Bacon Mac and Cheese

...either you like bacon or you're wrong.

This is so freaking good, so creamy, so perfectly delightful. 

You'll need to dust off your Jazzercize video after this though. Maybe even plug it in.

THE CHEESE LINE UP

Sharp Cheddar, Gruyere, Parmesan

This recipe is a baked mac, but...I think is so much more creamy if you don't bake it.  Still prepare it the same way, just toast up the crumbs separately and add when serving. 

Holy Macaroni, it just keeps getting better.
The cheese sauce is hellagood.

Yeah and don't forget the crowing glory.

 Shine bacon shine.

 And say you didn't pound down this whole thing, it reheats great for breakfast.

Although I served this with BBQ'd chicken, 
this could easily be a main dish, 

just throw in something with color, like a salad.

Oh, mama. 

Bacon Mac & Cheese

1 pound pasta

6 slices thick bacon, cooked and crumbled, reserve 1/4 cup fat (I recommend 7 slices, one for you, because you know you can't stay out of it)

Cheese Sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups whole milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups grated sharp Cheddar

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 t. dry mustard

1/4 t. cayenne

1/4 t. nutmeg (No, this won't make it taste like a Swedish Christmas cookie.  It just brings out all the other great flavors in the sauce and no one will identify the nutmeg.)

Topping:

1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs (Panko kicks butt on other bread crumbs, super crunchy and makes everything better)

1/4 cup bacon fat

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta in salted water, meanwhile make the cheese sauce.  Melt the butter over medium heat, add the flour and cook for a few minutes to remove the pasty taste. Use a heavy pot for this to avoid scorching.  Gradually add the hot milk, whisking in until smooth and thick.  Turn heat to low, add cream, dry mustard, cayenne and nutmeg. Add cheeses a handful at a time, stirring constantly until melted.  

Mix with drained, al dente pasta, put in a baking dish, top with crumb topping and bake at 400 degrees (or don't bake) for 20 minutes until bubbly.  

And with that, I leave you with something to ponder...

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

Poems are hard.

Bacon.

Posted by: Rona