Cheese Wiz - Part 2

I know that you've been waiting patiently since yesterday's posting...Who won the macaroni and cheese bake-off? Was it The Vamp or Gourmet Gal?

The jury had a very difficult decision on their hands. And, ultimately, they simply wussed out - declaring it a tie...It seems that the two recipes were too divergent to stack them up one against the other, Gourmet Gal's being a homey, rich, gooey bechamel based version with three kinds of cheddar, and mine being a more elegant, decadent recipe involving sharp cheddar, gruyere, parmesan, dijon mustard and other sundry ingredients.

Stacy leaned towards the Gourmet Gal rendition with its homestyle sensibilities, but Erica and Mo couldn't be completely swayed, since they were taken with the more upscale, European version that I baked. It all depended on mood...Who would of thought that there were different variations on mac-n-cheese mood? But, apparently there are.

And, if you are in the more sophisticated macaroni and cheese mood, here's my recipe. Feel free to riff on it all you like - and most definitely drop me a line with your findings:

Macaroni and Cheese

1 16 oz. package of macaroni
3 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup grated gruyere
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. minced shallot
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4-5 dashes of Tabasco (or to taste)
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil water with salt and cook macaroni for 5 minutes - still very al dente. Drain and then rinse with cold water, until room temperature, draining again. Place macaroni in a baking dish. Boil heavy cream in a small pot. Add cheddar, 3/4 cup of gruyere and 1/4 cup of the parmesan, as well as the dijon, onion, garlic, shallot, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Lower flame and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until completely combined. Pour cream mixture over the macaroni. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and and the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining gruyere and broil for 2-5 minutes, until top is brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

And, as I mentioned yesterday, I like to spike this recipe with smoky, flavorful bits of pancetta, if I have the chance. Just dice 3 thick slices and then brown in a skillet, draining fat. Toss in with the macaroni before pouring the heavy cream mixture described above and that's it.

Let me know what you think. And, I promise to post Gourmet Gal's recipe too, if she's willing to divulge the particulars.