142.2…Ultimate Mac and Cheese with Bacon

What is more comforting than a bowl of Macaroni and Cheese? I know! One with bacon!

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This week’s Great News Cooking School Recipe of the Week is Ultimate Mac and Cheese with Bacon.

Get your ingredients out.

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Melt some butter and sauté a clove of garlic for a couple of minutes.

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Add flour and cook for three more minutes.

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Add in chicken broth, milk, Dijon mustard and Tabasco.

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Bring back to a boil and continue cooking until the mixture thickens.

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Remove the pan from the heat and add in mild cheddar & white cheddar cheeses and stir until the cheese melts.

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Add in cooked macaroni and cooked bacon. *Note: I left out the bacon because my husband does not like pork. I had it with bacon in cooking class and it was amazing!

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You can add it all to a 13x9 casserole dish or individual ramekins like I did!

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To make the bread crumb topping, melt some butter in a sauté pan add garlic, sautéing for a minute.

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Pour over fresh bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

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Add grated cheddar to the mixture.

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Top the mac and cheese with the bread crumbs.

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Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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YUM!!! I had mine with a simple green salad.

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Cheesy goodness! I did the individual ramekins so I could bake what I needed and froze the rest. You can keep them frozen for 1 month.

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I snuck some chopped jalapenos into mine portion. I like it hot!

Ultimate Mac and Cheese with Bacon (serves 6)

Original Recipe: Diane Phillips, Great News

Printable Recipe

8 slices thick cut smoked bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled and drained

1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi, cooked 3 minutes short of al dente

1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided use

2 cloves garlic, minced, divided use

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

6 shakes Tabasco

2 cups finely grated mild cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups finely grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, melt 4 Tbsp of butter, and sauté one clove of garlic, for 2 minutes.

2. Whisk in the flour, and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Gradually add the broth, milk, Dijon and Tabasco, whisking until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.

4. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1 3/4 cups of the mild cheese, and 1 cup of the sharp cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted.

5. Coat the inside of a 13x9 inch casserole dish (or ramekins) with non-stick cooking spray.

6. Stir the sauce, and reserved bacon, into the macaroni, and transfer to the prepared pan.

7. Melt the remaining butter in a small sauté pan, add the garlic, and sauté for a minute or two until fragrant.

8. Toss the garlic butter with the bread crumbs and parmesan.

9. Stir in the remaining cheddar cheeses and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the mac and cheese.

10. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 2 days, or freeze for 1 month. OR, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling, and the crumbs are golden brown.

Enjoy!

Breakfast this morning was Cinnamon Burst Cheerios with almond milk and a side of cantaloupe:

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I took the kids to school and stopped at Starbucks to do some work and grab a tea:

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Next stop: Great News for another cooking class! Today’s class was a special one!It was called: It’s in the Farmer’s Market Bag! Great News teams up with Specialty Produce in downtown San Diego and puts on a Farmer’s Market class once a month. The instructor, Diane Phillips, find out earlier in the week what will be in the bag and creates recipes around it for Friday’s class. Everyone in the class gets to bring home a bag of the exact same produce! And it’s all locally grown!

Check out the goods!

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Vulcan Lettuce, Pea Tendrils, Fresh Dates, Asparagus, Cauliflower, Cara Cara Oranges, Easter Egg/French Breakfast Radish, Gold Beets, White &Purple Bell Peppers!

The first two recipes we got to try were: French Breakfast Radishes with Unsalted Butter and Fleur de Sel AND Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Parmigiano:

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I was surprised by the delicious simplicity of the radishes on the baguette slices. They were mild radishes and just gave that little bit of crunch. The Dates were OUT OF THIS WORLD. There’s a party coming up in a few weeks that requires everyone to bring an appetizer. I think I’m going to make these!

The next recipe was Roasted Golden Beet Salad, with Vulcan Lettuce, Pea Tendrils, Fleur de Sel Pecans, Mango Ginger Vinaigrette and Crumbled Goat Cheese:

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I loved everything but the beets. I don’t like beets.

Three more recipes: Garlic Herb Marinated Bavette Cut Brandt Beef (also available at Specialty Produce), Pepperonata with Purple and White Peppers AND Breaded Roasted Cauliflower:

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Loved everything! I especially loved the cauliflower that was roasted with dry bread crumbs! I will have to make this at home for sure!

Dessert somehow escaped my camera: Cara Cara Orange Pound Cake with Orange Glaze. A great cake! I will make this one too!

Whew!!! I have to get my kids to movie night at our club now! Have a great evening!

Do you like beets?

What is your least favorite food? I’m going to have to say bananas. Ick.

Comments

  1. LOVE cara cara oranges! I tried one for the first time when I lived back in VA- obsessed!

    and i totally miss bacon. Its been 5 years or maybe 6? too flipping long!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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  2. Never heard of cara cars Orange, but after the above comment, I'm intrigued!

    The MAC&cheese sounds amazing! thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  3. I also make up our mac and cheese in ramekins...then I don't eat as much!

    My least favorite food is probably water chesnuts:( Blah.

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  4. That's so funny! I don't like water chesnuts either. What are those anyway!?!

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  5. Um, yes. Bacon with anything is just perfect.

    I do NOT like beets. They make me gag...unless it's smothered in goat cheese, hey. ;)

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  6. That looks so yummy! I seriously love mac and cheese! I don't know how I feel about beets they're not horrible but they're not good either. My least favorite food is anything very fishy tasting! I will eat seafood but it basically has to be mild with no seafood-y smell and cooked perfectly!

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  7. WOW, I really, really reallllyyy want to try this one. ;)

    and to answer your comment, I like Wordpress better because I feel like it has less bugs. for some reason when people would try to comment, it wouldnt work, strangely enough. and I felt like I had a lot more freedom to play with headers and different settings on wordpress.

    the only downside I've found is that I can't get automatic subscriptions sent to people - they need to sign up themselves.

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  8. oooh, yum! LOOOVE homemade mac and cheese and bacon would only make it better! Yes, I do like beets, especially pickled. I'm not a huge fan of beets, but I really love them pickled. mmm. Most hated food? Probably mussels or clams. So do you hate the banana flavor or the texture or both? Do you eat banana bread? Never met any one that didn't like that!

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  9. YUM, beats the canned soup I just had.

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  10. just came across your blog! it's fabulous! you have some great insight on your posts! I love mac n cheese and this looks like something i could make :)

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  11. Veronica: I actually liked baked goods with bananas in them just not bananas by themselves. :)

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  12. your are so right!!! nothing is more comforting than an ooey gooey bowl of mac and cheese! your recipe looks soo delish

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  13. That mac n' cheese looks amazing, love the little dishes you put them in! :)

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