Best-Ever Macaroni & Cheese

I can't believe I forgot to blog about this recipe! There I was, watching Good Morning America one morning, minding my own bidness, when all of a sudden they announce that Emeril had a contest for the Best-Ever Macaroni & Cheese recipe. They had the 3 finalists on the show. Well, the recipe below won. Y'all, it's heavenly. Flavorful. And doggone GOOD! I think it truly is the best ever.

A couple of cook's notes:

• I can see where roasting garlic might be daunting to some. It's really not. But if you like, you can use already-minced roasted garlic from the jar. I'd use about ¼ cup of it to equal an entire roasted head of garlic.
• Look around for the cavatappi pasta. Both Barilla and De Cecco make it, and they are the best brands of dry pasta in my opinion. It will be in a box, and looks like corkscrews. Fun shape. If you can't find it, or have elbow on hand, it's certainly good with elbow macarnoi as well.
• I think the crunchy top crust is the best part. I used sourdough French bread instead of plain white sandwich bread, which I never buy anyway. I think the flavor and texture of the topping was enhanced my way.
• Regular bacon is fine, too, although I think a thick-sliced bacon works best so it doesn't get lost in the dish.

BEST EVER MAC & CHEESE

1 head of garlic, roasted

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound Cavatappi pasta

½ pound sliced Applewood smoked bacon

1½ cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

8 tablespoons butter

¼ cup minced shallots

½ cup flour

1 quart whole milk

6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To roast garlic: Slice ½ inch off the top of the entire head of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap garlic head tightly in a square of heavy foil and roast until tender — about 45 minutes. Remove garlic pulp by squeezing garlic head. Smash cloves with a fork to form a paste.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions.

4. Cook bacon completely. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Crumble bacon when cool.

5. To make topping: Combine breadcrumbs, crumbled bacon, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Set aside.

6. Preheat oven to 375°.

7. Sauté shallots over low heat in reserved bacon fat for one minute. Add remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and continue to sauté shallots in butter and bacon fat until translucent.

8. Add flour and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Stirring constantly with a whisk, add milk and roasted garlic paste.

9. Cook until sauce is thickened (coats the back of a spoon). Remove sauce from heat then add salt, pepper, nutmeg, Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

10. Stir in cooked pasta. Pour into greased 9"x13" or larger baking dish. Sprinkle topping to cover entire top. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until sauce is bubbly and topping is browned. Enjoy!

Serves 8-10

--Laura Macek, Emeril’s Good Morning American Mac & Cheese Competition WINNER