As the idea of fall is starting to take hold (you’ve seen the plastic pumpkins on store shelves, right?), we’re ready to whip up with decadent mac and cheese recipe from Meiomi wines. Pair it with the brand’s buttery chardonnay.
Bacon & Roasted Cauliflower Mac n’ Cheese
Mise en place
1 head, cauliflower
½ cup, chopped pancetta
1 T, olive oil
Mornay Sauce
3 T, unsalted butter
3 T, all-purpose flour
2 cup, whole milk
1 cup, Nicasio Square Cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Pasta and Garnish
1 cup, cheddar
500g, “elbow” pasta
½ cup bread crumbs
Bacon, Cauliflower and Cheese Prep
- Chop cauliflower into florets. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out on baking sheet. Roast at 350 degrees F. for ~30 minutes, until browned.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Set aside.
- Chop Nicasio Square (for Mornay sauce) and cheddar (for top of mac n’ cheese). Set aside.
- Fry chopped pancetta until lightly browned and set aside.
Pasta Prep
- Boil pasta until al dente. Pull pasta from heat and drain. Toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Mornay sauce
- Warm milk in medium-sized pot, stirring occasionally
- Place butter in a separate pot and melt. Whisk in flour until homogenous. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in milk, little by little, until smooth and creamy.
- Whisk in grated nutmeg, salt and ground black pepper.
- Add chopped Nicasio Square cheese and whisk until completely incorporated. Set aside.
Mac & Cheese
- Add chopped cauliflower and pancetta to pasta. Cover in Mornay sauce. Top with grated cheddar and bread crumbs.
Tips and Wine pairing:
● Notes of baked apple in Meiomi chardonnay are the perfect complement to the warm crunch of bread crumbs and crispy, fried cheddar top on this mac and cheese.
● Mornay sauce complements notes of vanilla found in lightly oaked chardonnays.
● Smooth, creamy textured wines pair best with a rich mac and cheese.
