When you combine homemade bechamel sauce with rich cheddar cheese and pasta, you have a creamy luxurious classic mac’n cheese dish.
This classic mac’n cheese dish has so much flavour when you add the smoky butcher’s bacon you would thoroughly enjoy! It can be put together within 30-minutes, and for a healthy option add broccoli or spinach.
Helpful Tips:
Bechamel sauce: bechamel sauce is a perfect sauce for this dish. It’s has the right texture of creaminess and it doesn’t dry out as it sits like some cheese sauce do. It is difficult to do and if you have extra, it can be placed in the freezer for later use.
Bacon: I recommend the butcher’s bacon for this dish. Butcher’s bacon can be found at a deli or farmer’s market. It is cut much thicker and it has more of a smoky bacon flavour then what you buy in the grocery stores. As well, most won’t add sodium nitrate to the bacon.
Cheese: I like to use a marble cheddar or white cheddar for this dish, however, it is personal preference. The aged cheddar will give it a sharp, pungent flavour.
Vegetables: I have often added broccoli to this dish to give it a healthier version. Spinach would work well too.
Organic options: I like to use organic dairy products for my cooking and baking if all possible. There are many benefits to organic dairy, from pesticide and hormone use to what the animals eat.
Creamy Béchamel Mac’n Cheese with Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta (macaroni, long twisted)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups organic milk
- 2 cups organic marble cheddar, shredded
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 4-6 slices butcher's bacon
- 1 cup organic broccoli, cut diagonally 1"inch pieces
- 11/2 cup organic spinach
Instructions
- Bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil, add salt. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside with lid on.
- Béchamel: Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in flour to create a roux (a thick paste). Slowly add milk and whisk until the sauce starts to thicken, about 15 minutes. Do not allow the sauce to boil.
- Two ways to cook bacon. One is in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, turning over halfway through and then chop into pieces once slightly cooled. Second option: cut bacon into strips, and cook on the stove until slightly crispy.
- If you choose to add broccoli, add broccoli into a bowl with some water and place it in a microwave, covered with paper towel, for about 40 seconds. If you choose to add spinach, add it to the sauce to soften.
- Add bacon, cheese, broccoli (if using) salt, and pepper to the pasta. Stir until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Making the roux for the bechamel sauce, melt butter then add the flour to create a thick paste. Slowly add milk and cook at a low temperature to create a thick sauce. Do not overcook, as it will thicken as it sits. Cover to avoid the film forming on the top surface.
As you can see the creamy rich sauce that makes it a perfect consistency in texture for the Mac’n cheese dish. You can add more or less bacon, but I recommended butcher’s bacon for the thickness and smoky flavour it offers.
Don’t you want to just take a bite!!
