Bourbon Mac

By JulietteMiranda • June 10, 2010 • 2 Comments

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Author Notes: I'm a huge fan of bourbon and will add it to nearly everything. This is what happened when I added it to my "fancy" mac & cheese recipe: magic. It makes a great side dish to blackened catfish or BBQ chicken or ribs. The amount of cheese can be altered based on taste. - JulietteMiranda

Serves 4

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1-1 1/2 cup room temperature heavy cream
2 tablespoons bourbon (I use Jim Beam)
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 tablespoons cajun seasonings
1 box of cavatappi pasta
1/4 cup bread crumbs
butter to grease pan
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup gouda cheese, shredded. (Smoked gouda works well, too)
1/2 cup Jarlesberg cheese, shredded
5 slices of prociutto

Cook pasta to al dente. Butter a large casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake prociutto slices until crisp.
Make standard bechamel sauce: melt butter in heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Sift flour into butter and cook, stirring constantly until paste cooks. Whisk in 1 and 1/4 cup heavy cream and bring to a light boil. Simmer, stirring constantly.
Stir in bourbon, then ground mustard and Cajun seasonings. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Stir in cheeses in small batches, allowing each batch to melt before adding another. If needed, add more cream to achieve desired consistency.
Drain pasta. Add a single layer of pasta to casserole dish and pour 1/2 of the cheese sauce over. Add another layer of pasta, pour remaining cheese sauce over. Mix well. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake uncovered for 8-10 minutes, just long enough to cook pasta through and mingle with sauce. Remove from over, and sprinkle with crushed prociutto. Serve immediately.

Tags: bourbon, macaroni and cheese, Side Dishes