Mac & Cheese + Candied Bacon

I love to cook/bake but I don't get the opportunity to very often, so when my parents went out to dinner for their anniversary, I offered to cook my youngest brother dinner (rather than going out and getting something). We had been watching the food network and there was mention of Mac n' Cheese, and well, that's pretty much what sold us on what to make for dinner. I looked up a recipe online and tweaked a little bit by adding candied bacon. Yum!



For the Mac & Cheese:

• 1/2 pound of pasta 
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 
• 2 cups of milk
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 
• 1 pinch of paprika
• breadcrumbs
• butter (for topping)

For the candied bacon:

• 3-4 slices of bacon
• brown sugar

Start by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees. The first thing I did was prepare the pasta and the bacon. Boil your pasta according to package directions. I used shells, but you can use any type of pasta handy that has little ridges (they hold the sauce better). When the pasta is done, drain it and set it aside. While it's boiling you can prepare your bacon. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay out your bacon strips and rub both sides with brown sugar. Place the sheet in the 350 degree oven to bake. It should take about a half hour, but it depends on how crispy you like your bacon.

Next get started on the cheese sauce. Start by melting the butter in a sauce pan and then adding the flour to make a roux. This will give your sauce a nice consistency. Slowly add your milk and mix it in thoroughly. Stir in the cheeses and add the pinch of paprika. Stir everything until it is slightly thick. If the sauce is too thin and milky, prepare another roux in a separate pot, then add your cheese sauce. The extra flour and butter should help thicken it up. Stir in your cooked pasta and then pour the macaroni and cheese into a casserole dish.

The final step before putting it into the oven is to add our mix in and topping. When your bacon is cool, chop it up and mix it in with your mac and cheese. To make a crunchy topping for your dish, melt some  butter and breadcrumbs in a saucepan, until the breadcrumbs get nice and toasty, and then, top your dish with your breadcrumbs.

Once everything is added to the casserole dish, place it in the oven and let it bake for a half hour. This will let the top get nice and bubbly and crispy. You can let it go a little longer or less than a half an hour  if you want it more of less crispy.

Once it's done baking take it out of the oven, let it cool, eat and enjoy! I thought it turned out quite tasty if I do say so myself. The bacon and mozzarella added a nice smoky flavor. It even got the stamp of approval from my brother (who can be kind of picky). If you try this recipe out let me know what you think!