix with bread crumbs, parmigiano, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Season with pepper. Sprinkle on top of pasta.
• Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes, until topping just starts to brown and cheese is bubbly.