Crusty Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 12 ounces American cheese or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) elbow pasta about 2 cups
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt, to taste
- 1/3 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a baking dish. The size of the dish depends on how thick you like your mac and cheese. I used a square 10" x 10" baking dish.
- Dice bacon and fry until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside to drain on a folded paper towel. Reserve about 2 tablespoons bacon fat in pan. Over medium heat, saute diced onion in reserved bacon fat until translucent, stirring as needed.
- While onions are cooking, prepare macaroni noodles according to package directions just until tender. Drain, then rinse under cool water. Drain well after rinsing.
- Toss grated cheeses together lightly. Set aside two cups for topping.
- In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, bacon, onion, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top and dot with remaining butter.
- Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom. Each oven cooks things differently. Check the mac and cheese before baking at 400-degrees.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the New York Times