David's Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese

By terryjo

David Venable's Mac and Cheese is awesome.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 pound Rotini, Ziti or Fusilli pasta
• 3 cups Half-and-Half
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella
• 1 cup Monterey Jack
• 8 oz. Velveeta (cubed)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to 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 heat. Just before the mixture starts to boil, remove the pan from the hear and let cool for 5 minutes.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then whisk in 2 cups of the warm Half-and-Half. (This will keep the eggs from scrambling.) Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and whisk to combine.

Stir one cup 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 dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, the remaining one teaspoon of salt and pepper. Do not let the mixture boil.

Toss the cooked pasta and cheese sauce together and then pour into a 4 quart baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of Cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes, sprinkle an even layer of crumbled bacon on top and bake for 10 minutes more.