Mac and Three Cheese
Why I Love This Recipe
This is my favorite type of food...comfortable...I was going to enter this into a contest for Tillamook...but didn't...(heavy sigh)
Ingredients You'll Need
1 lb. elbow macaroni
4 TBPS shallots, diced 1/8"
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
2 cup milk
2 cups sour cream
1 tsp. ground chipotle powder
fresh ground black pepper
1 lb. medium sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb. aged swiss cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest
1/2 lb. smoked ham, diced 1/2"
4-6 oz. wedge bleu cheese, crumbled
6 slices white bread, lightly buttered and ground into crumbs (my wife calls these crunchys)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cook macaroni in 4 quarts of rapidly boiling, salted water for 6 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
Place pasta in a large bowl and set aside.
add the olive oil and butter to a large pan and heat over medium heat.
When the butter is melted, add the shallots and salt and allow to sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes (do not brown).
Add the wine and stir to incorporate the liquid.
Add the cream and milk and stir until well incorporated.
Add the sour cream and stir to incorporate.
Add the chipotle, black pepper and bring to a slow boil.
Add the cheddar and swiss cheeses, thyme, chives, lemon zest and ham to the bowl with the pasta and toss to mix.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
Pour into a 15"x10 1/4"x2" casserole dish and dot the top with the crumbled bleu cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the center reaches an internal temperature of 135F.
Remove from the oven and pour the buttered bread crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole and place back in the oven for about 25 more minutes or until the crumbs are well browned.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.