TENNESSEE
A BEACON
FOR BACON
Stove-top macaroni and cheese is an
everyday pleasure, but at Southern
Thanksgivings, we long for a big pan
of the comforting baked version. This
creamy casserole connects us to cooks
and kitchens of the early 19th century.
Their “macaroni pie” is a clear ancestor
of the dish we love today.
Cheese, noodles, butter, and milk
are musts, of course, but we wanted
a little sizzle to make it a recipe to
remember. “Sizzle” led to “bacon,”
and that one word turned our eyes
toward Tennessee, home to Benton’s
Smoky Mountain Country Hams. At
this legendary smokehouse in East
Tennessee, Allan Benton and his team
produce gloriously smoky bacon that
they ship all over the country to chefs
as well as home cooks. To pay even
more homage to the state, we added
a tangy splash of buttermilk to the
cheese sauce in honor of Knoxville’s
Cruze Farm, a family dairy that makes
some of the best around.
Our take on this classic is familiar
enough for the traditionalists but revved
up just enough to please those eager for
something unexpected.
Creamy Baked Macaroni and
Cheese with Bacon
ACTIVE 30 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 10 MIN.
SERVES 10|
1 lb. uncooked large elbow macaroni
1 Tbsp., plus 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt,
divided
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, shredded
or grated (about 1/2 cup)
6 thick-cut bacon slices, cooked
and crumbled, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
3 cups whole milk
1 cup whole buttermilk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, plus more
for greasing dish
12 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese,
shredded (about 3 cups)
4 oz. Monterey Jack, provolone, or
mozzarella cheese, shredded
(about 1 cup)
2 large eggs, well beaten
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring 3 quarts
water to a boil over high in a large stock-
pot. Stir in pasta and 1 tablespoon of the
salt, and return to a boil. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until pasta is tender but
still firm, about 6 minutes. Reserve
and set aside 2 cups cooking water,
and then drain the pasta. Return pasta
to pot, and remove from heat. Cover to
keep warm.
- Generously butter a 13- x 9-inch
baking dish, and set aside. Toss together
breadcrumbs; Parmesan cheese; and
half of the cooked, crumbled bacon
in a bowl, and set aside. Stir together
flour, pepper, mustard, and remaining
1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl.
Heat milk and buttermilk in a medium
saucepan over medium, undisturbed,
until barely steaming but not boiling,
4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan
over medium-high. Add flour mixture.
Cook, whisking often, until mixture is
smooth and thick and has a delicate
golden color and toasted aroma, about
2 minutes. Slowly whisk in warm milk
mixture. Bring to a boil over high. Cook,
stirring often, until thickened to the
texture of cream, about 3 minutes.
- Stir shredded Cheddar and Monterey
Jack cheeses into milk mixture, and
remove from heat. Stir in beaten eggs
until mixture forms a smooth sauce.
- Uncover cooked pasta, and stir. (If
pasta sticks together, stir in reserved
warm cooking water, and drain again.)
Stir cheese mixture and remaining
bacon into drained pasta in stockpot.
- Transfer pasta mixture to prepared
baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with
breadcrumb mixture. Bake in preheated
oven until firm, puffed up, and lightly
browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot
or warm.
NORTH CAROLINA
BRING ON THE
“BAGARS”
Rutabagas may not look like much,
piled up in a heap at a farmers’ market,
but chef Vivian Howard knows they’re
worthy of a place on the Thanksgiving
table. She includes this root vegetable
among the two dozen Eastern North
Carolina ingredients featured in her
award-winning cookbook, Deep Run
Roots: Stories and Recipes from My
Corner of the South. It’s an essential
crop in Eastern North Carolina’s coastal
region for thriving in sandy soil, surviving
freezing winters and sultry summers,
and filling hungry stomachs during
hard times.
Howard loves the flavor of “bagars,”
including their greens, but notes the
challenge of preparing them—their
tough, thick skin and dry texture can
make them tricky to peel and chop.
Inside, they’re an autumnal yellow, but
outside they range from various shades
of purple to brown and may be coated
in food-grade wax to protect them from
their tendency to dry out during cold-
weather storage.
We say it’s worth the effort for their
natural sweetness and the handsome
color waiting inside. While Howard
prefers rutabagas that are roughly
mashed, in this version, we pair them
with Yukon Gold potatoes for a creamier,
smoother texture and spice things up
with a little nutmeg.
Simple Mashed Rutabagas
and Potatoes
ACTIVE 40 MIN. - TOTAL 40 MIN.
SERVES 8|
2 1/2 lb. rutabagas, trimmed, peeled,
and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
(about 6 cups)
1 Tbsp., plus 2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt,
divided
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
(about 4 cups)
NOVEMBER 2019 / SOUTHERNLIVING.COM
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