Target: 6 × 4 inches · landscape

Baked Mac and Cheese with Applewood Smoked Bacon

60 min · 6 servings

Ingredients

□ 12 oz elbow macaroni

□ 6 oz applewood-smoked bacon

□ 7 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

□ 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

□ 2 cups whole milk, warmed

□ 1 cup evaporated milk, warmed

□ 8 oz sharp cheddar, freshly shredded

□ 4 oz fontina, freshly shredded

□ 1 tsp Dijon mustard

□ 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

□ 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

□ 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided

□ 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1. Heat oven to 350 F and butter a 9-by-13-inch dish. Boil salted water; cook elbows 2 minutes short of al dente and drain.

2. Render bacon until crisp, leaving 1 tbsp fat. Add 4 tbsp butter and whisk in flour until the roux smells lightly nutty.

3. Whisk in both milks and seasonings; simmer gently. Off heat, melt in both cheeses and fold with pasta and most bacon.

4. Top with buttered, untoasted panko. Bake until bubbling, broil about 2 minutes until golden, rest, then add reserved bacon.

Cook’s note: Keep the sauce loose before baking so the pasta stays creamy beneath the browned crumbs.