Shiitake & Bacon Miso Mac & Cheese
Welcome to Sides-giving! A series of delicious and unique sides that can help step up your traditional holiday game. Because, if you have not noticed, one of my favorite things to do is dress up some classics with a little something special. And we’re gonna start with this perfectly umami Shiitake & Bacon Miso Mac and Cheese! The miso and shiitake mushrooms are a nod to East Asia, while the classic cheeses and bacon are traditional and homey. Let’s also appreciate the crunchy sesame panko crunch - it’s THAT extra bit you really need to bring this whole dish together to have your guests coming back for seconds! You can opt to bake these in individual ramekins or dishes, or serve out of a casserole dish - you can’t go wrong here!
Ingredients
Serves 6
2 cups uncooked pasta shells
3 slices thick cut bacon (if you want to omit that is okay! plenty of flavor in this one!)
1 large shallot (sliced)
2 cups shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 cup shredded white cheddar
1/4 cup shredded gruyere
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
3 tsp chili powder (separated into 2 tsp and 1 tsp)
1 large shallot (evenly and very thinly sliced)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2-3 cups heavy whipping cream
1-1.5 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
salt for pasta
avocado oil for drizzling
green onions for garnish
Additional items
High-walled dutch oven or pan
6 Staub Round Mini 4" Cocottes or 6 cup capacity casserole dish
Method
Preheat oven to 400F. Toss panko bread crumbs with sesame seeds and set aside.
Boil water and salt on high and cook the pasta until almost aldente (example: if the time on the package says 14 minutes until al dente, only cook for 12 minutes), reserving a cup of starchy pasta water and set aside.
Heat a high-walled pan or dutch oven on medium. Once hot, saute the bacon until crispy, drain on paper towels and set aside.
If you are watching your calories, wipe out the bacon grease (as I cry!) and heat 1-2 tbsp of avocado oil on medium, otherwise use the bacon grease to cook the shiitake mushrooms until they begin to loose some of their moisture (3-4 minutes).
Stir in the butter and shallots and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in the miso until mostly distributed then follow with a couple cracks of white pepper.
Lower the heat to low and sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms/shallots and stir. Gradually pour in 2 cups of heavy whipping cream while stirring until forms a quick roux (it will thicken and darken after a few minutes).
Toss in the pasta with a drizzle of pasta water until the pasta is coated in the sauce, then stir in the 3 cheeses until melty and well distributed. If it appears too dry for your taste, add in a little more whipping cream and another drizzle of pasta water and toss again. Stir in the bacon and set aside.
Now you can either arrange it in individual dishes, leaving about 1/2 of inch of space for the panko topping, or pour into a casserole dish or dutch oven. Evenly sprinkle the panko and sesame seed mixture over the mac and cheese with a drizzle of avocado oil.
Cover the casserole dish with foil, lightly oiled on the side facing down, or lightly oil the bottoms of the mini cocottes and cover. Place the cocottes on a walled baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes or until cheese is totally melted.
Remove the covers, or foil, and broil on low (400 F) about 2 inches from the broiler, for 2-5 minutes, watching carefully so the panko crust does not burn.
Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the tops with remaining green onions and serve!
