Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

On Easter, I made one of my favorite dishes. Macaroni and Cheese with bacon. It is just one of those comfort foods that is hard to resist. It is not light on the calories, so we make this dish only once in awhile. When making this, I find your arms get a nice workout from the constant stirring of the roux, so that helps to offset the impending calorie overload.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb smoked bacon (I make the full pound and use it for breakfast dishes and on salads)
• 4 cups dried noodles (I used pipette)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bunch green onion (chopped, reserve some for topping)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons horseradish
• 1/3 lb aged sharp cheddar cheese (cut into tiny cubes)
• 1/3 lb smoked Gouda cheese (cut into tiny cubes)
• a small piece of Parmesan cheese to great of the top (2 tablespoons max)

First, I preheated the oven to 350 degrees. Then I fried the bacon in small batches until fully cooked. I cooled and then placed my cooked bacon in the refrigerator for later.

Next, I started on my noodles. I cooked them for 6 minutes in boiling water making sure they were al dente. I shocked them in cold water and set them aside.

Next, I got started on my roux. In a sauce pan on medium heat I melted my 4 tablespoons of butter then added the 4 tablespoons of flour. I let the mixture cook on low heat for about 4 minutes and slowly added in the milk, stirring constantly until thickened. This can take a bit of time, but do not worry if it looks runny, just keep stirring.

Once thickened I added in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and horseradish stirring until nicely incorporated.

Then I added in the cheddar cheese and gouda stirring until the cheese is melted. This also takes quite a bit of time, but is essential to get a smoother sauce. Once all the cheese is melted I added in the bacon torn into large chunks. After the bacon went in, I added the green onions.

When everything was well mixed together, I removed the sauce from the heat. In a medium sized caserole dish I added my noodles and poured the cheese sauce over the top.

I folded the cheese sauce into the noodles making sure all the noodles were well coated. I then took my small amount of parmesean cheese and grated it over the top. Finally, into the oven it goes uncovered for 30 minutes until the top is a nice crusty golden brown.

Let it cool a bit and then its ready to enjoy!

This dish is always a favorite and you can experiment with the cheeses to make more combinations. A good smoked gouda and a sharp cheddar have been the winners for us.