By What does one do when they have a variety of cheeses leftover from a house party? Why, make mac and cheese — of course!
If you’re looking for a healthy, light meal, you should probably move on because this beauty is guilty pleasure + comfort food at it’s best. But, after you expend numerous calories shredding and chopping and whipping, you’ve basically earned it. There’s only one thing left to say — enjoy (because I don’t know how you wouldn’t)!
Adapted from MyGourmetConnection.com
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes / Serves 6
The What
- 1 lb pipette (or other medium-sized, ridged cut of pasta)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium shallot (about 3 tablespoons), finely chopped, divided
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 4 slices cooked bacon — the smokier, the better
- 2 to 4 teaspoons herbes de Provence, divided
- 3-3/4 cups whole milk
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground pepper (white or black)
- We loosely followed the recipe referenced above, which called for the cheese below, but we used a variety of goat, sheep, swiss and whatever else we had left over from our party (~1.12 lbs. total)
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- 8 ounces Ossau-Iraty (or other French sheep’s milk cheese, see notes), coarsely grated
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- 6 ounces chèvre (goat cheese), softened
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- 3 ounces Mimolette, coarsely grated, divided (see notes)
- 3/4 cup panko crumbs
The How
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pipette and cook until tender but not soft (al dente). Drain and set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter a 2-1/2 to 3-quart baking dish.
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Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 2/3 of the shallot (2 tablespoons) and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ham and continue cooking 1 minute. Add the wine and 2 teaspoons of the herbes de Provence and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, set aside and wipe out the pan.
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Heat the milk in a separate saucepan until very warm, but not scalded. Set aside.
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Return the saucepan to the stove and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and blend with a whisk until well combined. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture develops a pale golden color, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continually until well blended.
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Continue cooking, whisking frequently, until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 7 to 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the pan with a spatula once or twice during cooking to ensure there are no lumps in your sauce.
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Reduce the heat to low, add the Ossau-Iraty and stir until completely melted. Add the goat cheese, stir until melted, then add the ham mixture and combine well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in 1 teaspoon of the herbes de Provence. Taste again and adjust the amount of herbes de Provence to your liking (we used an additional teaspoon).
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Add the pasta, combine well and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
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While the macaroni bakes, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining shallot and sauté until slightly softened, 1 minute. Add the panko crumbs and toss to combine. Continue cooking, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, add the remaining Mimolette and combine well.
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Remove the macaroni from the oven, top with the crumb mixture and return to the oven until the topping is crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
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Allow the macaroni and cheese to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
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