Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese

I recently got an email from Tina, from Mom's Crazy Cooking, inviting me to join her in a new cooking challenge.  Each month a group of bloggers will scour Blog Land for a specific food item and then blog about it on the same day.  We get to expand our recipe collection, feature a blogger, and possibly find our new favorite blog and have fun doing it!  September's challenge sent us in search of the Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese. 

More often than not, when I ask Mike what he wants for dinner, he'll reply "Mac and Cheese".  Simple enough, but I tire quickly of that lovely blue boxed meal he seems to love so much.

I knew exactly which recipe I was going to make!  Jessica, the beautiful genius behind How Sweet It Is, featured a mouthwatering recipe for Beer Mac and Cheese in August.  When I saw it, I bookmarked it, knowing I'd have to make it soon.  So it worked perfectly that this month's challenge was to feature a Macaroni and Cheese recipe.  While Jessica's original recipe didn't include bacon, she did suggest that the only thing that would make this recipe better was bacon.  That was the only hint I needed to add bacon!  The beer flavor really shined through this recipe (great for beer lovers), so this recipe got 2 thumbs up from Mike and our brother-in-law!

Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese

Serves 4-6

You will need:
2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat elbow noodles
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
8 ounces milk
8 ounces beer
8 ounces freshly grated cheddar cheese
4 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
10 large basil leaves, chopped for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare water for pasta and boil according to directions, shaving 1-2 minutes off of cooking time since pasta will continue to cook in the oven.

Heat a saucepan over medium high heat and add butter. Once melted and sizzling, whisk in flour to create a roux and cook until bubbly and golden in color, about 2 minutes.

Add milk and beer into saucepan whisking constantly, then add cheeses and stir until melted. Turn heat down to medium and continue to stir, cooking for 5-6 minutes while mixture thickens. It will most likely NOT thicken like regular mac and cheese because of the beer, but you want it to thicken a little bit.

Stir in pepper, paprika and nutmeg.

Add noodles (once cooked and drained) to a casserole dish, then pour cheese over top and add in bacon, mixing gently to combine. Top with panko bread crumbs and an additional sprinkle of cheese if desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then top with fresh basil.

Source: How Sweet It Is