Bacon and sharp cheddar macaroni and cheese

Name: Bacon and sharp cheddar macaroni and cheese
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 oz Uncooked, mini, farfalle about 1 ¼ cups; 4 slice(s) Cooked turkey bacon cut in pieces, divided; 2 Tbsp Panko breadcrumbs; 2 Tbsp Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano divided; 1 small Sweet red pepper(s) finely chopped; 1 small Uncooked onion(s) finely chopped; 1.75 cup(s) Fat free skim milk; 1 Tbsp All-purpose flour; 0.5 cup(s) Weight Watchers Reduced-fat Mexican style shredded cheese sharp variety; 0.5 tsp Table salt; 0.5 tsp Cayenne pepper (or more to taste); 3 Tbsp Uncooked scallion(s) sliced (optional)

8 steps

Prep:25minCook:35min

This new take on the same old mac and cheese is sure to become a family favorite in no time. How could anyone resist the savory combination of bacon, panko, red peppers, and two types of cheese? It's a simple, straightforward recipe that makes use of the same skillet to cook all of the different components, from the breadcrumbs to the veggies and cheese mixture, which helps to make cleanup a breeze. You can also make this into a BLT mac & cheese by sprinkling with diced fresh tomatoes and finely shredded romaine lettuce or baby arugula leaves. The added color and crunch, not to mention veggies, would be a welcome addition.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:29:44 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories212.7 kcal (11%)

Total Fat5.6 g (8%)

Carbs28.6 g (11%)

Sugars5.9 g (7%)

Protein12.4 g (25%)

Sodium537.1 mg (27%)

Fiber1.5 g (5%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

6 servings

6 ozmini farfalle

Uncooked

4 sliceturkey bacon

Cooked, cut in pieces, divided

2 Tbsppanko breadcrumbs

2 TbspGrated Parmigiano-Reggiano

divided

1Sweet red pepper

small, finely chopped

1onion

small, uncooked, finely chopped

1 ¾ cupFat free skim milk

1 Tbspall-purpose flour

½ cupReduced-fat Mexican style shredded cheese

sharp variety

½ tsptable salt

½ tspCayenne pepper

or more to taste

3 Tbspscallion

Uncooked, sliced, optional

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Step 2

Cook pasta in a large pot of well salted boiling water according to package directions; drain.

Step 3

Meanwhile, cook breadcrumbs with ¼ of the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crumbs are toasted, about 3 minutes. Remove to a cup and stir in ½ tsp Parmesan cheese; set aside.

Step 4

Put red pepper, onion and remaining bacon in same skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Remove; set aside.

Step 5

Whisk milk and flour in same skillet over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in cheddar cheese, salt, cayenne and remaining Parmesan cheese.

Step 6

Add cooked, drained pasta and vegetable mixture to skillet and toss. Transfer to prepared baking dish; sprinkle top evenly with bread crumbs.

Step 7

Bake until bubbly at edges, about 15 minutes; sprinkle with sliced scallions.

Step 8

Serving size: 1 1/4 c

View on weightwatchers.com

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