BLT Mac & Cheese Hold The lettuce

Conflicted about whether to make BLTs or mac and cheese for dinner last night, I decided to merge the two in a hybridized dish minus the lettuce.  The results were quite delicious, but then again, when is bacon, caramelized sweet onions, tomatoes, heavy cream and cheddar not delicious?  So with that forewarning about the richness of this dish, please find my recipe below.

BLT Macaroni & Cheese, Hold The Lettuce

1 pound dried elbow macaroni, cooked al dente, cooled and drained
2 cups peeled, diced plum tomatoes
4 oz. smoked, thick-cut bacon, about five strips
one large, sweet onion thinly sliced
four cups packed baby spinach
5+1 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Gruyère
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375.  Dice the bacon and brown in a large, heavy 8+ quart dutch oven over medium high heat.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve two tablespoons of the drippings.  Lower the heat to medium and saute the onions in the the bacon fat until golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and spinach. 

Cook the vegetables until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes more.  Add flour to the vegetables and stir over heat until no dry spots are visible, about two minutes.  Slowly add the milk to the vegetables, whisking constantly.  Add the reserved bacon and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the sauce thickens. 

Whisk two cups of cream with the cornstarch until no lumps remain.  Add the cream to the sauce and continue to whisk, over heat until the sauce becomes thicker.  Add the cheeses reserving one cup of cheddar, and continue to stir until the cheeses melt and are well incorporated in to the sauce.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Add the macaroni and stir until well combined.  Turn out in to a well greased 6+ quart oven safe casserole or baking dish.  Sprinkle the top with the reserved cheddar, bake until bubbly and the cheese is on top is slightly browned. 

Serves 8