Tillamook Triple-Play Macaroni & Six Cheese Strata    0 thumbs up

Ingredients

1 pound - wide elbow pasta (lumachine No. 65), or any other tubular or medium shell durum wheat semolina pasta

Cooking spray

8 tbsp. - Tillamook® unsalted butter, divided

1 medium - sweet onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 large - shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

6 tbsp. - flour

3 cups - whole milk

1/2 tsp. - sea salt

1/3 cup - mascarpone cheese

2 cups - shredded Tillamook® Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar

1/3 cup - sliced fresh green onion

1 tbsp. - minced fresh garlic

2 tsp. - finely chopped fresh thyme

10 oz - coarsely chopped fresh spinach, cooked and excess liquid squeezed out

1/3 cup – chopped, cooked apple wood smoked bacon

1/4 tsp. - coarse ground black pepper

1 cup - shredded Tillamook® Swiss

1/2 cup - shredded Tillamook® Monterey Jack

1 cup - shredded Tillamook® Colby

1/2 cup - shredded Tillamook® Medium Cheddar

1/4 cup - diced fresh red onion

1/4 cup - extra-moist-style thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 tsp. - cayenne pepper

Crispy Double-Cheese Topping

2/3 cup - crushed cheese crackers (like Sunshine Cheez-Its)

1/2 cup - shredded Tillamook® Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar

2 tbsp. - chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a large saucepan, boil pasta according to package directions until al dente, drain and set aside.

Spray a large deep oval ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add onion and shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion and shallot are soft and very caramelized. The mixture should cook down to 1/2 cup. Remove onion mixture from pan and set aside.

Melt remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large, heavy saucepan. Add flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the salt and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Keep warm.

Remove one third of the sauce to a large bowl and stir in the white cheddar cheese, green onion, garlic, thyme, spinach, bacon, pepper and one third of the cooked pasta. Spread spinach mixture evenly in prepared casserole.

Remove one half of the remaining sauce to a large bowl and stir in the Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses, the reserved caramelized onion mixture and one half of the remaining cooked pasta. Spread onion mixture evenly over spinach mixture.

Add the remaining sauce to a large bowl and stir in the Colby and medium cheddar cheeses, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, cayenne pepper and the remaining cooked pasta. Spread sun-dried tomato mixture evenly over onion mixture.

For the Crispy Double-Cheese topping, mix together cheese crackers, extra sharp cheddar cheese and parsley in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cracker mixture evenly over casserole.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown and bubbling around the edges.