May 1, 2012
Dinner menu:
Spicy Bacon Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
1 package of bacon, sliced into small pieces
2 cans canned diced tomatoes
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 package of shell pasta (or whatever pasta type you like, just make sure you cook enough to fill your casserole pan)
4 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella
2 cups of parmesan cheese, divided
Bread crumbs (about a cup or so, eyeball it)
Couple pinches of red pepper flakes
Couple pinches of taco seasoning
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350, grease a large casserole pan and set it aside.
In a large skillet, begin cooking the sliced bacon. After it has released a bit of fat, add the onions, peppers and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are almost cooked completely thru. Add the 2 cans of tomatoes. Add red pepper flakes and taco seasoning to taste (make it hotter or make it milder! its up to you!). Simmer this concoction until most of the liquid has boiled off.
Cook the noodles in salted water until al dente. Add the tomato mixture to the noodles with cheddar, mozzarella and 1 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir until everything is well incorporated and spread into the greased casserole pan.
In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs and remaining parmesan cheese (maybe a little bit of mozzarella too? its up to you). Sprinkle topping on top of mac & cheese.
Cover with tin foil, bake for about 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5, or until topping is nice and cheesy, bubbly brown.. This part is really just to make sure everything is nice and melty before browning the top.
ENJOY
