Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is of things that no matter how I'm feeling, and I've been out there before haha, I'll never turn it down. Whether it's the crap out of the box or that toxic orange stuff from the Colonel-I don't care, I'll eat it. If I'm making my own I do have some preferences; I prefer a penne regate pasta and I like to add other ingredients. For today's recipe I'll be doing Mac and Sleaze, a tribute to my days at Ashling in Kenosha. For this recipe I'm just going to make suggestions as far as what cheeses to use; but in the end, the cheese and the amount are really up to you.

1. Start by building a roux, equal parts flour and butter and cook until all the raw flour is incorporated, should be a blonde color. Set aside.

2. Next begin cooking off your pasta. Don't overcook the pasta, it will be cooked again.

3. Bring 1 qt. of milk up to a simmer, season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Begin to whisk in the roux a little at a time avoiding clumps. 

4. Once the milk has thickened enough begin adding your cheeses, small handfuls at a time. I like to use white cheddar, pecorino romano, cream cheese, fontina, and parmesan. But by all means go nuts.

5. Once all the cheese is melted in I like to add 1-2 Tbs. of dijon mustard to give the sauce a little more kick.

6. Take your cooked pasta and finished sauce, whatever leftover cheese you have, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, and green onions and mix. Portion out into buttered individual serving dishes or into a casserole dish, top with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and bake at 400 degrees until nice and brown on top. Enjoy!