Repurpose Leftover Charcuterie Into Next-Level Mac And Cheese

Leftover charcuterie is a joyful gift of abundance. First of all, if you've got a bunch of appetizer-portioned meats kicking around, that means you've likely recently hosted a party, so you have leftovers and warm memories. And, if you shop the way we do for said prosciutto, bresaola, and capicola, which is to say, buying a little more than you think you'll need, then you'll also have a super simple post-party brunch spread at the ready for the morning after. But, aim too high, and you're staring down the barrel of cured meat not only the next morning, but the one after that, and the one after that. And, being that the stuff isn't exactly cheap, the drive to actually use it all up is strong. But so, too are the flavors of charcuterie. And, whatever variety you're working with, it will mix marvelously with mac and cheese.

Pivoting charcuterie to mac and cheese is rooted in history and common sense. People have been pairing meat preparations and cheese for centuries; for so long that the two separate foodstuffs are now commonly incorrectly grouped under the same banner, "charcuterie," which literally only refers to the animal protein. So combining it with a melty dairy component and oodles of noodles, which approximate the carb you might also find beside charcuterie, is a natural evolution for the duo. And it's all undeniably delicious.

Guess what? Even if your move is to reach for the boxed stuff, your leftover charcuterie is among the most serious of all the serious mac and cheese upgrades in creation. All you have to do is make the mac according to its package instructions, chop your selection into uniform bits, and mix it all together. It's chef's — and we do not say this lightly — kiss. Just keep an eye on the sodium content. Being that bresaola, for example, like many of its counterparts, is salt cured, adding it to a mac that's also super salty will be overwhelming and potentially even unpleasant.

You can also, of course, go as scratch-made and/or fancy as can be with your charcuterie mac and cheese. Anthony Bourdain's mac and cheese mixes julienned ham into the sauce before the whole dish is baked. The Ibérico variety that's always a charcuterie board hit would perform wonderfully in this case. Or you can split the difference and add whatever's left to this two-ingredient mac and cheese sauce recipe to turn a quick dish into a gourmet meal dupe.