Readers share macaroni and cheese recipes

Some 65 readers responded to our call for macaroni and cheese recipes, proving that this classic still is popular and still provides a measure of comfort in these trying times.

As we had hoped, we got lots of variations on the basic dish, including several that we classified more as casseroles.

We’re publishing nine of the most interesting recipes here.

The winner of the drawing for the $100 prize is Jonelle Mahon of North Las Vegas.

BLACK-N-BLEU SHELLS

1 pound small shell pasta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Salt and pepper, to taste

7 slices pepper bacon, chopped

3 cups half-and-half

1 8-ounce package cream cheese (Philadelphia preferred), at room temperature and cut into chunks

1 7-ounce wedge brie cheese, cut into chunks (easier to cut when cold)

2 4-ounce packages crumbled bleu cheese

1/2 cup grated havarti cheese

Cook pasta until al dente in boiling salted water, approximately 9 minutes. (Do not overcook, as pasta will continue cooking in oven.) Drain well.

Place cooked pasta in a large bowl and pour melted butter over it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir until pasta is well coated.

Fry bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Heat half-and-half in a 2-quart saucepan (do not boil). Add cream cheese and brie. Stir until cheeses are melted.

Pour cheese mixture over pasta and stir until well blended. Add bacon and bleu cheese. Mix well. Pour mixture into a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or equivalent casserole dish) and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Take out of oven and top with havarti. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops of shells are golden brown.

— Recipe from Jonelle Mahon, North Las Vegas

APPLEWOOD-SMOKED BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONION MACARONI AND CHEESE

8 slices (about 8 ounces) applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into small sticklike pieces

2 medium Spanish onions (yellow), thinly sliced

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

11/2 teaspoons dry mustard

6 drops Tabasco

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Danish fontina cheese

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni

1/4 cup chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 3- to 4-quart baking dish.

In a heavy saucepan, render bacon over medium heat until cooked and slightly crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain all but 2 teaspoons of bacon fat. Add onions and cook over medium heat until caramelized and light brown. (There shouldn’t be any excess moisture.) Remove from pan and reserve.

In same saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk 3 to 4 minutes. Add milk in a steady stream while constantly whisking. Bring mixture to a boil while still whisking. Add mustard, Tabasco, salt and pepper and reduce heat. Whisk occasionally until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fontina, Monterey Jack and 3/4 cup of Asiago cheese.

In a 5-quart pot, bring salted water to boil (use 2 teaspoons per quart of water). Add macaroni and cook about 7 minutes, or until al dente. Drain in colander.

Return macaroni to pot. Stir in cheese sauce, bacon and onions, parsley and green onion. Transfer to baking dish and top with bread crumbs and reserved cheese.

Bake in center of oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden on top and bubbling on sides.

— Recipe from Leslie Myers, Las Vegas

CARL’S SPECIAL ITALIAN-SEASONED MACARONI AND CHEESE

12 ounces large elbow macaroni

16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut in small cubes

6 slices white or sourdough bread, toasted and cut into 1-inch cubes

3/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs (Progresso preferred)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

3/4 pound Velveeta

3 cups milk

4 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook macaroni according to package directions, making sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in colander and shake out excess water.

Place in large mixing bowl. Add cheddar, breads cubes, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning and mix.

Make a cheese sauce by slowly adding the Velveeta to milk heated in a medium saucepan and stirring until all of the cheese is melted. Combine cheese sauce with macaroni; stir and spread the contents of the bowl evenly in a greased or buttered lasagna baking dish. Dot the top evenly with butter and salt and pepper to taste. Bake, uncovered, in a 400-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cheddar cheese is melted and the top bread cubes turn crusty brown.

Variation: Add some Tabasco sauce for an extra kick.

— Recipe from Carl Weller, Las Vegas

GORGONZOLA AND PEARS MACARONI & CHEESE

1 Bosc pear

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup 2 percent milk

3/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbed

1/2 cup finely ground walnuts

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a baking dish and set aside.

Peel the pear and cook it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Dice.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add pear, milk and Gorgonzola and warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the Gorgonzola is completely melted. Remove from heat and blend together to a nice cream.

Add walnuts, Parmesan, salt and pepper and warm again for a few minutes.

Add pasta and stir until completely mixed. Pour mixture into a baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.

— Recipe from Giovanna Pezzulo, Las Vegas

LOBSTER MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH TRUFFLE OIL AND CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

1 large lobster tail, fresh or thawed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 cups milk

1 bay leaf

6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

White truffle oil

1 medium shallot

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta to al dente; drain. (Do not overcook, as it will cook again in the oven.)

