This was Heavenly! That could be because I love bacon, but who doesn't?! (I found this recipe in the October 2010 Family Circle Magazine)
Four Cheese Macaroni with Bacon
1 box (1 pound) Cavatappi - I couldn't find this pasta so I just used elbow noodles
6 slices of bacon
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups 2% milk
1/2 tsp. onion flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 pound Sharp Cheeddar Cheese
1 cup shredded colby-Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
8 slices Kraft Deli Deluxe American Cheese (6 oz)
1. Heat oven to 350. Coat a 3-quart dish with nonstick spray. Bring a large pot of water of lightly salted water to boil.
2. Cook pasta 8 minutes in boiling water, then drain. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Let cool on a paper towel. In a medium sauce pan, put 2 tbsp of bacon drippings in pan and add butter.
3. Whisk in flour until smooth. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. In a large bowl, toss together sharp chedder, colby-Jack and mozzarella.
4. Remove milk mixture from heat; Whisk in American cheese and 1 1/4 cups of the cheddar mixture. Toss bacon pieces with the remaining shredded cheese.
5. In pasta pot, combine cooked pasta and cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared dish. Sprinkle with a generous cup of the bacon-cheese mixture. Add remaining half of pasta on top. Top with remaining bacon-cheese mixture.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil and broil for 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool before serving.
Four Cheese Macaroni with Bacon
1 box (1 pound) Cavatappi - I couldn't find this pasta so I just used elbow noodles
6 slices of bacon
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups 2% milk
1/2 tsp. onion flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 pound Sharp Cheeddar Cheese
1 cup shredded colby-Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
8 slices Kraft Deli Deluxe American Cheese (6 oz)
1. Heat oven to 350. Coat a 3-quart dish with nonstick spray. Bring a large pot of water of lightly salted water to boil.
2. Cook pasta 8 minutes in boiling water, then drain. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Let cool on a paper towel. In a medium sauce pan, put 2 tbsp of bacon drippings in pan and add butter.
3. Whisk in flour until smooth. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. In a large bowl, toss together sharp chedder, colby-Jack and mozzarella.
4. Remove milk mixture from heat; Whisk in American cheese and 1 1/4 cups of the cheddar mixture. Toss bacon pieces with the remaining shredded cheese.
5. In pasta pot, combine cooked pasta and cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared dish. Sprinkle with a generous cup of the bacon-cheese mixture. Add remaining half of pasta on top. Top with remaining bacon-cheese mixture.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil and broil for 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool before serving.
**I never stick to the recipe, so I didn't add all of the sliced cheese - because I didn't have it although it seemed like way too much cheese, so add your own desired amount. Also, I don't usually like left-over Mac & Cheese, but this was really good left-over which is good because it makes A LOT!
