Truffle Bacon Mac Cheese Recipes

TRUFFLE BACON MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• Cover a baking sheet in foil. Place the strips of bacon on the baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for about 17 minutes or to desired crispiness. I usually leave it a little softer than normal because it will continue to cook a little bit when you add to the final dish.
• While the bacon is in the oven I suggest shredding both the extra sharp cheddar and gruyere cheese into a giant bowl.
• Once the bacon is done. Turn your oven down to 325 degrees. Drain the bacon on some paper towels. Chop into chunks on a cutting board and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of kosher salt and a splash of olive oil while it's warming up. Once it's boiling add your noodles and cook according to the package directions. I used Fusilli noodles but you could use traditional macaroni if you like.
• Once the pasta noodles are done, drain and set aside while you make the roux.
• Start by melting the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously to combine for about one minute. Don't stop whisking! It's important to not let it burn.
• Slowly pour in the milk. If you pour too much at once it will start to bubble over the top of the pot. Once it settles down, pour in the heavy cream. (Note: I find that letting the milk and heavy cream sit out on the counter for about ten minutes helps it blend easier) Keep whisking until the roux gets very thick and creamy.
• Once the roux is done add the white truffle oil and whisk it in. Then add the spices and seasonings. Stir in 3 cups of the cheese mixture until completely melted and remove from the heat.
• Blend the parsley and garlic in a food processor for a few seconds. Then add the bread crumbs. Pulse a few more seconds and set aside.
• In the large pot that you used to make the pasta, combine the noodles, cheese sauce, and bacon. Once combined pour one layer into a glass baking dish that has been coated with non-stick spray. Then add half of the remaining cheese to the first layer. Pour more of the noodles in the baking dish and top with any remaining cheese. Finish it off by sprinkling the bread crumb mixture over the top.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. If you want it a little bit crispier, you can bake it for 20 minutes, but know that this will make it a little more dry.
• Serve in a bread bowl for maximum deliciousness!

WHITE TRUFFLE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Combine milk and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Heat just until butter melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour gradually until sauce is smooth again. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and add Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses. Stir until melted and well blended. Add bacon and truffle oil; mix well.
• Pour cooked pasta into the pot and stir until thoroughly coated with the sauce. Pour into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs lightly over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

TRUFFLED MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook the macaroni following pack instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.
• Tip the milk and bay leaves into a pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan, then stir in the flour to make a thick paste, continuing to stir for 3-4 mins. Remove and discard the bay leaves from the milk, then gradually pour it into the flour and butter mix, continuously stirring to keep the sauce smooth. Add the mustard, thyme, truffle paste and porcini powder, then stir in the taleggio cheese and mozzarella until melted slightly. Remove from the heat, tip in the macaroni and stir to coat. Scrape into an ovenproof dish. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sprinkle over the cheddar, breadcrumbs and parmesan, and bake for 20 mins until golden. For a crispy top, grill for 5 mins or until just golden. Serve straightaway.