November 12, 2012

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

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This week I made the Skillet Macaroni and Cheese from The Picky Palate Cookbook. I liked it as soon as I saw the recipe. Can you guess why? It’s kind of obvious. It has BACON in it!

Skillet Macaroni and cheese with a spoon

Just like tacos and lasagna, this Skillet Macaroni and Cheese is the kind of comfort food you love to eat!  It’s one of those meals that everyone enjoys. And I’m showing you that it’s so easy to make that a kid can make it too!

The Picky Palate Cookbook cover

This recipe comes from The Picky Palate Cookbook by Jenny Flake. Jenny’s cookbook is really good. The inside looks a little like my mom’s cookbook (The Recipe Girl Cookbook). Picky Palate made her cookbook a winner by putting tons of good recipes into it. I’ve tried the Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies too, and I LOVED them. The mac and cheese and the cookies are just a couple samples of the great recipes the cookbook has inside of it.

recipeboy pouring cheese sauce into skillet

How to make Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

Cook the pasta first. Then make the cheese sauce. Combine the pasta and the cheese sauce in an oven-safe skillet. The cheese sauce is great. When I poured it into the skillet filled with pasta, good smells filled our kitchen. I stuck a finger in the pan just to taste it. 🙂

macaroni and cheese in a skillet
Now do you understand why I stuck a finger in the pan? Yum Yum Yum!!!

macaroni and cheese in a skillet
The final step is adding a buttery bacon and bread crumb mixture to the top and then baking it in the oven. 

serving of macaroni and cheese
Bacon is great on everything in the entire universe, but it is awesome on this mac.

recipeboy eating macaroni and cheese
I’m a goofball. In case you haven’t noticed (which is almost impossible), I like to make funny poses. I’m ready for my football game in this picture. The macaroni and cheese was great. The bacon made it 2x as good. Jenny created a great recipe when she thought up this Skillet Macaroni and Cheese.

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

RecipeBoy.com (shared with permission from The Picky Palate Cookbook)
Delicious mac & cheese mixed and baked in the same pan!
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Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ½ pound elbow macaroni pasta
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • ½ pound sliced bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled (about 1 cup)
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with nonstick spray.
  • Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, then rinse under cool water to stop the cooking.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, salt, paprika, and pepper and whisk to combine. Slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until smooth.
  • Transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet. Pour in the cheese sauce, stirring to combine.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Add the bread crumbs, bacon and Parmesan and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Notes

Note: As a main course, this should serve four.
Keyword cheese, favorite side dish, macaroni and cheese
Main Dishes, Recipes
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