Bacon. Cheese. Pasta. What combination of those three words could be anything less than amazing? That’s an excellent question and the answer? Probably not easy to find. Adding smoky bacon to your classic macaroni and cheese is a perfect way to update a childhood staple with some grown up flair.
For many of us, macaroni and cheese is one of the first things you learn to cook. Whether it’s from a blue box or it’s your grandmother’s recipe for comfort in a bowl, it’s not only satisfying, but pretty difficult to ruin. This particular recipe is a great one to whip up when you have friends over for game day or if you’re looking for something to feed a crowd with only twenty minutes of hands-on time in the kitchen.
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 cups whole or 2% reduced fat milk
- 2 or 3 whole sprigs thyme
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
- Prepare the macaroni according to package directions for pasta al dente. Drain in a colander and set aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a small saucepan heat the milk with the thyme sprigs and 2 garlic cloves. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Make a roux: whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Strain the garlic and thyme out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in the 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a large (3 quart or 9x13 size) baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1½ cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon until hot and crispy. To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese and serve hot.
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