Macaroni Cheese and Bacon
Course: Main CourseCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: MediumServings
6
servingsPrep time
20
minutesCooking time
45
minutesCalories
921
kcalTotal time
1
hour5
minutesMacaroni in a creamy cheese sauce with added crispy bacon baked in the oven with a crunchy cheesy topping.
Ingredients
100 g butter plus extra for greasing
100 g plain flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1.2 litres full-fat milk
75 ml double cream
1 bay leaf
400 g mature cheddar grated
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
500 g dried macaroni
100 g smoked bacon lardons
60 g white breadcrumbs
50 g Parmesan grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F/Gas 6
- Butter a large ovenproof dish..
- To Make the Creamy Cheese Sauce
- Make a roux by melting the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat and then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute stirring continuously. Stir in the mustard
- take the pan off the heat and warm the milk in a separate pan.
- Return the roux to a low heat and very gradually add the warmed milk a little at a time whisking constantly (We need to avoid the sauce going lumpy)
- Once all the milk has been incorporated whisk in the cream and add the bay leaf.
- Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer and keep stirring until it thickens.
- Remove the pan from the heat, remove the bay leaf and add the grated cheddar.
- Stir until the cheese has melted. Season with black pepper and a fair size pinch of nutmeg.
- Preparing the Pasta
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and drop in the macaroni, give the pasta a stir and allow to cookout for 10 minutes, or until al dente (cooked but firm to the bite)
- Drain the Macaroni and add to the sauce.
- Bringing the Dish Together
- Fry the bacon in a frying pan until crisp, then add to the macaroni cheese. give it a stir to incorporate the bacon and pour the mixture into the ovenproof dish.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with the grated Parmesan and scatter over the top.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling.
- Serve and enjoy
This recipe is inspired from Rick Steins Road to Mexico TV series Episode 1 and his best selling book about his journey.