Bacon Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is undoubtedly a comfort food and also undoubtedly, one of my all-time favorites! I don’t eat it often to avoid a carb-overload but I’m in heaven whenever I do.

This was for dinner tonight. It probably would’ve been better had I used Fontina cheese but it was delicious anyway. The inside was soft and creamy while the top was crispy. And of course, everything’s better with bacon.

(This will feed four very hungry people)

Ingredients:

4 strips of bacon

¾ lb elbow macaroni

1 tbs butter

1 tbs flour

1 1/3 c whole milk

½ c American cheese, shredded

½ c Baby Muenster cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

A few tbs of Parmesan cheese

Place the bacon on a skillet/griddle and turn the heat to medium. Cook until crispy, flipping once, about 7 minutes. Drain and cool on a paper towel.

Cook the macaroni – I hope you can all do that. Boil it until it is slightly underdone, though, because it will finish cooking in the oven.

Meanwhile, place the butter into a medium-size saucepan on low heat. After it’s melted, sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook for two minutes. This is a roux (ROO.) Stir in the milk. Turn up the heat slightly and bring the mixture to a slow boil – about 5 minutes. It should be thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon at this point. Turn the heat off and whisk in the cheese and seasonings, until the mixture is homogenous.

Remember that bacon? Once it’s cooled, crumble it up into small pieces.

Now combine the macaroni, cheese sauce and bacon. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake in a preheated 420 degree oven for about 20 min, until the top is golden brown. And ta-da! Serve straight out of the oven. : ]

Just some kitchen LOL ; )