Macaroni and Cheese with a Twist

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fusili or your favourite pasta
• 4 cups milk
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and divided
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1tsp parsley
• 8 slices bacon, crumbled and divided in half
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1tsp thyme
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper

Get your pasta cooking first. It will probably need to boil for about 8-9 minutes to be al dente. Drain it when it’s done.

In a large pot heat your milk with thyme and garlic cloves.

Melt your butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then whisk in the flour and stir constantly to keep lumps from forming, for about 1 minute. Remove from heat, scrape skillet with a spatula.
Use the same skillet to cook your bacon until crispy. Once bacon is cooked place on a paper towel and crumble.
Strain the garlic from the milk mixture and whisk in the butter/flour mix until it’s nice and smooth. Also add 4 cups of the cheese in and stir so the cheese melts. Add in your cooked pasta, half the crumbled bacon and the parsley - mix it all up. Dish the mac and cheese into a 3 quart baking dish.
Mix your melted butter and breadcrumbs, crumble on top of pasta mixture. Sprinkle an additional cup of cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

While that is baking lets start on the topping.

Saute the onion in the same pan you cooked the bacon (with majority of the grease drained). Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for approx 5 minutes to caramelize. Add remaining crumbled bacon and cook an additional minute. Remove from heat.

When you remove the macaroni and cheese from the oven top with the onion/bacon topping. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving. ENJOY!!