Macaroni with Farmhouse Cheddar and Bacon

Name: Macaroni with Farmhouse Cheddar and Bacon
Yield: Serves 4–6
Ingredients: ½ lb (250 g) farmstead Cheddar cheese, shredded; ½ lb (250 g) elbow macaroni; 4 Tbsp (2 oz/60 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing; ¼ cup (1½ oz/45 g) flour; 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into pieces ½ inch (12 mm) wide; ¼ lb (125 g) white Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated; 4 slices baguette or other firm bread, crusts removed and torn into bread crumbs; 3 cups (24 fl oz/750 ml) whole milk, heated; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Preparation info

Serves
4–6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cheese Obsession

By Georgeanne Brennan

Published 2013

About

Here’s a seriously grown-up version of a kid’s classic. Thanks to their different ages, the two Cheddars give this hearty baked pasta a richness that’s balanced by the addition of salty, smoky bacon. A scattering of toasted coarse bread crumbs provides a crunchy, crusty top layer.

Ingredients

4 Tbsp (2 oz/60 g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
4

Main course
Pasta

Method

Butter a shallow 1½-quart (48–fl oz/1.5-l) baking dish. In a small frying pan over medium-high, melt <