My bacon mac and cheese recipe!

Hi everyone! Wow I've been posting a lot! I just have so many posts planned and I have so many drafts of them on my phone. I swear every time I post something, I get 5 more ideas. Yay for being creative and productive! This new blog really has endless possibilities, unlike my old one. Today I am going to be posting this along with another quick post later on so that I can get to more reader requests. I don't really aim to consistently post so much, I just have the time right now to write a lot. I do try to keep the variety up instead of just consistently posting about one area of interest.  I usually can't wait to share something new with you all

 As requested by a reader, here is another of my recipes. I do have more to post so don't worry! This recipe is based on one from my dad's favorite cook book, The Fanny Farmer cookbook (I would love to show you all the book, but it's packed away in storage somewhere ;___;). It is this pretty old country style cook book that he loved very much. Any time he needed a quick recipe for something, he would refer to that book.  I took this recipe and changed it to make it my own. 

A good mac and cheese recipe is always a recipe I recommend having. It isn't too difficult to make and it is fantastic for company. You can have it alone or as a side. I have a few different recipes for mac and cheese, but this by far is my favorite. I have had friends practically beg me for this recipe, but none of them have tried it with the latest addition: bacon.

You will need all of the following:

• 1 package of bacon

• 1 package of macaroni (I love to use Ronzoni brand small shells. They really grip the cheese.)

• 4 Tablespoons of butter (For the cooking challenged tbsp is shorthand for tablespoons) 

• 4 Tbsp of flour

• 1C milk (C is shorthand for cup) 

• 1C cream (I tend to use half and half since we always have it in the house, comes out just as well)

• 1/2 Tsp salt (Tsp = shorthand for teaspoon) 

• Pepper to taste (meaning you add the amount of pepper that you would prefer.)

• 2 C of shredded cheddar cheese (I like to use a 16 oz block of cheese and shred it myself so that it is fresh. Also blocks of cheese tend to be cheaper than already shredded bags. I also tend to go for the white, sharp cheddar)

• 1/2 cup buttered breadcrumbs (I usually take about a Tbsp to Tbsp and a half of butter, melt it and dump in some breadcrumbs until it is the way I want it. I LOVE my breadcrumbs on my mac and cheese. I like a lot)

The first thing you want to do is preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Boil water in a pot and cook your macaroni. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

As your macaroni cooks, take your package of thawed (meaning not frozen), not yet cooked bacon and cut it. One of my aunts taught me a trick on cutting bacon. Take it from the package and then with a good pair of scissors, cut upward not lengthwise. You want it to be cut into small pieces, this helps not only achieve the small pieces but it's a great time saver. After you cut the bacon, put it into a frying pan and cook on low heat until done. Always cook bacon on low heat, it burns VERY easily.  Keep tongs handy to flip. You don't want it too crunchy or overdone. There are also ways to cook bacon in the oven and microwave.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Then add the flour mixed with salt and pepper. Using a whisk, stir until well blended. You just made what is referred to as a roux! A roux is basically a thickening agent used in cooking, which consists of flour and butter. It is mainly used for soups and sauces.

Pour in milk and cream (or half and half) to your mixture gradually (meaning a little at a time) while also constantly stirring for 10 minutes. You don't want it to settle or burn at this point. Next you will add the shredded cheddar little by little and simmer (meaning cook on very low heat, uncovered) for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Once that cheese is melted, turn off the flame and combine the macaroni with the cheese in the saucepan and toss until well combined. You also would add your cooked bacon to the mixture at this point.

Transfer the macaroni and bacon to a buttered (I usually just spray it with Pam cooking spray) baking dish. Melt some butter and combine with breadcrumbs, as stated in the ingredients section. Sprinkle your buttered breadcrumbs on top. Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

And there you have it! A really good, home made mac and cheese recipe...with bacon!! You can also emit the bacon and just use this recipe for mac and cheese. It is a fantastic recipe, my mom and I make it all the time and we make it a lot for when we have company. People just love it.

If any of you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out!! Tweet me a picture (@lipstickxzombie) or even post it on instagram and use the hashtag #KawaiiZombieBlog. I would LOVE to see how it turns out! ^__^. I hope the readers that have requested more recipes enjoyed this one I have many more to post eventually. What would you like to see next? Another dinner recipe or an easy dessert? Comment below and let me know!

I like giving my readers a say in the content that I post, so which would you like to see as my next fashion post? I will write the options below the poll for those reading from mobile who can't see it. If you can't see the poll just comment and let me know which option.


OPTIONS: What's in my purse, favorite necklaces, what is my personal style like?, my favorite skincare products and Korean cosmetics.


Xoxo
Moon prism power makeup!

P.S as requested by a reader, my top 5 anime men is in the process of being written and will hopefully be up soon. I'm having difficulty deciding who #5 will be! That will be a fun and spazzy post.