Recipe Ingredients
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups hot whole milk
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp. dry mustard, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 4 cups Borden® Cheese Sharp Cheddar Thick Cut Shreds
- 1/2 cup Borden® Cheese Parmesan Shreds
- 1/4 lb. bacon, cooked and crisped, fat reserved
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Recipe Directions
- PREHEAT oven to 425o F (175oC).
- COOK pasta until al dente in a pot of boiling salted water; drain.
- MELT the butter in an extra large oven-proof skillet set over medium-high heat.
- WHISK in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, about 2 minutes.
- ADD 3 cups of the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- BRING the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 more minutes.
- STIR in the dry mustard and cayenne pepper, and then gradually add the Borden® Sharp Cheddar Thick Cut Shreds, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the sauce.
- STIR in the remaining 1 cup milk.
- ADD the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- COAT the bread crumbs with reserved bacon fat and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the skillet. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup Borden® Cheese Parmesan Shreds. BAKE until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling, 10 to 12 minutes.
- TOP with crumbled cooked bacon. Garnish with parsley and let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Credit to Chef Kelsey Nixon for this recipe.
Credit to @caitlacoop for the accompanying image.
