I suppose this dish reflects my personality—after living in the United States for so many years, I’ve truly become an Irish Yank! This version of mac and cheese blends my two homes, with Irish dairy in a classic American dish.
From Quick Six Fix: 100 No-Fuss, Full-Flavor Recipes by © 2016 by Stuart O’Keeffe with Kathleen Squires. Published by William Morrow, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Photo by Joanne Murphy.
Listen to Stuart describe this recipe on The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze®.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or your favorite pasta
- 1 tablespoon canola oil (if eliminating bacon for vegetarian version)
- 5 slices bacon diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4-1/2 cups milk
- 6 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups frozen peas thawed
- 1 cup grated Parmesan chese
Servings: -8 people
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta 2 minutes less than the package instructs. Set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon until it begins to crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 1 more minute. Remove garlic and bacon and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute until a paste forms. Continuously whisking, add the milk in slow increments until incorporated into the flour paste. Cook until thick and smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add in the cheddar cheese in thirds, until it has melted and becomes a velvety sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Add the macaroni, peas, and bacon-garlic mixture to the sauce.
- Pour and scrape the macaroni into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, sprinkle with Parmesan, and place in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Serve.
