Creamy Mac ‘N’ Cheese W/ Crispy Bacon Bits

I stumbled upon a creamy mac ‘n’ cheese with bacon recipe over at iVillage.com a few days ago. The title and picture were enough to inspire me to make my own. I didn’t even read the recipe. How hard could it be to make mac ‘n’ cheese with bacon, right?

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 box of Rotini pasta, cooked al dente
6 slices of bacon, chopped coarsely
1 stick of butter
1 cup of cream (or milk)
1/2 cup + a little bit more of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup + a little bit more of shredded mozzarella cheese
seasonings: sprinkle of salt, black pepper, and Italian Seasonings(or dried oregano, dried basil)

Boil water to cook the pasta, al dente.

While that’s boiling, brown the bacon. Place in a paper towel lined plate to set aside.

In a medium pot, melt the butter. Add the cream and the cheeses. Whisk gently until everything is incorporated. Don’t be alarmed when the cheeses start to form like a paste. Just keep whisking and be patient. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded.

After gently whisking for less than 5 minutes, the cheese mixture will be smooth and oh-so-deliciously silky. Season with salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning.

Make sure to drain the water off of the pasta. Pour the cheese sauce into the pasta, then add the crispy bacon bits. Stir everything together.

YUMMY YUMMY Creamy goodness with crispy bacon.

You can double the ingredients to fill the largest baking dish to make this into a meal with garlic bread on the side. I only made half because I served it on the side with hot chicken wings and celery sticks. I actually served it in individual small bowls for each plate that way it wouldn’t be such a heavy accompaniment with the chicken wings. But this Creamy Mac ‘N’ Cheese W/ Crispy Bacon Bits is sooo good that we all had seconds.

Thanks iVillage.com for the idea.