Cheese is a food group to me. When the rest of my fridge could be pretty empty, the cheese drawer is full. When I was pregnant with Townes, the first thing I did was call our favorite French Restaurant, Justine's, in a panic that their triple-creme brie wasn't pasteurized (it is, thank goodness). When I am at the grocery store with Chanel and I ask, "do we need cheese?" she just laughs at me. You get the picture - cheese is a big deal.
My kids know it too. We don't just eat American cheese - which has its throne in the crockpot to make queso. But Townes has always loved brie spread on a cracker, or feta in his eggs, or blue cheese in a lobster beignet (not that he can even say, beignet). So when I am feeling like a cheesey comfort food staple like mac and cheese we go one of two routes: 1. we make Annie's white cheddar shells with extra butter and some cream (SO GOOD) and maybe some peas and carrots thrown in or 2. I make some from scratch version with "stinky" cheese so it has a more adult flavor.
This is clearly the latter, since I'm not gonna post a recipe on how to do-up some Annie's (though I totally could if anyone is interested). In my opinion, bacon and gruyere go together so wonderfully. There is a bitterness to the cheese that is perfectly complimented by the saltiness of the bacon. For this cheese sauce I also tried to liven up that deep flavor in the gruyere with some Worcestershire, horseradish, dry mustard and then smooth it out with cheddar. Topped with more bacon and some butter bread crumbs, this was a total win.
Bacon-Gruyere Cavatappi
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. cavatappi pasta (or elbows)
- 1 lb. thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 small white onion, grated
- 1 tbs. butter
- 1 tbs. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish (optional)
- 3 tbs. flour
- 2 cups milk
- 8 oz block of orange cheddar, freshly grated
- 6 oz block of gruyere, freshly grated
- 2 tbs. butter
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- Green onions or chives, chopped for garnish
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large sauce pot or dutch over, boil water with salt and a dash of olive oil (to prevent sticking), cook pasta to the al dente directions. Rinse your pasta under cold water in a colander and set aside.
Empty the pot and return it to the stove. Cook all the bacon in the pot over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. When crispy, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Pour the lose bacon fat from the pot into a heat safe container and set aside, do not wipe out or rinse your pot.
Add the 1 tbs. of butter to the pot over medium-high heat. Saute the grated onion until translucent. Add the garlic powder, dry mustard, Worstcheshire, salt and pepper and horseradish. Whisk until mixed. Add the flour and stir until evenly coated.
Immediately add the milk, whisking to incorporate smoothly. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the cheddar and gruyere. Turn off the heat and stir until creamy and blended.
Add the pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce. Reserving a small handful for topping, add the cooked bacon to the pasta and cheese.
Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x12 casserole dish. Melt the 2 tbs. butter in a microwave safe dish and then stir in the bread crumbs. You may need to add more if you want them a little drier, but its your preference.
Chop the remaining bacon into small bits and add to the bread crumbs. Top the pasta with the bread crumbs and bacon.
Bake until the breadcrumbs are just browned and the casserole bubbles.
Remove and top with chopped green onions or chives.