Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped rosemary
- 2 cups of heavy cream (500 ml)
- half a pound of bacon (200 gram)
- half a pound of elbow macaroni (200 gram)
- about 5 ounces of Gruyère cheese, we’ve used Wisconsin Gruyère (150 gram)
- salt and pepper to liking
- Fresh chives for garnishing
About the dish
Have we got a treat for you! We’ve noticed a lot of you guys (and girls!) are from America. That’s why we created this all American classic dish: mac and cheese. Seeing we live in the Netherlands I (Marco) had to travel for over 160km to get the Wisconsin Cheese. But… it’s well worth the taste, so enjoy! By the way, you can swap the cheese for some other young and fast melting cheese.
Kitchen equipment needed
- Large pan
- Chefs knife
- Cutting board
- Skillet
- Grater
Preparing the mac and cheese — 5 minutes
There’s not much to preparing the mac and cheese dish. Put a large pan on high heat, add some salt and let it come to a boil. Add in the noodles (macaroni) and stir until done. Chop the fresh rosemary into fine pieces. Cut the bacon in nice strips or cubes, whichever you prefer! Put a skillet on high heat, add in the bacon and bake until nice and crisp. Grate the cheese if it isn’t already grated.
Cooking the mac and cheese — 15 minutes
Add all of the cream into a large saucepan on a medium high fire. Add in the rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and keep at boil until the cream has been reduced to nearly half, this can take a few minutes. Stir in the bacon and pasta (no need to drain the noodles). Let simmer until hot. As if this isn’t already awesome, add in the grated Wisconsin Gruyère cheese.
Also add about 3 teaspoons of pasta water. Since the water and bacon are very salty it’s not really necessary to add more salt. Stir until the cheese has melted. You can garnish the mac and cheese with some chopped chives. Serve immediately to prevent the mac and cheese from getting all clunky.
I made this the other day, but instead of Gruyère cheese I used Pecorino Roman.
And instead of Rosemary I used Italian herbs.
And instead of Bacon I used vegetarian bacon.
And I added some shallot to the recipe.
And I didn’t add the chopped chives.
And I forgot about the 3 spoons of water.
Still a good recipe though, me and my family really enjoyed it! ;-)
Thank you Giel, good to know your family enjoyed it!