Brown ale bacon Mac and cheese

Brown ale bacon Mac and cheese 

16 oz brown ale

4 cups half and half 

8 oz Cabot pepper jack cheese

8 oz Cabot seriously sharp cheese

4 oz chive and onion cream cheese

4 oz jalapeño cream cheese 

1 # maple thick cut bacon 

1/2 cup flour

4 tablespoons butter 

1 red onion

1 box medium shell pasta 

1 bag sweet and spicy jalapeño kettle chips

Start cooking pasta

(Cook to 3 minutes before aldente, it will cook the rest in the crock pot) 

While pasta cooks prep it out: grate cheese chop onion and just have shit ready, it goes quick. 

When your ready put on bacon

(Tip: easier to chop before cooking! Ha) 

start frying onion pieces.. I used a bit of truffle oil on the griddle. 

Heat the cream and beer up in a big pot, just to steaming not to boil, (enough for whole sauce) 

Take bacon off stove (dry out on paper towels) reserve 3-4 tablespoons of bacon fat and start melting in butter. 

 

When butter seems melted enough add 1/2 cup flour and whisk til smooth. (I took it right off the heat) 

Whisk mixture (roux) into cream and beer.. Keep whisking until you see it transform and become thicker (@ 5-10 min) ( meanwhile chop bacon into bits of you forgot earlier like me) 

Then remove mixture from stove, and whisk in cheese, and bacon, and onions! 

Whisk until what seems like smooth except for onion and bacon chunks.. Aka cheeses and creams have become one!! 

Then put pasta in crockpot and pour over cheese sauce!! 

Stir really good!!! And let sit until desired thickness is achieved!!! I did about 2 hours.. Could've probably gone longer with a thinner sauce and not cooked noodles at all!! 

Serve with crushed chips on top!! 

(Even better reheated next day with chips crisped!)

Keep extra sauce!! 

It's great on a baked potatoe. 

And after about 3 days it obtains the flavor of a French onion dip!!  

Chip dip... Woo woo! 

Or..  Cheesy rice: 

Enjoy!