Birthday Dinner: Macaroni & Cheese

I make a version of macaroni & cheese for keith every year for his birthday.  This one was lusciously decadent - so rich and creamy it was hard to put the fork down.  And then a food coma set in immediately upon finishing the meal.  :)

I've made many, many different versions of macaroni & cheese over the years.  And I believe I can say with certainty that one of my favorite ingredients is cherry tomatoes.  I also really like wilted spinach served with macaroni & cheese - but I resisted that this time.

I'm warning you ahead of time, this is a rich and heavy meal.  I think in the future it's going to be a side dish and not the main meal...you need something light and green to balance out the weight of this macaroni & cheese in your tummy!  But it was for my husband on his birthday, so we indulged!!

Macaroni & Cheese
6 Tbl. butter
1/2 cup flour
2 - 3 cups milk**
1/2 pound Gruyere, freshly shredded
1/2 pound Cheddar, freshly shredded
1/2 pound Aged Provolone, freshly shredded
1/2 pound Fontina, freshly shredded
5 slices bacon
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound pasta (elbow macaroni is classic)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. pepper
bread crumbs

**I used 4 cups - WAY creamy.  I'd go with 3 if you like it creamy & rich.  Add up to 2 cups and then add more depending on personal taste.  Also, I'm lactose intolerant so  I used Lactaid and it worked just fine.

First the bacon - I laid them out on a baking sheet, and baked them at 350 degrees until crispy.  Set aside on a paper towel to drain.  Leave the oven on at 350 degrees.  Start heating up the water for the pasta in advance so it's ready when you are.

In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the flour, whisking it in completely.  Continue whisking for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour flavor out.  Slowly add the milk, whisking the whole time to make sure it incorporates.  Cook for 5 minutes or so, whisking frequently.  At this point you could cook your pasta according to the package instructions.  Add all of the cheeses into the milk mixture, stirring constantly to combine everything together.  Make sure all of the cheese is melted before continuing.

Add the cooked pasta, crumbled bacon, nutmeg, pepper, and the tomatoes (fresh - not cooked).  Turn off the heat and stir the mixture to combine everything evenly.  Pour into a baking dish.  Cover the top with a thin layer of bread crumbs (preferably big ones like Panko).  Bake for 30 minutes, until the macaroni & cheese is bubbling and the top begins to brown slightly.  Serve immediately!