21 March, 2008
Not Your Ordinary Mac N Cheese J Alexander's - close to the recipe
6 cups chicken stock
2 cubes chicken base
2 cups (8 ounces) Cavatappi (also called cellentani or double elbows, is macaroni formed in a spiral tube shape with ridges)
3 tablespoons Pomace Olive Oil
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
3 tablespoons butter -- divided plus extra for greasing pan
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half and half
3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked pressed and sliced in small bite size pieces (reserve the fat)
1/2 onion -- minced and sauteed in bacon fat
2 cloves of garlic pressed and sauteed with onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon
Cholula
2 1/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2c Panko
Bring 6 cups chicken stock and 1 1/1 cubes chicken base to rolling boil in medium saucepan. Add macaroni and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and put in large bowl, toss with Pomace Olive Oil and lemon. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Stir in onion, bay leaf, sugar and Tabasco. Simmer gently, stirring often, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bacon and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Stir in macaroni. Pour half of mixture into greased, deep 1 1/2-quart baking dish (or 3-4 ramekins) and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese. Top with remaining macaroni and remaining cheese. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 cube chicken base in small skillet over medium heat. Add panko and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered panko and Reggiano Cheese over top of macaroni. Bake at 350: F. until panko is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.
32comments:
- Anonymoussaid...
This is recipe is a well guarded secret. How did you get it? Never mind, I'm just glad you did!!!
- December 11, 2008 at 4:30 AM
- Jim Dixonsaid...
Thank you for this recipe!!!!!!! This is by far the best mac n cheese anywhere.
Jim- March 25, 2009 at 12:44 PM
- Tanyasaid...
You are welcome, I searched high and low for it! And it helps to know someone who works as a GM. I asked a few questions to check if the recipe I had was correct and had to modify it slightly from what I found to get it to their recipe.
Hope you enjoy! Bon Appetit!
- March 29, 2009 at 5:00 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
You forgot the Reggiano-Parmesan cheese too, also their are no bay leaves used.
- July 16, 2009 at 9:08 AM
- Unknownsaid...
I made this over the weekend & got rave reviews. It is VERY close to the recipe. The next time I make it though, I would probably cut the sugar in half & cut the olive oil by a third. I put the parmesan-reggiano in the middle & on top.
- November 3, 2009 at 1:22 PM
- Nikisaid...
this isn't the exact recipe. I dined there this past weekend and asked about some of the ingredients. they use garlic powder and onion powder, bacon, gruyere, and top with panko.
- November 18, 2009 at 11:39 AM
- Tanyasaid...
I have added / adjusted to the recipe a little after speaking to my friend further on it.
I hope all have enjoyed! The recipe does list Reggiano cheese in it :) you must have missed it.. also it says in the recipe "remove bay leaf" ... it doesn't stay in it is for flavor.
- November 23, 2009 at 7:03 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
Miss Tanya- I am trying this today for Thanksgiving. I hope you got it right! I'm counting on you. :)Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
- November 25, 2009 at 4:06 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
I work there. It is not tobasco it is cholula. I hate their horrible treatment of employees so here's the secret. FYI the spinach dip "special cheese blend" is white velveeta. And the steak seasoning is mccormicks Montreal steak seasoning. also the secret of the carrot cake is dole pineapple juice. And the very best chocolate cake has canned hersheys syrup in it, but the fudge on top isnt, it is commercial canned sauce. What else... Hmmm... oh yeah! The white chocolate cheesecake is not made there. It's bought frozen. But the raspberry sauce is made fresh. For a replica don't cook the sauce! It's a coolis. And If you can't get enough of the special onion ring sauce, mix mayonnaise with chipotle peppers. Aaaaand the addictive honey mustard only has 4 ingredients- mayonnaise, honey, grey poupon, and paprika. P.S., marinate your chicken tenders in buttermilk and use a WET batter for the "lacing". Enjoy! Even though I am a disgruntled employee, the place does have great food and I would still reccommend eating it every day!
- December 7, 2009 at 3:26 AM
- Tanyasaid...
... I would love the recipe for the carrot cake.. omg.. my boyfriend and I go there when he comes in from the UK every time just for that alone!!
thank you for the information on the other items, going to change Tabasco to Cholula now!
- December 7, 2009 at 6:25 AM
- Unknownsaid...
If someone could come up with their fresh her vinaigrette they would be my best friend!!!
- December 20, 2009 at 7:05 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
I have been employed with J alexander's for almost a decade and while most of what anonymous said is correct, the white chocolate cheesecake is NOT bought frozen. It is absolutely made in house.
