Thomas Jefferson served this at an 1802 state dinner after discovering macaroni and parmesan during his Paris diplomatic years.
Mac and Cheese
Indulge in a bowl of creamy, dreamy mac and cheese that elevates comfort food to new heights! With velvety cheddar and a crispy breadcrumb topping, this dish is a mouthwatering masterpiece that’s perfect for any occasion. Get ready to savor every cheesy bite!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
Mac and cheese traces back to 1700s Europe, but it was Thomas Jefferson who dragged a pasta machine home from Paris in 1787 and foisted macaroni pie upon America—this bacon-laden version owes more to Emilia-Romagna's carbonara instincts, where cured pork and cheese have been cohabiting since medieval Bologna, proving the French and Italians were secretly running America's comfort food long before anyone admitted it.
Regional Twist
In Milan, they'd swap the bacon for guanciale and add a whisper of saffron to the sauce, nodding to risotto alla Milanese, while still keeping that essential cheddar-Parmesan backbone that makes this dish properly indulgent rather than just another pasta bake.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 150g de bacon (5.29 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 40g de manteiga (2.8 tbsp)
- 8 fatias de cheddar
- 800ml de leite (27 fl oz)
- 90g de Parmesao (3.18 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 40g de farinha de trigo (0.32 cup)
- 250g de macarrão (8.82 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- Noz moscada
- Pimenta calabresa
- Sal e pimenta do reino a gosto
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
897
Protein
43g
Carbs
65g
Fat
51g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Start by placing a pan on low heat to cook the bacon until crispy.
- 2
Remove the bacon and prepare the white sauce by melting butter and mixing it with the same amount of flour to create a roux.
- 3
Gradually add milk to the roux to reach the desired consistency for the sauce.
- 4
Season the sauce with salt, black pepper, and grated nutmeg.
- 5
Add cheddar and Parmesan cheese to the sauce, ensuring it remains a bit liquidy.
- 6
Cook the pasta according to package instructions and add it to the sauce.
- 7
Incorporate a ladle of pasta cooking water and mix in the crispy bacon, chopped into small pieces.
- 8
Serve hot and enjoy your delicious mac and cheese.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Maintain your roux at 90-100°C (194-212°F) while whisking in cold milk in 100ml increments to prevent lumps; cold liquid hitting hot roux gelatinizes flour evenly, while adding milk too quickly causes flour clumps that won't break down.technique90-100°C, 100ml increments
- ✓Add cheese only after removing the sauce from heat and letting it cool to 60°C (140°F) for 30 seconds, because temperatures above 70°C denature casein proteins and cause the sauce to break, becoming grainy or separating into grease pools.timing60°C, 30 seconds cooling
- ✓Reserve 120-150ml of starchy pasta water before draining because its 1-2% starch content emulsifies the cheese sauce and prevents it from becoming gluey; starch granules coat pasta surfaces and stabilize the fat-protein emulsion.ingredient120-150ml, 1-2% starch
- ✓Use a 1:1 butter-to-flour roux (40g:40g) as your baseline—this creates a béchamel with 25% fat by weight, which is the sweet spot for coating 250g pasta without the sauce becoming too thick or too thin when cheese is added.technique1:1 ratio, 25% fat
- ✓Add nutmeg at 1/8 teaspoon (pinch) because its volatile compounds mask the sulfurous flavor from the cheddar's aging process; more than 1/4 teaspoon will overpower the dish's flavor balance.ingredient1/8 teaspoon maximum
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Thomas Jefferson served this at an 1802 state dinner after discovering macaroni and parmesan during his Paris diplomatic years.
Mac and Cheese
Indulge in a bowl of creamy, dreamy mac and cheese that elevates comfort food to new heights! With velvety cheddar and a crispy breadcrumb topping, this dish is a mouthwatering masterpiece that’s perfect for any occasion. Get ready to savor every cheesy bite!
The Story
Mac and cheese traces back to 1700s Europe, but it was Thomas Jefferson who dragged a pasta machine home from Paris in 1787 and foisted macaroni pie upon America—this bacon-laden version owes more to Emilia-Romagna's carbonara instincts, where cured pork and cheese have been cohabiting since medieval Bologna, proving the French and Italians were secretly running America's comfort food long before anyone admitted it.
Regional Twist
In Milan, they'd swap the bacon for guanciale and add a whisper of saffron to the sauce, nodding to risotto alla Milanese, while still keeping that essential cheddar-Parmesan backbone that makes this dish properly indulgent rather than just another pasta bake.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 150g de bacon (5.29 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 40g de manteiga (2.8 tbsp)
- 8 fatias de cheddar
- 800ml de leite (27 fl oz)
- 90g de Parmesao (3.18 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 40g de farinha de trigo (0.32 cup)
- 250g de macarrão (8.82 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- Noz moscada
- Pimenta calabresa
- Sal e pimenta do reino a gosto
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
897
Protein
43g
Carbs
65g
Fat
51g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Start by placing a pan on low heat to cook the bacon until crispy.
- 2
Remove the bacon and prepare the white sauce by melting butter and mixing it with the same amount of flour to create a roux.
- 3
Gradually add milk to the roux to reach the desired consistency for the sauce.
- 4
Season the sauce with salt, black pepper, and grated nutmeg.
- 5
Add cheddar and Parmesan cheese to the sauce, ensuring it remains a bit liquidy.
- 6
Cook the pasta according to package instructions and add it to the sauce.
- 7
Incorporate a ladle of pasta cooking water and mix in the crispy bacon, chopped into small pieces.
- 8
Serve hot and enjoy your delicious mac and cheese.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Maintain your roux at 90-100°C (194-212°F) while whisking in cold milk in 100ml increments to prevent lumps; cold liquid hitting hot roux gelatinizes flour evenly, while adding milk too quickly causes flour clumps that won't break down.technique90-100°C, 100ml increments
- ✓Add cheese only after removing the sauce from heat and letting it cool to 60°C (140°F) for 30 seconds, because temperatures above 70°C denature casein proteins and cause the sauce to break, becoming grainy or separating into grease pools.timing60°C, 30 seconds cooling
- ✓Reserve 120-150ml of starchy pasta water before draining because its 1-2% starch content emulsifies the cheese sauce and prevents it from becoming gluey; starch granules coat pasta surfaces and stabilize the fat-protein emulsion.ingredient120-150ml, 1-2% starch
- ✓Use a 1:1 butter-to-flour roux (40g:40g) as your baseline—this creates a béchamel with 25% fat by weight, which is the sweet spot for coating 250g pasta without the sauce becoming too thick or too thin when cheese is added.technique1:1 ratio, 25% fat
- ✓Add nutmeg at 1/8 teaspoon (pinch) because its volatile compounds mask the sulfurous flavor from the cheddar's aging process; more than 1/4 teaspoon will overpower the dish's flavor balance.ingredient1/8 teaspoon maximum