How I Coped With the Big Snowstorm: Bacon and Pear Mac and Cheese (originally posted February 5, 2014)

There are many, many things I love about New England. Winter is not one of them. My feuds with Jack Frost and Old Man Winter go back a long way, and if they hadn’t made my fecal roster already this season, they certainly did today. We got walloped by a surprise storm, and I was NOT happy about it. I’m Winter-weary before the season even officially begins and by the time February rolls around, I’m ready to drop everything, leave everyone behind, and move to the tropics.

Since that wasn’t an option today (all flights were canceled), I decided to cope by making the Bacon and Pear Mac and Cheese I’d been planning to try this week. The recipe comes courtesy of a friend’s blog, Handmade in the Heartland (original post here: http://www.handmadeintheheartland.com/2014/01/bacon-pear-macaroni-cheese.html). She has some great stuff on there, so it’s worth checking out!

This mac and cheese was the perfect choice for a miserably cold and snowy day, and while it took significantly more time and effort to make than I’d normally spend on a weeknight dinner, it hit the spot on a day when I felt grumpy about being trapped inside and about the fact that I don’t live in Hawaii. The only thing that took away from my enjoyment of the meal was knowing exactly how bad for me it was. It has A LOT of cheese. And some butter. And don’t forget the bacon (of which I added extra). And there’s some brown sugar, too. But, boy, was it tasty. And I worked some of it off shoveling the *&#%! snow out of our driveway anyhow. Plus, I opted for whole wheat pasta, which is good for some nutritional redemption, right? Right? Is this thing on???

Nutritional value aside, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 fork salute, while Mr. Pickypants says he’d give it a 4.5. He LOVED it and says it’s a definite repeater. Given the time it required (which was challenging with a newborn squawking at me every 10 minutes and a toddler begging me to come play picnic) and how tremendously indulgent the meal is, I wouldn’t include it in my regular rotation of dinner recipes, but I would make it again for a special occasion or to get myself out of the I-hate-this-flippin-Winter-weather doldrums.

Bacon and Pear Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

2 cups elbow macaroni (measured before its cooked)
6 slices bacon (I added more)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups whole milk
6 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, rind removed and shredded
1 8 - ounce package cream cheese, cubed and softened
2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 red and/or green pears, thinly sliced, or chopped into 1” chunks
2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to hot pan; cover to keep warm. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels, reserving 3 tablespoons bacon drippings in skillet. Crumble and set aside.

3. Cook onion and garlic in bacon drippings over medium heat until onion is good and translucent (note: the longer you cook the onion, the deeper the flavor it has- I cooked my onion a good 8-10 minutes until it was almost carmelized). Stir in flour, dry mustard and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Add smoked Gouda cheese and cream cheese; cook and stir until almost melted.

4. Pour cheese sauce over the cooked pasta. Stir in oregano and all but 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon. Transfer mixture to an ungreased to 2-quart baking dish; cover. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 25 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a clean, large skillet. Stir in brown sugar; add pear slices. Cook, turning occasionally, until pears are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

6. Remove cover from the baking dish. Stir about half of the cooked, sliced pears into the macaroni and cheese. Spoon the remaining pear slices atop the macaroni and cheese; sprinkle with parmesan and reserved crumbled bacon. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes or until parmesan has softened. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

If you’re looking for a much healthier, non-food way to cope with crummy weather, you can also check this out:

http://www.npr.org/2014/02/04/269515564/trade-your-snow-boots-for-dance-shoes-and-just-press-play
Thanks to my other friend who works as the Station Manager for Georgia Public Broadcasting for sharing the link with me. Go, public radio!