- January 19, 2010 at 2:10 AM
- Anonymoussaid...
what about the recipe for the Orzo and Wild Rice salad...it is amazing!!
- February 9, 2010 at 4:53 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
The recipe states when to add the cream but says nothing about including the sour cream and half-and-half. Do you just add it with the heavy cream?
- April 23, 2010 at 11:50 AM
- Tanyasaid...
The real thing is always the best... as there is nothing like having someone else serve you. J's happens to be one of our favorite places to eat out. However, this is still our favorite version of their recipe and I'm happy to always share and modify as necessary.
- July 7, 2010 at 8:12 AM
- Anonymoussaid...
Just had dinner at J. Alexanders. Mac & Cheese and Chicken Fingers..YUMMY. I will be trying this recipe for sure! Thanks Tanya, and to all the others who've donated. Glad I came across this website.
- August 1, 2010 at 7:04 PM
- Unknownsaid...
Thanks for this recipe! I will definitely be trying it. J. Alexander's is my favorite restaurant, but I moved to CA where there unfortunately isn't one. Whenever I visit back home I'm there at least three times a week. I would be forever grateful if you (or anyone else reading this!) posted any other recipes that you come across, especially for the Fresh Herb Vinaigrette or the Israeli Couscous. Oh! Or their delicious White Bean Soup. Thank you very much!
- August 2, 2010 at 9:33 PM
- Anne Bosworthsaid...
FYI, the general concept of this recipe also works for Potatoes au gratin. I made it that way today, adding about 1/2 cup of Gia Russa Fried Peppers (with the oil drained off) and skipped the sugar. Wicked!
- August 22, 2010 at 12:09 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
Hi T, the third ingredient in the recipe says "2 cups (8 ounces) Cavatappi ..." is it 2 cups OR 8 ounces? 2 cups equals 16 ounces.
Thanks for your reply. Hope to get it soon as I'm trying the recipe today for Thanksgiving! :)
Jose
- November 25, 2010 at 11:31 AM
- An American In Sicilysaid...
I am a Michigan native with a serious addiction to J's Very Best Chocolate Cake. I moved to Italy 2 years ago, where there obviously is no J Alexander's, and so I have to take advantage when I go home to get my chocolate fix! Does anyone have this recipe??? It would be so nice to make it here...nothing comes close to that cake!
- December 2, 2010 at 5:38 AM
- Tanyasaid...
Shred 8 oz of cheese.. you will get about 2 cups of it.
Add the creams is all of them for the other person who asked.
- December 15, 2010 at 8:13 AM
- Anonymoussaid...
Anyone know the mushroom soup from j alexanders? I can't find it anywhere!
- August 6, 2011 at 6:04 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
i work there and in the kitchen it is tobasco sauce they use, not chulua what ever that is for the guests. this recipe is close, but you are missing a few things and added a few things like pomace olive oil and things like that.
- October 8, 2011 at 10:16 AM
- dFawkessaid...
this recipe does not show parmesan-reggiano. I read it 2-3 times it is not in there except for in the directions.
- October 20, 2011 at 11:51 AM
- godfothr69said...
I just ate at J Alexanders today, and there wasnt bacon in the Mac and Cheese that I ate.
- January 22, 2012 at 1:58 AM
- Anonymoussaid...
j's changed their mac and cheese recipe after someone wrote to corperate complaining that they were vegetarians and the menu did not say it had bacon in it. you can ask them to add the bacon but they just crumble some on top..not quite the same. i am a chef there!
- April 30, 2012 at 4:37 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
Can you verify the amount of pasta used in this recipe...2 cups or 8 ounces?
- November 16, 2012 at 10:22 AM
- Anonymoussaid...
Where does the half & half and sour cream come in? Also, I don't recall any bacon. It is overwhelming, especially with the onions sauteed in the bacon grease.
- January 2, 2013 at 2:22 PM
- Anonymoussaid...
I just want to say I make this recipe allllll the time and it gets better every time. The only thing I changed is not adding sour cream, I Think it tastes better that way. Thanks so much for the recipe love it!!!
- February 10, 2013 at 8:20 PM
- Unknownsaid...
It is a good recipe, but does not taste the same as what is at J. Alexander's Restaurant. It is missing something. I am going to experiment with it and post if I find what is missing.
- April 1, 2013 at 7:53 PM
- Adrianasaid...
Back in the mid-2000's J Alexander's had an awesome citrus crusted salmon appetizer. It was not the smoked salmon dip, it was served as a whole piece of salmon. Can somebody provide the recipe?
- October 4, 2014 at 4:59 AM
- Adrianasaid...
Please email me updates.
- October 4, 2014 at 5:00 AM
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