Rye Bier Mac 'n Cheese Bake

16 oz Elbow Macaroni, cooked 1 cup Gouda Cheese (non-smoked or smoked), shredded 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 cups White Cheddar Cheese, shredded s t 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter 2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded n 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour 1 cup Havarti Cheese, shredded e i 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder Salt & Pepper to taste d 1 Tbsp Onion Powder 6-7 slices Klosterman Dark Rye Bread or 1 1/2 cups Dark e r 2 1/4 Cups Whole Milk Rye Bread crumbs (if prepared ahead of time) g 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted n

I 1 12 oz can Klosterman Rye Bier 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, powdered 1 Bay Leaf 1/4 tsp Paprika (smoked or regular)

To Prepare Dark Rye Bread Crumbs Dry slices of dark rye bread in a preheated 325 degree oven by placing directly on the rack for 10 minutes and if the bread is still not dried out leave in the oven and check every 2-3 minutes until slices are completely dried (the bread should snap as you break it into smaller pieces). Turn the oven temp down to 300 if the slices start getting too toasty. After bread is cooled, break the slices into med pieces and place pieces in a food processor with blade attachment or in a blender to grind bread into small pieces (recommend using a pulse setting so the bread crumbs are not ground too fine. Ideally you want to achieve Panko style crumbs so you may have to process bread in two or more batches). Place crumbs in a bowl and set aside. If making ahead, place in a container with a lid.

To Prepare Mac & Cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large 3 qt or 4 qt baking dish and set aside.Combine

s shredded cheeses in a large bowl and set aside. (If shredding any of the cheeses by hand add approx. 1/2 tsp of n cornstarch to the cheese after shredding, toss to coat. This helps keep the cheese from clumping together when it's o i added to the sauce.) t Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain in a c

e colander, run under cold water until pasta is cool. Drain any excess water and place in a large bowl. Drizzle pasta r

i with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside while preparing cheese sauce.

D Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot over medium heat whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden. Gradually add beer, whisking continuously as your pour, eliminating any lumps from the flour. Once beer is incorporated, slowly add in milk and heavy cream, whisking as you pour. Continue mixing until milk and cream are well incorporated and there are no lumps. Add in the bay leaf and stir. Lower heat to bring the sauce to a gentle boil (until you see bubbles on the surface), stir frequently during this time. The sauce should be smooth. Once it reaches a gentle boil, whisk in salt and pepper. Add two cups of shredded cheese and stir until smooth, add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy and smooth. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Gently stir or fold cooled pasta into the finished sauce until pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce. Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese on the bottom layer of mac and cheese and top the shredded cheese layer with the rest of the mac and cheese. In a small bowl, combine prepared dark rye bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle the bread crumb mix on top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 35-40 minutes or until the mac and cheese reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve immediately.