Mac and Cheese!

Kay, if you know me, you know I love and live for Mac and Cheese. Well, any kind of comfort food really, but mac and cheese is almost my favorite. Ad, not so much for him. Well I made this recipe of Bobby Flay's, and my stallion said that it was his favorite meal of the month! And he would ask for it again. So, you know it treated him right. I made some minor adjustments to it, just used what I had, so it will work with different kinds or cheeses or pastas (Ad hates Elbows). I also couldn't find pancetta, so cooked up some bacon. Worth it, but not light on the cals. It's kinda saucy, but it helps the leftovers!! Here's the recipe.....

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 inch thick piece pancetta, cut into sm. dices

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablspoons flour

6 - 7 cups whole milk, heated

4 lg. egg yolks, lightly whisked

2 teas. finely chopped fresh thyme, (I used dry)

1 teas. cayenne (if kids are eating it, go less)

2 cups grated Asiago cheese

1 1/2 cups white cheddar

1 1/2 cups Mountain Valley cheddar (I used sharp)

1 cup fontina cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

- plus a little extra of what's left for the top

salt and pepper

1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 350'. Butter the sides and bottom of a 3 quart baking dish.

-Heat oil in large saute pan over med. heat. Add the pancetta and cook until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined w/ paper towels.

-Then add the garlic to pan and cook until lightly brown. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in 6 cups of the hot milk. Increase the heat to high and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened (3-5 minutes). Whisk in eggs until incorporated & let cook for 1-2 more minutes.

-Remove from heat, and whisk in thyme, cayenne, and all of the cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too thick, add some of the remaining milk, 1/4 c. at a time.

-Drain pasta and put back in pot. Add the cheese sauce, pancetta, and parsley. Stir well. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Add rest of cheese on top. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yummy!