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Carbonara Mac and Cheese

Pancetta Mac and Cheese Panini

Baked Potato-Style Mac & Cheese

Lasagna Macaroni and Cheese

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese

Brisket Macaroni and Cheese

Pepperoni Pizza Mac and Cheese

GranQueso and Serrano Ham Mac ‘n Cheese

2011

Featured Wisconsin Cheeses: GranQueso

By Cooking with Amy

On my honeymoon in Seville, Spain I sipped on sherry and ate nibbles of Serrano ham and manchego cheese in countless tapas bars. I loved the lively yet cozy neighborhood spots and while no tapas bars at home are like the ones in Seville, I can still get a taste of Spain. Manchego and Serrano ham are classic Spanish flavors and they were the inspiration for my latest version of macaroni and cheese.

Instead of using Spanish manchego, I chose an award-winning cheese from Wisconsin called GranQueso. It’s a firm, dry cheese aged 6 months that has notes of toast, nuts and toffee. It’s described as being similar to Spanish manchego, only it’s made from cow’s milk, not sheep’s milk. It melts tremendously well. And macaroni and cheese has got to be melty, right?

Serrano ham, like prosciutto or bacon, has sweet and salty notes and a little goes a long way. I felt a few more ingredients might round out the flavors so I added a bit of Parmesan to intensify the saltiness and plenty of sautéed onion to highlight the sweetness in both the cheese and the ham. I used half-and-half because it really makes for a richer dish. I’m not sure it would pair with a glass of sherry, but it’s marvelous with a big glass of red wine!

GranQueso & Serrano Ham Mac ‘n Cheese
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) Serrano ham, thinly sliced and diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 cups macaroni, about 8 ounces
2 1/2 cups (about 9-10 ounces) shredded Wisconsin GranQueso Cheese
1/4 cup Wisconsin Parmesan Cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet.
Add the onions and ham and cook over medium high heat, stirring just until tender
but not brown, about 5 minutes.

In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the flour and cook over moderately
high heat, whisking, for 2 minutes or until it turns golden. Add the half-and-half and
bring to a simmer, whisk constantly until creamy and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni 3 minutes LESS than directed
on the package, until nearly but not quite al dente. Drain well and add to the pot with the sauce,
stir to combine. Mix in the cheeses, the onions and ham until evenly incorporated.

Transfer the macaroni to a 2.2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil until
there are a few brown patches on top, about 3-5 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.