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Wood-Fired Mac And Cheese

Servings 10

Ingredients
  

The Base

  • 16 oz Elbow Pasta
  • 1 sticks Butter
  • 1/2 cup All purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cup Whole milk
  • 2 cups Half and half
  • 1 lb Medium cheddar cheese
  • 1 lb Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 tbsp Salt
  • 1/2 tbsp Pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp Smoked paprika

Bread Crumbps

  • 1 slice Bread A loaf end works well
  • 1/2 tbsp Onion powder
  • 1/2 tbsp tbsp Dried parsley flakes

Optional

  • 5 slices Bacon

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F

Mac and Cheese Base

  • Bring a big pot of water to a boil, toss in a generous pinch of salt (about a tablespoon), and drop in the pasta. Let it cook until it’s just al dente—tender but still has a little bite.
  • Grate up all the cheeses and set 'em aside.
  • Heat up a saucepan over medium heat. Drop in a stick of butter and let it melt down nice and smooth.
  • Sprinkle in the ½ cup of flour while whisking constantly—you're aiming for a smooth paste.
  • Pour the whole milk ,half-and-half, and half of the shredded cheeses in the pot. Mix well until it gets to a thick consistency.
  • Slowly pour in the whole milk and half-and-half, whisking as you go. Then toss in half of your shredded cheeses. Stir it all together until the sauce thickens up and gets nice and creamy

The Bake (Regular)

  • In a 6-inch cast iron pan, coat the inside with butter.
  • Load it up with macaroni.
  • Top it off with your cheeses.
  • Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

-Bread Crumbs Version-

  • After topping the pan with cheeses, cover the whole surface with bread crumbs.
  • Drizzle with butter.
  • Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

-Bacon Version-

  • In a large cast iron pan, lay out 5–6 strips of bacon in a single layer. Pop it in the oven and bake until they’re perfectly crispy.
  • Dice the bacon into tiny pieces.
  • In a 6-inch cast iron pan, coat the inside with bacon grease.
  • Add a scoop of macaroni and sprinkle with bacon. Fill it all the way to the top and add more macaroni.
  • Top it off with cheeses and bacon.
  • Bake until the top is golden brown.