Well! We are all done with holidays for a while. It is cold up here in New England with snow coming at irregular intervals. The garage is stocked with enough fireplace wood for a few great fires with loads more wood stacked behind the shed. Along with the cozy fire in the evenings, we need some warming comfort food. When it is something cheesy we are craving, a new twist on mac & cheese is what we make.

Bacon in mac & cheese isn’t anything new any more. The twist part is adding pears to the dish and using smoked gouda as the cheese. It may sound as bizarre to many of you as it did to us, but we tried it out anyway. And loved it. There’s a new, seasonal mac & cheese being made in our house!

Pear & Bacon Mac & Cheese  (adapted from midwestliving.com)

Makes: 6 servings,  Prep time: 40 minutes, Bake time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dried penne pasta (2 1/3 cups)
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 6 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, rind removed and shredded
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 ripe pears, chopped
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, then return it to the hot pan. Cover it to keep it warm and set it aside.

Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large skillet until it is crisp, turning it once, or cook it in the microwave. Drain the bacon on paper towels, then crumble it and set it aside.

In a clean skillet, cook the onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for 2 minutes. (Alternately, cook the onion & garlic in 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease.)

Stir in the flour, dry mustard, and pepper. Add in the milk. Cook and stir the cheese sauce until it is thickened and bubbly.

Reduce the heat and add the Gouda cheese and cream cheese.

Cook and stir the cheese sauce until the cream cheese is almost melted. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta.

Stir in the oregano and all but 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon.

Transfer the mixture to an ungreased 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Cover the dish and bake it in a 350º F oven for 25 minutes.

While the mac & cheese bakes, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a clean, large skillet. Stir in the brown sugar, then add the pear pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pears from the heat.

When the casserole is baked, remove the foil from the baking dish and stir the cooked pears into the mac & cheese. Sprinkle the dish with the reserved crumbled bacon and the Parmesan cheese.

Return the dish to the oven and bake it for an additional 5 minutes. Let the mac & cheese stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Comfort food is warming up our cold winter nights!  ~Linda

Pear & Bacon Mac & Cheese  (adapted from midwestliving.com)

Makes: 6 servings,  Prep time: 40 minutes, Bake time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dried penne pasta (2 1/3 cups)
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 6 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, rind removed and shredded
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 ripe pears, chopped
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, then return it to the hot pan. Cover it to keep it warm and set it aside.

Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large skillet until it is crisp, turning it once, or cook it in the microwave. Drain the bacon on paper towels, then crumble it and set it aside.

In a clean skillet, cook the onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for 2 minutes. (Alternately, cook the onion & garlic in 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease.) Stir in the flour, dry mustard, and pepper. Add in the milk. Cook and stir the cheese sauce until it is thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat and add the Gouda cheese and cream cheese. Cook and stir the cheese sauce until the cream cheese is almost melted.

Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta. Stir in the oregano and all but 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon. Transfer the mixture to an ungreased 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Cover the dish and bake it in a 350º F oven for 25 minutes.

While the mac & cheese bakes, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a clean, large skillet. Stir in the brown sugar, then add the pear pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pears from the heat.

When the casserole is baked, remove the foil from the baking dish and stir the cooked pears into the mac & cheese. Sprinkle the dish with the reserved crumbled bacon and the Parmesan cheese. Return the dish to the oven and bake it for an additional 5 minutes. Let the mac & cheese stand for 10 minutes before serving.