| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 10 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- Salt
- One 16-ounce box elbow macaroni
- Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the baking dish
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups grated fontina cheese
- 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until cooked through and just slightly crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and reserve. Add the onions to the skillet and saute over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned with a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved onions and the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. While whisking, slow pour in the milk, making sure to whisk out any lumps. Stir in the white pepper, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. While stirring, add the grated fontina, Gruyere and Parmesan about 1/2 cup at a time and continue to stir until melted and blended. Stir in the celery leaves. Stir in the cooked macaroni.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake until hot, bubbly and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes, sprinkling on the cooked pancetta about 5 minutes before the macaroni and cheese is done.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 725 |
| Total Fat | 41 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Cholesterol | 115 mg |
| Sodium | 768 mg |
Reviews
Great!!! I really love it! Easy and tasty
Pre-grated cheese!?! That’s blasphemy! Has NEVER been in my home or used by me & NEVER will ever be in my home!This recipe is TERRIFIC when using real cheese. I’ve made this at least 12 times already & still not tired of it. LOVE this recipe & LOVE Daphne’s humor. She goes through the same things I did 30 years ago when I was raising my kids. lol!
I have made this Mac and cheese twice now in 2 weeks and it is so incredibly good. I do change things up as I think it would work best for whoever I am serving it to. I do always use skim milk as whole milk is something I’ve never had in my home or used and it still turns out great. The sauce is a great base that you can alter to best fit your needs. I would recommend buying already grated cheese to cut down on prep time but all in all very easy and incredibly tasty!