Steam the lobster tail for about 2 minutes per ounce, but do not overcook. Plunge into ice water to stop cooking and then remove from water. Remove lobster meat from shell. Cut meat into small pieces — 3/4-inch to 1-inch cubes. Set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, make a roux by melting the butter and then whisking in the flour; stir for about 5 minutes, until it is thickened and the flour is cooked. Stir in the mustard, milk and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Reserve about 1/4 cup of the mixed cheeses and stir the rest into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Fold the macaroni into the sauce and add the lobster.

Start adding truffle oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition. Continue adding truffle oil in small amounts until you can taste it but it is not overpowering.

Pour mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Top with reserved cheeses. Bake for 20 minutes.

For topping, peel and then thinly slice the shallot. In a small saute pan, cook the shallot in a little olive oil over medium heat until softened and golden brown. Spread the caramelized shallot over the macaroni. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until bubbly and slightly browned. Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

— Recipe from Ginny Chapman, Las Vegas

MACARONI & CHEESE WITH BASIL BREAD CRUMBS

Nonstick spray

8 ounces pipette or elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, warmed

1/2 cup chicken broth, warmed

3 ounces fontina cheese, shredded

3 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded

3 ounces white American cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt, pepper, nutmeg and Tabasco, to taste

2 slices soft white bread

10 leaves fresh basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat four 1-cup ovenproof baking dishes (or one 1-quart baking dish) with nonstick spray.

Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water in a saucepan for 2 minutes less than directed on package. Drain and set aside. Return pan to medium-low heat. Melt butter in the pan, then add flour, stirring until pasty. Gradually whisk in milk and broth; increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, stir in cheeses until smooth, then add mustard, Worcestershire and other seasonings. Fold in macaroni and transfer to prepared dishes.

Place bread, basil, oil and salt and pepper, to taste, in a food processor until fine; sprinkle over macaroni. Bake until sauce is bubbly and crumbs are browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Note: You also may use Monterey Jack cheese, havarti or Gruyere, as they are "smooth melters."

— Recipe from Kim Nealy, Las Vegas

SMOKED MACARONI & CHEESE

1 pound elbow macaroni

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup shredded applewood-smoked cheddar cheese (or any other smoked cheese)

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Dash pepper

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (recipe follows)

Cook pasta in boiling water and drain well.

While pasta cooks, prepare cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the flour, mixing until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook 2 to 3 minutes until bubbly, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Add nutmeg. Add the milk and cook until thickened. Reduce heat to medium.

Once the milk mixture has thickened, add the shredded cheeses and cream cheese, stirring after each addition. Add pepper, to taste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place the drained pasta into a large mixing bowl. Add the cheese mixture. Pour into the baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

For bread crumbs, cut 1 French baguette into 1/2-inch slices. Place on a baking sheet. Spread with butter, to taste, and sprinkle with garlic salt, to taste, being careful not to use too much. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side. When the slices have cooled, put into a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Measure what you need for this recipe and save the leftovers.

— Recipe from Carole Combs of Las Vegas

SOUTHWEST MACARONI & CHEESE

2 cups dry small elbow macaroni

8 ounces Mexican-style shredded cheese (divided use)

16 ounces small-curd cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups sour cream

4-ounce can diced green chilies

1 tablespoon California-style garlic salt (coarse salt with garlic and parsley)

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Bring large pot of water to a boil and cook macaroni 7 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Reserve 1/2 cup Mexican-style cheese for topping. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add macaroni and mix well.

Turn mixture into a greased 9-by-13-inch dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degress for 40 to 45 minutes.

— Recipe from Arnold Austin, Las Vegas

SUNSET MACARONI AND CHEESE

8 ounces cavatappi or other tube-shaped pasta

3 1/2 tablespoons butter (divided use)

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

7 ounces Gruyere, grated

3 ounces aged Gouda, grated

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

4 ounces crusty sourdough bread (about 1/4 loaf), torn into large pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente, or tender to the bite. Drain but do not rinse.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add shallots and cook until light golden, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle mixture with flour and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Add wine and stir, picking up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Add cream and stir well. Sprinkle in cheeses, a large handful at a time, stirring until each handful is melted.

Stir in mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cayenne and nutmeg. Stir cooked pasta into cheese mixture. Pour into a buttered 2-quart baking dish.

In a food processor, pulse bread with remaining butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt until coarse bread crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta and cheese and bake until top is browned and cheese is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.

— Recipe from Lisa Duval of Henderson (originally from Sunset magazine)

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.