Noodles / Pasta Recipes: Decadent Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Decadent Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Ingredients:

• Rock salt
• 500 gms uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed and divided
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 6 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Spanish paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
• 1 pc large onion, diced
• Yellow food coloring

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Cooking Procedures:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8-9 mins or till al dente. Drain. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Inside a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream and sour cream using the thyme sprigs and three smashed garlic cloves for. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk within the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it in to the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is good and smooth. Stir in the four cups from the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese (yellow food color can be added at this stage). Season with salt, pepper and also the spices. Add the cooked macaroni and also the parsley and fold so that macaroni is coated nicely with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or till hot and bubbly and top is slightly browned.
• Whilst that bakes, heat a saute acute; pan. Add the bacon, render the fat and cook until crispy. Add onion, garlic and thyme leaves and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Use a big spoon to scoop out servings, making sure you get some of the smoking bacon mixture in each spoonful.