Ain't Your Momma's Macaroni and Cheese

My mom makes the best Mac & Cheese. BUT….this one ain’t bad! Give my son credit for this recipe with just a few mom tweaks. Four cheese, bacon, creamy goodness in a skillet. Best part. Make ahead for a crazy busy night or to have on hand to feed the troops throughout the week. Recipe is a bit fussy for me, but super easy!

Ingredients:

Topping & mix in:

• 1 lb bacon

• 4 T butter + 1 T. divided

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 bunch curly parsley, chopped

• 1/4 t red pepper flakes (more or less to adjust heat to liking)

• 1 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Macaroni & Cheese Sauce :

• 1 lb box elbow macaroni

• 5 T butter

• 4 T flour

• 5 cups whole milk

• 1/2 t ground black pepper

• 1/2 t kosher salt, more to adjust taste as preferred

• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

• 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack

• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss

Directions:

• Cook elbow macroni to package directions, less 2 mins. Drain and set aside.

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

• Meanwhile, cook bacon in large oven-proof skillet until crispy. Set aside on paper towel to drain. Once cooled, chop cooked bacon.

• As bacon cooks, mince garlic cloves, chop parsley, measure out bread crumbs and cheeses. Over medium low heat, add 4 T butter to bacon grease. Add garlic. Cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Add parsley, red pepper flakes, bread crumbs, and chopped bacon. Stir and cook until lightly browned. 2-3 minutes. Remove topping mixture from skillet and once cooled, add parmesan and Swiss. Set aside.

• To the same large skillet, start macaroni mixture. Add 5 T butter and melt over medium heat. Add flour, whisking constantly and cook for one minute. Slowly add milk, whisking as you go to avoid lumps. When all milk is added, turn up heat to medium high and cook until slightly thickened. 7-8 minutes. Add cheeses, one at a time, stirring until each is melted. Add ground pepper and salt. Stir to combine.

• Add cooked macaroni and 3/4 cup of the topping mixture to cheese sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine. Taste and adjust red pepper flakes and salt. Cover the top with the remaining topping mixture. Add dabs of the 1 T of butter across surface. Place skillet in oven. Cook until top is browned and sauce is bubbly. Approximately 8-10 minutes.

• Serve immediately or cool. Cover and refrigerate. Keeps 5-7 days.