Macaroni With Farmstead Cheddar And Bacon

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 4 slices baguette, crusts removed and bread torn into bread crumbs
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups milk, heated
• 3/4 lb cheddar cheese, preferably farmstead, shredded
• 1/2 lb elbow macaroni

Recipe

• 1 butter a shallow 1 ½ quart baking dish.
• 2 in a frying pan, melt 1 t butter over med-high heat.
• 3 add the bread crumbs and fry until golden, about 4 minutes; transfer to a plate.
• 4 in the frying pan, fry the bacon over medium heat until cooked but not crisp, 3-5 minutes.
• 5 drain on paper towels.
• 6 in a saucepan, melt the remaining 3 t butter over med-high heat.
• 7 add the flour, ½ t salt, ¼ t black pepper, and the cayenne; whisk until a smooth paste forms,.
• 8 slowly whisk in the hot milk, decrease heat to medium, and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
• 9 add two-thirds of the cheese and stir until melted, about 2 minutes; remove from the heat.
• 10 preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• 11 bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• 12 add the macaroni, stir well, and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
• 13 drain, add to the prepared dish, and toss with the bacon.
• 14 pour in the cheese sauce and stir to mix well.
• 15 top with the remaining cheese and then the bread crumbs.
• 16 bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden, about 30 minutes.
• 17 let stand for a few minutes before serving.