Bacon Mac & Cheese

This recipe uses real cheese and tastes nothing like the store bought variety

Elbow macaroni is the classic pasta for mac and cheese, but any kind of pasta works. Those varieties having a rough surface hold the sauce better. Although cheese lovers might be tempted to boost the sauce-to-pasta ratio, keep in mind that the sauce is very rich. A little goes a long way.

Ingredients

  • Bacon   (½ lb)
  • Milk or water   (1 ⅛ cups)
  • Sodium citrate 
  • Cheddar cheese, finely grated   (4 cups)
  • Water As needed for cooking pasta
  • Dry macaroni   (2 cups)
  • Salt To taste

Instructions

  1. Pan fry or bake bacon to your satisfaction.

  2. Combine milk (or water if you’re out of milk) and sodium citrate in a pot, whisk to dissolve, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

  3. Add cheese into the simmering liquid gradually, blending each addition with an immersion blender until melted and completely smooth.

  4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil noodles until al dente according to the package directions, 5-6 minutes.

  5. Drain. Do not rinse pasta.

  6. Stir in the warm cheese sauce, and fold in bacon.

  7. Season with salt and serve immediately.