Mac and cheese- one of American’s all time favorite comfort foods. This recipe can be buildable by adding more of your favorite ingredients and can be vegetarian if you omit the bacon.  Serve this as an appetizer, main dish, or side. I love having this with fried chicken. Nom nom nom!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of small dried pasta. I used gemelli pasta. Elbow macaroni or orecchiette pasta will also work.
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter + extra to coat bread crumbs in
• 3 tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. dried mustard
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 dry bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3 cups of grated cheddar cheese (about 12 oz of cheese).
• 1 egg beaten
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 – 6 slices of crispy pork bacon crumbled
• 1 cup Panko Bread crumbs

Optional: sliced green onions for garnish.

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta according to package instructions by two minutes under.
2. Drain pasta. In the same pot melt butter.
3. Add flour and dried mustard and whisk in butter.
4. Add milk and whisk so there are no lumps. Add bay leaf, paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until sauce is thick.
5. Beat egg and temper with sauce.
6. Remove bay leaf from sauce.
7. Add egg and 2 cups of cheese to the sauce and mix.
8. Add pasta to the cheese sauce and pour into a baking dish.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
10. Fry bacon until crispy and drain on a paper towel.
11. Top the mac and cheese with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
12. Melt butter and coat with panko bread crumbs, and add it to the top of the mac and cheese or add bread crumbs to mac and cheese and break up butter on top of bread crumbs.
13. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered.
14. Let it rest before serving and crumble bacon on top of mac and cheese.
15. Enjoy as an appetizer, a side dish, or a meal on its own.