Zingerman's Pimento and Bacon Mac&Cheese

Not Your Average Mac&Cheese

For anyone who has ever visited Ann Arbor, I'm sure you have heard of the delicious and local Zingerman's.  This restaurant serves up delicious food, but not for a small price!  One serving of this macaroni is probably around $13, whereas you can make a batch that serves at least 8 for the same price!  Basically once we saw this recipe in the paper a year ago, we were sold.  

Side note: my family chose to use only half the sauce, and put the other half away for another day. It's plenty cheesy!

Ingredients:

{Zingerman's Pimento Cheese}

• 1/2 lb. sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
• 1 cup margerine
• 2 oz. roasted red peppers (about 1/2 a cup)
• 3/4 tsp. juice from the roasted red peppers {if using jarred peppers}
• 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste
• pinch coarse sea salt
• 
  

{You can make the cheese ahead of time!}

{Pimento and Bacon Mac and Cheese}

• 6 tbsp. butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 6 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 3 3/4 cups hot milk
• 1 lb. pimento cheese
• 1 lb. short macaroni
• 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

How to {cheese}:

Fold all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Mix well.  That's all!

How to {mac&cheese}:

1. Melt 6 tbsp. butter with the minced shallot in a medium-large stainless steal saucepan over low heat.  Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes {flour must foam as it cooks, or sauce will taste like raw flour}
2. Stir in cayenne and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Whisk in hot milk, 1/2 cup at a time {we did a tablespoon at a time}, and cook, stirring until sauce thickens {bottom right picture}
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese.  Cook, stirring until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
4. Add pasta and coat the noodles.  Remove from heat, add crumbled bacon and dig in!

It's really that simple.

Definitely a go-to recipe for a fancier mac&cheese.  I guess you could say a more "adult" version of the traditional pasta dish?

xo