Tasteful Tuesday

This recipe is great for dinner parties and a great way to wow your guests! Tell them they are having Mac 'n' Cheese and then pull this out of the oven!

Grilled Chicken and Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese

I got this recipe from the "Rachael Ray" magazine and let me tell you this is gourmet Mac 'n' Cheese (nothing like kraft!) It took about 45mins to 1 hour to throw all this together and it was so delicious!

 Grilled Chicken and Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese

6 slices good-quality smoky bacon, such as applewood-smoked

Salt and pepper

1 pound whole wheat short-cut pasta

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, quartered lengthwise and very thinly sliced

2 rounded tablespoons flour

1/2 cup cloudy apple cider or chicken stock

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded

Chopped flat leaf parsley or celery greens, for garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.

Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or on a rack placed over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Chop and reserve. Switch on the broiler and position the rack in the center of the oven.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than the instructions indicate, or until just shy of al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

While the pasta is working, heat a grill pan or cast iron griddle over medium-high heat. Drizzle the chicken with EVOO to coat lightly, then season evenly with the paprika, salt and pepper. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a cutting board and halve the pieces lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until light golden and very soft, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the cider (or stock), then the milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheeses until melted.

Add the chicken, bacon and sauce to the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Broil until bubbling and browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with the parsley (or celery greens).

I am sure you can mix of the cheeses and I did not use fresh Thyme so I only added 1 tablespoon and it was still very strong. I hope you enjoy and let me know how impressed your guests were!