Mac & cheese, please - regular and brie with bacon

Mac & cheese is king, and homemade mac & cheese is so easy to make. I think people avoid it because of the roux - just call it a sauce, take your time and pay attention, and it will turn out great. It's a comfort food meal, so put your elastic pants on.

A few weeks ago I made a pan of my regular mac & cheese with ham and a pan of brie with bacon. Served with salad, it was a great meal.

Mac & cheese
Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked  to al dente (it will cook more in the oven)
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole or 2 percent milk
3 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
nutmeg, ground or freshly grated - I do a small sprinkling - nutmeg has a STRONG flavor
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ham steaks, cubed (optional)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (optional)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, drop in pasta. Cook pasta to just shy of al dente.

Heat sauce pot with butter over medium heat, whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, whisk in milk slowly. Allow the sauce to thicken, stirring frequently, and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer. Add 2.5 Cups cheese, stirring in a figure eight motion. Stir in Dijon and ham and remove the sauce from heat. Drain pasta and combine with sauce. Grate nutmeg or add a sprinkle to the top and mix well. Go easy on that nutmeg!

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray. Pour macaroni in. Cover with remaining cheddar cheese. Mix panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl and sprinkle over top.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Mac & cheese with brie and bacon
Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked  to al dente (it will cook more in the oven)
9 slices bacon, chopped and then cooked (retain some of the grease)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup fat free half & half
3/4 cup 2% milk
1.5 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces brie, rind removed, cut into pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook bacon over medium heat in a skillet, about 5 minutes. Drain and remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Add 2 tablespoons of bacon grease back into the skillet. Melt two tablespoons of butter in grease. Turn skillet to low and add flour. Whisk for 1 minute to remove flour taste. Whisk in milk and half & half until well-incorporated and thick. Stir frequently. Make sure you're scraping the bottom of your pan so you get every blessed piece of leftover bacon schmutz incorporated into your sauce. It will make the heavens sing.

Add cheddar and brie and whisk gently in a figure eight motion until melted. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and stir well. Combine cheese sauce with macaroni and bacon.

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray. Pour macaroni in. Cover with remaining cheddar cheese. Mix panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl and sprinkle over top.

Cook at 325 for 20 minutes, then put under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to add some crunch.

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Haikuesday

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Bitches be like, "mac and cheese!"

Everyone loves you.

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Ciao bellas.



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