Macaroni And Cheese With Bacon And Tomato

Name: Experiment by making your own version
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cup breadcrumbs; 1 package (1 pound) cavatappi or penne pasta; 2 tablespoon unsalted butter; 3 tablespoon flour; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; 1 quart milk; 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste; 1/2 pound gruyere cheese, shredded; 1/2 pound processed cheese (such as velveeta); 3 ripe plum tomatoes, diced; 1 pound bacon, cooked, crumbled; 3 tablespoon olive oil

The Daily Meal Staff|March 26, 2021 1:35 pm EST

4.5 (2 ratings)

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This recipe, developed by former test kitchen chef Mark Graham in the Tribune test kitchen and first published in 2002, adds color (from the tomatoes) and crunch (crisp bits of bacon) to a macaroni and cheese base. You can experiment with other versions by stirring in chopped ham or chicken along with your favorite vegetables.This recipe was originally published in the Chicago Tribune.

Prep Time

20

minutes

Cook Time

55

minutes

Servings

8

Macaroni and Cheese With Bacon and Tomato recipe - The Daily Meal

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 package (1 pound) cavatappi or penne pasta
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 quart milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1/2 pound gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 pound processed cheese (such as velveeta)
3 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
1 pound bacon, cooked, crumbled
3 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Step 1: Heat oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Generously butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs; shake to coat dish evenly.
Step 3: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1 pound cavatappi or penne pasta until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain. Place in large bowl.
Step 4: In large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; cook 1 minute.
Step 5: Whisk in 1 quart milk all at once. Heat to boil; simmer, stirring, 5 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 pound shredded Gruyere cheese and 1/2 pound processed cheese (such as Velveeta) until melted.
Step 6: Add cheese sauce to pasta, mix well. Spoon 1/2 of the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Add 3 diced plum tomatoes and 1 pound cooked and crumbled bacon in an even layer. Top with remaining macaroni mixture.
Step 7: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup bread crumbs with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle over the macaroni. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 45 minutes.