My ultimate macaroni and cheese

By dette

I've often been asked about my all-time favorite food. That's easy. Without a doubt and hands down, it's macaroni and cheese. There's nothing like the aroma that fills the kitchen when this dish is bubbling in the oven. My recipe calls for five different cheese and even incudes some smoky bacon to give it an extra layer of flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 T. plus 1 t. kosher salt
• 3/4 lb. cavatappit, rotini, or fusili
• 3 c. half and half
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 c. (6oz) shredded extra sharp Cheddar
• 1 c. (4oz) shredded mozzarella
• 1 c. (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack
• 8 oz Velveeta, cubed
• 1/4 c. (1oz) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 c. milk
• 2 t. dry mustard
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. onion powder
• 1/2 t. paprika
• 1 t. freshly ground black pepepr
• 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Prehet the oven to 350
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 T. of the salt and the pasta and cook until tender but still firm ot the bite, 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the half and half in a large saucepan over medium ehat. Just before the mixture starts to boil, remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then whisk in 2 cups of the warrrm half and half. (This will keep the eggs from scrambling.) Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and whisk to combine.
Stir 1 c. of the Cheddar, all the mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Velveeta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano and the milk into the saucepan. Heat the saucepan on medium-low heat to help melt the cheese. Whisk in the mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika the remaining 1 t. salt and the pepper. Do not let the mixture boil.
Toss the cooked pasta and cheese sauce together and then pour into a 4 qt baking dish. Top with the reamining 1/2 c. Cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle an even layer of crumbled bacon on top and bke for 10 minutes more.