Bacon Loves Mac and Cheese

Name: Bacon Loves Mac and Cheese
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat, reserved from the lardons; ¼ cup (60 ml) rendered bacon fat, reserved from the lardons; 1 quart (960 ml) whole milk; 1 pound (455 g) dried elbow macaroni, cooked in salted water until al dente and drained; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; ¼ cup (11 g) finely chopped fresh chives; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 2 cups (225 g) shredded smoked gouda; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups (225 g) shredded American cheese; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 cup (80 g) panko bread crumbs; ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour; 1 pound (455 g) slab bacon, cut into lardons

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Bacon Bible

By Peter Sherman and Stephanie Banyas

Published 2019

About

I couldn’t imagine opening a bar without mac and cheese on the menu, and I couldn’t imagine making a mac and cheese without bacon. This recipe gets a triple dose of bacon, starting with the sauce and ending with the bread crumbs, proving yet again that too much of something (umm, bacon, that is) is never enough.

Ingredients

For the Bacon Lardons

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound (455 g) slab ba

Main course

Method

Make the bacon lardons: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine the oil and bacon and cook, turning a few times, until the bacon is golden brown and crispy and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes.

Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon