Mac And Cheese With Bacon And Cheese

• Yield: 6 Servings
• Level: Intermediate

Time

• Total: 1 hour
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 40 minutes
• Inactive: 0 minutes

Ingredients

Mac And Cheese

• Salt
• 1 Pound Elbow Macaroni
• 4 Cups Milk
• 2 or 3 Sprigs Thyme
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• 5 1/2 Cups Shredded Sharp White Cheddar
• Black Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley

Bacon

• 4 Slices Bacon
• 1 Large Onion
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1/4 Bunch Fresh Thyme

Preparation

Mac And Cheese

• Smash Garlic Cloves
• Chop Flat-Leaf Parsley

Bacon

• Cut Bacon Crosswise Into Thin Strips
• Dice Onion
• Smash Garlic

Directions

Macaroni

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Add elbow macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente.
• Drain macaroni.
• Preheat oven to 400° F (205° C).

Cheese Sauce

• In a small saucepan heat milk, thyme sprigs and 2 cloves garlic.
• Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.
• Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Strain solids out of the milk and whisk into butter and flour mixture.
• Continue to whisk vigorously and cook until mixture is smooth.
• Stir in 4 cups of cheese and continue to cook, stirring to melt the cheese.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Baking

• Add cooked macaroni and parsley, fold together to coat macaroni with cheese sauce.
• Scrape into a 3 quart baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Bacon

• Heat a saute pan.
• Add bacon, render the fat and cook until crispy.
• Add onion, garlic, and thyme leaves.
• Cook for about 5 minutes to soften onion.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Final Steps

• Scatter bacon mixture over macaroni and cheese.
• Serve immediately.