If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen!
Mac N Cheese
Ingredients:
1
Pound
Elbow macaroni
4
Cups
Milk
2
Sprigs
Thyme
4
Cloves
Garlic
3
Tablespoons
Butter
3
Tablespoons
Flour
5 1/2
Cups
Sharp white cheddar cheese
1
Dash
Pepper
1/4
Cup
Parsley
4
Slices
Bacon
1
Large
Onion - diced
2
Cloves
Garlic - smashed
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan heat the milk with the thyme sprigs and 2 garlic cloves.
- Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming.
- Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture.
- Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth.
- Stir in the 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture.
- Scrape into a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- While that bakes, heat a saute pan. Add the bacon, render the fat and cook until crispy.
- Add onion, garlic and thyme leaves and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese.