Seriously, is there a single solitary human who doesn't like it? I'm not talking about the stuff that comes in a cardboard box with neon orange powder cheese. I'm talking about the real deal: the gooey, cheesy, toasted-corners, carbo-loaded goodness that is homemade mac and cheese.
Like this.
This recipe for Mac and Cheese with Balsamic-Roasted Tomates & Country Bacon comes from the Local Kitchen Blog. I think I stumbled on this blog from a Dark Days Challenge or something. I can't remember. I've been reading it for a few years. Kaela is so lucky to be living in New York's Hudson Valley, where so many delicious veggies are grown. Her blog is filled with beautiful pictures and mouth-watering recipes for local and seasonal dishes.
This recipe begged me to print it because anytime "bacon" and "mac and cheese" are in the same sentence how can you not try it? The Hubs loves mac and cheese, and I love bacon. Win-win, right?
Changes I made to the recipe: I didn't have fresh tomatoes (it's winter), so I used sun-dried tomatoes. I rehydrated them for a few minutes in some warm water so they wouldn't be too chewy in the mac and cheese. And I plum forgot to put balsamic vinegar on them. Also, I didn't have smoked mozzarella. I had about half a cup of regular mozzarella and some monterey jack cheese.
PROJECT RECIPE verdict: Keeper. Like for real. I'm going to write this recipe down in my spiral bound recipe book that also has recipes from the Hubs's mother and grandmothers. That's how much I liked this one. I think I'll even write it down just like I made it. It might be good with fresh tomatoes, but the sun-dried tomatoes in it were little tangy bites mixed in with the salty bacony bits and the rich cheese. It was a nice combo that I think wouldn't be as pronounced if you used fresh tomatoes.
It was super-easy to put together. Although, I hated that you had to use so many pots. You can wash the dishes while it's baking. Or do yoga like I did. It made me feel a little better about all those warm gooey calories.
I'll let you follow the link to get the recipe. Maybe you'll fall in love with Kaela's blog, The Local Kitchen, too.
That recipe does look killer--and I have sundried tomatoes from this summer to use up! Know what I'm doing with some of them :) (Also, yaaay for the name/url! thanks!)
ReplyDeleteIt worked?? Sweet! I was going to email you after the first of the year after I tinker with the blog a little more to see if that was enabled.
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