Homemade Bacon Mac & Cheese

Nothing says "Thank you for your service to our country" on Veteran's Day like homemade mac & cheese.

Well....... there are probably more appropriate offerings, but in the end no string of words or baked dish will ever really say thank you quite enough for what some men and women give up for our safety. With that being said, small gestures can go a long way and any cheesy comfort food can go an extra long way (especially if it feeds the entire office).

I decided to make mac and cheese for my colleague who served after a client of mine gave me a couple boxes of Stonewall Kitchen organic pasta. (I will always have a soft spot for SWK because I interned there and fell in love with the overall vibes of the company as well as multiple products of theirs.) I knew my colleagues would, as usual, eat it during what would be considered breakfast time to the general population (because they're vultures). Therefore, I figured if I added some bacon we could just pretend it was meant for breakfast.

There are recipes out there with 100 different cheeses in them that I have made before and they never seem to taste better than the classic. This is a no-frills mac. Really all you need is extra sharp cheddar, parmesan and in this case, bacon. Don't go over board with the bacon, though. I would definitely stick to the three/four pieces the recipe states because you don't want to overpower all of the sharp, nutty, creamy flavors of the cheese.

It's a broken heart mending, taste of home type of recipe. I suppose my thought process is that if I was over seas and I came home, I would want a dish like this.

I topped the macaroni with panko crumbs but crushed Ritz crackers would do the trick as well. It's such a simple recipe that is heart warming and comforting and a great dish for the changing of seasons. I don't know about you, but my butter consumption increases tenfold between November and February and that is how I make it through winters in New England. Buttery, rich comfort foods; There's nothing better.


Happy Veteran's Day to all of those who serve our country and sacrifice so much of their lives for us, and a special thank you to my colleague Peter at BankW! 





Homemade Bacon Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
12 oz pasta of choice (anything "tube" to best hold cheese)
3/4 slices of bacon
2 tbsp minced onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk
14 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese + a handful for topping
4 oz parmesan cheese + a handful for topping
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp chili powder or 1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs or crushed ritz
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 and butter a 9x13 baking dish.
• Cook pasta according to package directions, minus 1-2 minutes to allow pasta to cook fully in the oven. 
• In a large pot, cook bacon over medium heat. Remove from pot but leave grease. Turn heat down a bit to prevent burning and add in onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes then add in butter. 
• When butter is melted, add in flour small amounts at a time and wisk to create a roux. If you have never made a roux before, it will look similar to mashed potatoes so don't freak out. Be very careful not to burn and stir frequently. 
• Add milk slowly and wisk constantly. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until sauce is thickened and just starting to bubble. 
• Remove from heat and stir in cheeses, crumbled bacon, salt, dry mustard and chili/cayenne until melted. 
• Mix pasta into cheese sauce and pour into prepared dish. Top with handful of cheddar and parmesan, Italian seasoning and breadcrumbs. 
• Bake in preheated oven 40 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden.