Killer Mac And Cheese With Bacon Recipes

BACON MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet and crumble (discard bacon fat).
• Heat broiler. In a large straight-sided, oven-safe skillet, melt butter. Remove 1 tablespoon butter and combine with breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
• Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Very gradually whisk in milk and bring to a simmer. Add macaroni and cook, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pan, until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in remaining cheese and the bacon and mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Top with breadcrumb mixture and broil until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

ONE-POT BACON MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Add bacon to a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven over medium-heat and cook, stirring, until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add pasta to pot with the rendered bacon fat. Add 4 cups water and one teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is just tender and a small amount of water still remains, about 7 minutes.
• Add mozzarella, cheddar, fontina, cream cheese, milk, butter, mustard powder, and cayenne. Reduce heat to low, stirring until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with reserved bacon, chives, and additional cayenne, if desired.

ANNE BURRELL'S KILLER MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add bacon and bring to medium heat. Stir bacon occasionally. When crisp and brown (6-8 minutes) remove bacon from pan. Drain. Do not discard bacon fat!
• Add butter and onion to pan with the fat. Season with salt and cook till onions are soft and aromatic (8-10 minutes). Add flour and cook stirring 4-5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, season with salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer on low heat 8-10 minutes more.
• In the meantime, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directions stipulate. Drain and reserve.
• Add the three cheeses to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add mustard and Tabasco; taste and adjust seasonings. If mixture is too thick, add more milk. Stir in bacon and pasta. Mixture should be very creamy and flavorful. Serve immediately or transfer to a baking dish or ramekins and reheat in a 375 degree oven.