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
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Ingredients
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2 tablespoons
butter
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2 tablespoons
flour
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1-1 1/2 cups
room temperature heavy cream
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2 tablespoons
bourbon (I use Jim Beam)
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1 teaspoon
ground mustard
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2 tablespoons
cajun seasonings
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1
box of cavatappi pasta
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1/4 cup
bread crumbs
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butter to grease pan
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salt & pepper to taste
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1/2 cup
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
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1/2 cup
gouda cheese, shredded. (Smoked gouda works well, too)
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1/2 cup
Jarlesberg cheese, shredded
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5
slices of prociutto
Directions
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Cook pasta to al dente. Butter a large casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake prociutto slices until crisp.
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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.
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Stir in bourbon, then ground mustard and Cajun seasonings. Add salt & pepper to taste.
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Stir in cheeses in small batches, allowing each batch to melt before adding another. If needed, add more cream to achieve desired consistency.
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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.
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