Grafton Village (Mac'N) Cheese

How many combinations of cheese can one put into a delicious pan of mac'n cheese? Well, it probably depends on who you're asking - but I used three for this batch. Let's not forget the wonderful, crispy bacon, fresh chopped tomato and chunky bread crumbs on top - it just wouldn't be the same without them.  For my mac 'n cheese I used Grafton Maple Smoked cheddar, Grafton Classic Reserve - 2 year aged cheddar and Grafton Four Star - 4 year cheddar.  If you haven't tried any of them yet, you're missing out. Coming from the Midwest, I would never have sought out a specialty cheddar unless it had some bacon or other flavors added to it. This cheddar is aged, literally - not artificially, which gives a sharp flavor profile and great creamy taste! (can you tell I'm in marketing?)

Here's my recipe:

Grafton Village (Triple Mac'n) Cheese, aka The Triple Mac'n 

Before...

5 oz Grafton Four Star cheddar, crumbled
5 oz Grafton Classic Reserve cheddar, shredded
12 oz Grafton Maple Smoked cheddar, shredded
8 oz elbow pasta, cooked and drained
2 Tbls butter
1 c chicken broth
3/4 c heavy cream
4 slices bacon, fried and cut into small pieces
1 tomato, chopped
1 slice of French bread, torn into small pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste
Garlic salt to taste

After you've cooked the pasta, return back to a large saucepan and add the butter, cream and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then shut off the heat. Slowly stir in the garlic salt, shredded cheese - a little at a time, so that it mixes in smooth and mix in half of the bacon.  Pour noodles & cheese into a medium casserole dish. Top with remaining bacon, tomato pieces and breadcrumbs.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cover and place in a 350*F oven for 45 minutes.  It may be a good idea to place a cookie or baking sheet on the second rack of your oven for easy clean-up.

Enjoy the gooey, oozy goodness with a tall glass of cold milk!

After.