Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes
Classic Mac & Cheese with Bacon
- Prep time
- 20 minutes PT20M
- Cook time
- 35 minutes PT35M
- Yield
- 6–8 servings
- Difficulty
This indulgent classic is everything one wants in comfort food—it's creamy, cheesy and bursting with bacon.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ pound Gruyère, shredded
- ½ pound aged cheddar, shredded
- ⅓ cup Parmesan, grated, divided
- 16 ounces cellentani pasta, cooked
- ½ pound bacon, lardons, rendered to desired crispiness
- ¼ bunch thyme, chopped
- 1 cup panko
Preparation
Heat oven to 400ºF.
Using a 4-quart sauce pot, melt ¼ cup butter. Add flour and bay leaf, cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk 2 cups at a time while whisking to avoid lumps. Completely incorporate milk before adding more.
Bring milk mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add cream, then bring back to a simmer. Turn heat to low and whisk in Gruyère, cheddar and ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan. Stir until cheese has completely melted.
Place cooked pasta and rendered bacon in a large mixing bowl. Pour cream sauce over the top and mix until pasta is well coated. If sauce is too thick, it can be thinned with additional milk. Spoon pasta into a baking dish.
In a seperate bowl, mix panko, thyme, remaining Parmesan and ¼ cup melted butter. Sprinkle panko mixture over the top of the pasta and bake until top is golden brown.
