Jason's Mac and Cheese Recipe

You Asked For It, You Got It... Jason’s Mac & Cheese Recipe

Recently, we started doing a twice-weekly live show on our Facebook page called LIVE From the Kitchen. Starting at about 6:30pm PT (2:30am GMT) on Mondays and Fridays, we cook dinner and chat with you all about what we’re making, share cooking tips, and answer your questions about everything from cooking to how to care for cast iron. We even let the Shibakidz in not the fun (when they care to make themselves available) so y’all get a dose of furry faced (theirs… not ours) lovin’ from Apollo, Atlas, and Dallas. And, yes, Jason will wear THAT apron. If you’ve seen the show, you know the one we mean…

If you didn’t catch the show last Friday, you missed Jason’s Mac & Cheese. Seriously y’all… it’s the real deal. Yes, we’ll be posting recipes right here on our website and we’ll start things off with the legend that is Jason’s Mac & Cheese recipe!

We hope you’ll join us for the weeknight edition of LIVE From the Kitchen on Monday or for Fun Food Friday on… ummm… Friday. Oh… have a question about one of our recipes or a show? Leave a comment here or on our Facebook page here: Shibaguyz on Facebook

WHAT YA NEED:
SAUCE
3-4 strips of bacon cut into ½ pieces (plus 1-2 extra strips if you’re a nibbler… like us)
tablespoons unsalted butter
3 (ish) tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk or Half and Half
7 ounces Beechers Flagship cheese, grated (about 1 3/4 cups) or other tasty cheddar
4 ounces Aged Gouda cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
4 ounces other creamy cheese cheese, grated (1/2 cup) (Think Fontina, comte, double cream...)
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon paprika powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

PASTA
1 lb penne, rotini, elbow or fancy pants pasta.
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Beechers Flagship or cheddar cheese, grated
1 ounce (1/4 cup) other cheese, grated

WHAT YA DO:

1. Fry bacon till slightly crispy in the pan you will make your sauce in. Remove bacon, keep bacon drippings (that good stuff in the bottom of the pan) in a separate container.
2. Set bacon aside (NOTE: Make a couple extra strips of bacon because… well… it’s bacon! You’re going to want to nibble.)
3. Start your sauce: melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour all at once. Continue whisking and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Slowly add milk (or half and half if using), whisking constantly. Cook until sauce thickens, about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, paprika, mustard powder and garlic powder. Stir until cheese is melted and all ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes.
5. Taste and add salt/pepper as you like. (Always taste what you’re cooking!!)
6. At the same time you are making your sauce, put the pasta on to boil and cook until al dente: NOTE: Al dente describes pasta that is cooked so as to be firm when eaten. In other words: don’t cook your pasta to death! Usually 2 minutes less than package directions is about right. If in doubt, err on side of less time boiling. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven so you want it a little under done.
7. Drain Pasta well.
8. Combine pasta, bacon, and sauce in your pasta pot; mix carefully but thoroughly. Scrape the pasta into the prepared baking dish if baking. (You should probably go ahead and taste it again here because… MAC AND CHEESE!! But also to check for final seasoning.) Sprinkle top with remaining cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min or Broil for 5. When we did the live show, we put it under a broiler to brown up the top because we didn’t have time to let it bake. We’ve also done this when it’s been a long day and we’re hungry and tired of waiting and there’s no more bacon to nibble on!!

Let stand 5 minutes before serving... if you can wait that long.