| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 8 ounces macaroni
- 1 head romaine lettuce, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 6 strips bacon, thinly sliced crosswise
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 cup Herbed Breadcrumbs, recipe follows
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Toss the lettuce with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet until the lettuce is wilted, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool, but leave the oven on.
- In a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, render the bacon with the canola oil until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Add the flour and cook over medium heat until the flour begins to smell slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add a small amount of the milk to the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk in stages to avoid lumps. Heat until the mixture simmers, then turn off the heat.
- Add the Cheddar and Gruyere to the pan, followed by the nutmeg and drained macaroni. Fold until the macaroni is evenly coated, then add the lettuce, tomatoes and bacon.
- Spread the mixture in a 2-quart baking dish and top with the Herbed Breadcrumbs. Cook until the top is golden, about 35 minutes.
- Combine the panko, butter, parsley and thyme in a medium bowl and mix together.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 543 |
| Total Fat | 34 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 65 mg |
| Sodium | 639 mg |
Reviews
The blend of flavors was good, but the ratio of the bread crumb topping was off. Next time, we’ll halve the topping and replace the panko with something richer, like crushed club crackers. Also, maybe a third kind of cheese to increase the creaminess.
It is worth the effort. Very delicious. My grandaughter’s favorite Mac and cheese. The lettuce and tomato make you think healthy. Love it!
I LOVE this recipe–it’s delicious and pretty easy. But it’s obvious that Geoffrey Zakarian doesn’t have to do the dishes! Sheet pan for romaine, bowl for breadcrumbs, colander and pot for macaroni, AND saucepan for bacon and cheese sauce! You can cut one pot out by wiping out the pot you boil the macaroni in and then using it for bacon and then cheese sauce, but that really depends on whether you have a pot that works for both.
Yummy!
Absolutely great! Not your typical mac and cheese. I see some people said it was dry and while it is not as creamy as mom’s mac and cheese it is differently delicious! To simplify things I used 8 oz. bacon and 4 oz. each of sharp cheddar and Finlandia swiss. Don’t skip the bread crumbs! Our guests loved it. Served 4 people with no leftovers!.
This recipe has become a family favorite. I sub fresh spinach for the roasted romaine. Saves a little time and is equally delicious. I love how the fresh tomatoes and greens offset the richness of the pasta and cheese.
My husband and I loved this and it is our new favorite Mac and Cheese recipe. It’s very easy.
too dry!
I made it last night, exactly as written. It came out great. Thanks, GZ.
Made it this evening. Only thing I changed was the size of dish I baked it in. I live alone and it made 6 decent sized servings I can freeze for later use.
Not as creamy as I was looking for, but tasty. It was a bit dry. (Another tablespoon of stock would help)
Not as creamy as I was looking for, but tasty. It was a bit dry. (Another tablespoon of stock would help)
Saw this on the show today and ran to the kitchen to make it! Rich and delicious, my husband and I loved it! Thank you GZ!