BACON MAC & CHEESE!!!

If you're trying to eat healthier, avoid carbs and copious amounts of cheese look away now... I warned you. If you're still reading this...welcome to the dark side, we have cheese...and bacon. Making homemade mac and cheese is seriously so easy and totally worth it. You can make a quick pot of it (minus the bacon and the topping) in however long it takes to cook the pasta. 









Start by boiling your pasta in heavily salted water. Listen, if you don't generously salt your pasta water you need to start. This is really the only time you can add seasoning to the pasta itself and a few sprinkles of salt in a large pot of boiling water just isn't enough. Select your pasta, I won't tell you what to do but I used fusilli but you can use macaroni, penne, really anything you have. I like fusilli for a couple reasons, first reason being it's what I had in my cupboard lol and second the cheese sauce gets stuck in the cork screw which yields a cheese bite every time. I cooked about 3 cups of pasta, to just about al dente (when your pasta still has a slight chew to it in the middle). Strain and set to the side. 


In another pan start cooking your bacon. I used a full 500g package of thick cut, dry cured bacon, chopped. Pepper that bacon before cooking, because flavour!

Quick bacon appreciation picture...mmm. 

Once your bacon is at it's perfect doneness for you, remove it to a paper towel lined dish, and put it to the side.

In your now emptied pasta pot, time to make the cheese sauce. Melt 1/4 cup of butter, once it's melted add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk into a smooth paste. The secret to cheese sauce that isn't chalky is cooking your roux (the flour and butter) until it's golden. Whisking your roux constantly and cooking over medium heat cook until the roux has achieved that perfect gold-yellow colour.  I actually let mine get slightly more gold-yellow than seen in the picture, but I forgot to take a picture...sorry.

Once your roux has achieved the perfect colour add 1 1/2 cup of cold whole milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Whisking constantly to combine, bring to a simmer and continue to simmer until the mix has thickened. Add salt & pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp mustard (I used Dijon) and about 10 dashes of hot sauce (I used Franks, and this amount will not add any heat to your dish, just flavour. If you want heat add more depending on the hot sauce you like)


While your sauce is thickening grate your cheese. Approximately 1 cup of Gruyere and 2 cups of cheddar.

When your sauce is thickened, remove from the heat and slowly add your cheese a small handful at a time, until it's all incorporated. Add 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese and mix until that has also melted. If your cheese is having a hard time melting, you can put it back on the heat over low to help. At this point taste your sauce and adjust the seasoning. Once it's perfect you may add the pasta into the cheese sauce as well as your cooked bacon and mix well.  

If you are in a bit of a hurry you can be done now, serve it up and enjoy. But if you want to take your bacon mac and cheese to the next level, preheat your oven to 350° and grease a baking dish with butter and dump in your mac and cheese. I used an 8 x 8" Pyrex dish and had a little bit left over I couldn't fit. Which was completely fine with me I just tossed it into a container for Jays lunch and it was the perfect lunch amount.

In a small measuring cup melt 3 tbsp of butter. In another small bowl add 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 2 tsp of Italiano seasoning. Slowly stir in your melted butter. When everything is mixed well top your mac and cheese with the panko mix. Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it, you're looking for the panko to turn golden and the Parmesan cheese to get crispy.




Enjoy! Here is the printable recipe of my 
Bacon Mac & Cheese

Bacon Mac & Cheese

Ingredients: 3 cups of pasta (I used Fusilli)  Salt & pepper 1 500g package of bacon 1 cup Gruyere cheese - shredded 2 cups cheddar cheese - shredded 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (divided) 1/4 cup butter, plus 3 tbsp for panko mix 1 tsp garlic powder 5-10 dashes of hot sauce (I used Franks) 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs 1 tbsp Italiano seasoning Method: Boil your pasta until just slightly before al dente and strain, keep to the side. While your pasta is cooking chop your bacon into bite size pieces and cook in a pan until your preferred crispiness. Remove to a paper towel lined dish. In your now empty pasta pot add 1/4 cup of your butter, and melt over medium heat. Add the flour to the butter and whisk together into a smooth paste. Continue to to cook your paste (roux) until it becomes a golden-yellow colour. Add milk and heavy cream to the roux and stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened. Add garlic powder, hot sauce, and mustard to the sauce. Mix well.  Remove the sauce from the heat and add your shredded Gruyere, cheddar and 1/4 cup of fresh Parmesan a small handful at a time. Once all the cheese is in melted taste your sauce and adjust your seasonings.  Add the cooked pasta and bacon to the cheese sauce and mix well. Preheat your oven to 350° Butter a baking dish (I used a 8 x 8" Pyrex dish) and add your mac & cheese.   In a measuring cup melt 3 tbsp of butter. In a small bowl add Panko, Italiano seasoning, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Add the melted butter to the Panko mix and mix well. Top your mac and cheese with the Panko mix. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, keep an eye on it. You're looking for your Panko mix to get golden brown. Enjoy.