Bacon Mac & Cheese
Easy
Think you’ve tried great Mac & Cheese? Once you’ve tried our super luxurious version, this will become a regular staple in your family meal planner. Courtesy of top Californian blogger Daisy https://daisyt13.wordpress.com/
PREP IN
30 MIN
COOK IN
30 MIN
SERVE
12
Bacon Mac & Cheese
Easy
PREP IN
30 MIN
COOK IN
30 MIN
SERVE
12
Introduction
Think you’ve tried great Mac & Cheese? Once you’ve tried our super luxurious version, this will become a regular staple in your family meal planner. Courtesy of top Californian blogger Daisy https://daisyt13.wordpress.com/
Ingredients
- Breadcrumb Topping:
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 75g panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 50g butter, melted
- Mac & Cheese:
- 350g bacon (1 pack) diced (1inch pieces)
- 50g butter
- 450g pasta (elbows or shells), cooked very al dente
- 1.18 litres (2.5 pints) whole milk, heated until warm
- 70g plain flour
- 4tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1tbsp mustard powder
- 1tsp chilli flakes
- 1tsp salt
- 1/2tsp pepper
- 1tsp ground nutmeg
- 1tsp paprika
- 340g sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 225g goat cheese, crumbled
- 125g Parmesan, grated
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Butter a large casserole dish.
- 2. To prepare the breadcrumb topping, place the garlic and parsley in a small bowl. Add the panko breadcrumbs and pour in butter and mix until well combined. Set aside.
- 3. In a large frying pan, fry the bacon until it is almost crisp and place on kitchen paper to drain.
- 4. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.
- 5. Add 3 tablespoons butter to the bacon fat and heat to medium. When butter sizzles, add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- 6. Slowly pour warmed milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking.
- 7. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles up and thickens. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the thyme, mustard powder, red chilli flakes, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika.
- 8. Then stir in 3/4 Cheddar and all of the goat and Parmesan cheeses.
- 9. Stir the cooked pasta and most of the cooked bacon (reserve some bacon to sprinkle on top) into the cheese sauce.
- 10. Pour the mixture into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar onto the pasta. Scatter the herbed breadcrumbs and remaining bacon over the top.
- 11. Bake until browned on top, for about 30 minutes. Check at 15 minutes and cover the top loosely with foil if the breadcrumbs are browning to quickly. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
- 12.
