FREEBIE FAIRY'S RECIPE OF THE DAY 01/12/12

Bacon-Pepper Mac and Cheese

PREP TIME 25 min
TOTAL TIME 50 min
SERVINGS 4




Ingredients
3 cups uncooked penne pasta (10 oz)
1/3cup butter
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 1/4 cups milk
10 slices packaged precooked bacon (from 2.1-oz package), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
4 oz Muenster cheese, shredded (1 cup)
2 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup Progresso® Italian style bread crumbs


Cooking
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.


2 Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the butter in small bowl. Stir bell pepper and onions into butter in saucepan. Increase heat to medium; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and mustard. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Increase heat to medium-high. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in bacon and pasta.


3 Remove from heat; stir in cheeses until melted. Pour into casserole. Stir bread crumbs into melted butter in small bowl. Sprinkle over pasta mixture.


4 Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are bubbly.
   
Tips
You can use elbow macaroni in place of the penne. You can also use Swiss cheese instead of the Gruyère, although Gruyère has a more pronounced nutty flavor than regular Swiss.


Look for packages of precooked bacon near the regular bacon at your grocery store.


Nutrition Information:
1 Serving (1 Serving)Calories 1010(Calories from Fat 460),Total Fat 51g(Saturated Fat 29g,Trans Fat 1 1/2g),Cholesterol 145mg;Sodium 1790mg;Total Carbohydrate 91g(Dietary Fiber 5g,Sugars 10g),Protein 45g;Percent Daily Value*:Vitamin A 50.00%;Vitamin C 25.00%;Calcium 70.00%;Iron 25.00%;Exchanges:5 1/2 Starch;0 Fruit;1/2 Other Carbohydrate;0 Skim Milk;0 Low-Fat Milk;0 Milk;0 Vegetable;0 Very Lean Meat;0 Lean Meat;4 High-Fat Meat;3 Fat;Carbohydrate Choices:6;*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.