Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese

KelBel's Note:

Yummy, bacon and cheese with pasta.Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• unsalted butter, for greasing
• 8 ounces macaroni
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 4 ounces provolone cheese, coarsely grated
• 4 ounces asiago cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 large eggs
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 3 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Butter a 2-quart shallow casserole dish. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer the pasta to the prepared casserole dish along with 1/4 cup of the cold milk. (This will cool the pasta and prevent it from becoming gummy.)
3. Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. Beat the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, bread and half of the cheese to the egg mixture; set aside.
4. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 2 cups milk to the skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese. Add the sauce to the macaroni; stir to combine.
5. Crumble up the bacon and add it to the bread mixture. Spread evenly over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Reviews

[Scoutie]

Yummmy, we really love this! I saute the green onions for a few minutes first and use chicken stock instead of the water. After reading some reviews on the Food Network site, the 2nd time I made it, I added some bacon to the pasta mix. I also added parmesan cheese and sharp cheddar cheese to make extra cheese sauce, that way it doesn't dry out at all. The topping is to die for, it is truly home comfort food! Try this, you will not be sorry! Thanks for posting KelBel.

[armywifeVampy]

I really liked this recipe, the only reason I rated it 4 stars is that it doesn't seem to reheat well. it tends to dry out, but still delicous