Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Bacon, Kale Macaroni and Cheese

Ok. I'm going to apologize ahead of time. THERE ARE NO PICTURES! This was a very impromptu dish and I forgot to document the process and the final product. But it was so GOOD that I had to share!

I have to admit that this amazing recipe was not my brain child. I had a taste of it while I was in Washington. It was so good that I had to try and replicate it. The following recipe is what I could come up with! I love that it uses kale!

Bacon Kale Macaroni and Cheese
  • 1lb pasta 
  • One medium onion, diced
  • One bunch of kale, chopped
  • 4 mushrooms, diced
  • 4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
  • 4 Tbsp butter, plus some for greasing pan and carmelizing onions
  • 4-5 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1.5-2 cups parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1-2 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Grease your baking dish with butter. Cook the pasta, drain and set aside. Carmelize the onions with butter and some olive oil. Set aside. Saute the mushrooms and set aside with onions. Preheat the oven to 375F. 

Now make the bechamel sauce. Melt the 4 Tbsp of butter in a sauce pan. Once the butter is melted slowly add the flour while whisking. Once you have a fairly thick roux let it cook a little longer so the flavor is deeper. Add the milk and whisk. Now I'm pretty sure the measurements are correct but obviously adjust amounts if the sauce is too runny (slowly add flour) or too thick (slowly add milk). Now add the sage and the cheeses. Keep stirring until the cheese is melted. Mix in the bacon, onion, kale, and mushrooms.

Put the pasta in the baking dish and pour sauce over, mix it up a little bit. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly across the top and bake for 10 minutes. You don't want to put it in too long because it could dry up. Just bake it long enough to get hot. You may not even need to go that long. I took my dish over to a friend's house and that is why I baked it...to warm it up. 

ENJOY!


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