It always turns out so crispy and limits the splattering and mess.
I love cooking my bacon in my air fryer*. You can also make basic shredded chicken at home in your Instant Pot with frozen chicken breasts and use that instead. While you’re at Costco pick up a rotisserie chicken and use it for the chicken in this recipe. I like using Hidden Valley brand (I buy the big container at Costco). I like regular mac and cheese but I prefer this version because it has more than one note of flavor thanks to the ranch seasoning and crispy crumbled bacon. It’s more of a main dish than a side dish because it has chicken in it too. Remove from the oven let stand for about 5 minutes.This macaroni and cheese recipe has lots of flavor from dry ranch dressing mix, white cheddar and bacon. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Season with salt and black pepper and fold in macaroni. Turn off the heat and add 3/4 of the aged cheddar and all of the other cheeses. Add the milk, chopped truffles, onion and bay leaf. Continue to cook over low heat for 4 minutes stirring constantly. While the macaroni is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Strain and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni to al dente (approximately 7 minutes). Can you guys believe it’s November already? Where has this year gone?ģ tablespoons finely chopped black trufflesĨ ounces sharp aged white cheddar, shredded My mom always called it “the horn of plenty”, and it’s something that I look forward to every year. Or really this macaroni and cheese is delicious on it’s own – with no truffles!īut, it’s getting to be that special time of year where we love to splurge to make a meal a little fancier, or the ingredients a little more special for the Holidays. That in combination with a drizzle of the truffle oil would be a good substitution. Black truffle butter is easier to find than whole truffles, and more affordable. The combination of white cheddar and Gruyere is a great combo that adds plenty of cheesy flavor, but still lets the truffles shine. So, the macaroni and cheese I’d been dreaming about for 7 years finally transpired.
Was thinking I might like to try infusing my own truffle oil at some point! While expensive, definitely do-able as a treat once in a while. It cost me $15.00 for one pretty good-sized truffle. Came home with all kinds of goodies – apples, fresh pressed cider, and one black truffle.
I went ahead and took the plunge a couple weeks ago when my girlfriend and I visited a huge craft fair in the mountains at Thurmont, MD. How much did one weigh? What if I got up there and it was $500? That’s definitely too rich for my blood… Including fresh black truffles…just hanging out in the produce department like it ain’t no thang! Whenever I visited the store, I’d gawk over them – but due to the high price tag I was afraid to buy one. If you don’t know what they are (they are regional), it’s a high-end grocery store where you can find pretty much anything. Then a few years after that, I discovered Wegmans. But, a whole black truffle? I figured that I’d never have a chance to use them in my kitchen. I’d had black and white truffle oil, and loved the flavor it lent to dishes. Dave made it, and I remember just being in awe of black truffles as an ingredient. This macaroni and cheese has been on my “to make” for years, since seeing a rendition of it on Top Chef Season 1.