Blt Creamy Mac N Cheese Rachael Ray Recipes

BLT CREAMY MAC 'N' CHEESE (RACHAEL RAY)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.
• While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Stir in half of the shredded cheese, then the reserved pasta cooking water.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Pile into a casserole and top with the tomatoes and remaining shredded cheese. Bake until browned on top, 7 to 8 minutes.
• In a large bowl, toss the arugula and basil with the lemon juice and a drizzle of EVOO. Serve on top of the pasta.

MACARONI AND CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a flameproof baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place baking dish under a hot broiler and brown the Cheddar cheese on top.

BLT MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until almost al dente; drain. In the same pot, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat; whisk in the turmeric and stir in the cream cheese. Stir in the cheddar cheese until melted. Add the pasta, bacon and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9-by-13 inch casserole dish and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the yogurt and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce and toss to coat. Serve the salad with the pasta.

BLT MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, place bacon pieces in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from the skillet and set on paper towels to drain excess grease. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease, and carefully discard any extra or save for another use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Return 1/4 cup bacon grease to the skillet, adjusting heat if the skillet is too hot. Whisk in flour until smooth. Allow flour mixture to bubble gently and cook, whisking regularly, about 1 minute. Whisk in canned tomatoes with liquid and milk. Whisk until smooth and mixture is bubbly and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. If mixture is too thick, thin with a little more milk.
• Stir in Cheddar cheese and stir until cheese has melted into the sauce. Thin with a little bit of milk if needed. Taste mixture and season with salt and pepper. Stir grape tomatoes and broccoli into the sauce. Add cooked and drained noodles and stir gently to coat. Fill mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with bacon pieces.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is bubbly and broccoli is crisp-tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Toss arugula with some lemon juice and serve atop the mac and cheese.

AUSTIN MAC N CHEESE (RACHAEL RAY)

Steps:

• Husk and rinse tomatillos, cut in half. Put in food processor and pulse until chopped.
• Peel onion, halve and add to food processor, chop.
• Clean and seed jalapenos and add to food processor, chop.
• Add this mixture to a medium saucepan, add cumin and garlic.
• Season with salt. Simmer mixture over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the juice of one lime.
• Add finely chopped cilantro.
• Cook macaroni to al dente. Drain, return to hot pot.
• In another saucepan, melt butter.
• Over medium heat, whisk in flour for one minute.
• Whisk in milk and broth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened.
• Add swiss and monterrey jack cheeses. Stir until melted.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and toss to coat.
• In a 9 x 13 baking dish, add half the pasta.
• Add the green tomatillo mixture.
• Top with the other half of pasta.
• Sprinkle with crushed tostada chips and pepperjack cheese.
• Broil until browned --keep a very close eye on this.
• Serve with sour cream if desired.
• Garnish with chopped red pepper or green onions.