White Cheddar & Bacon Mac & Cheese

• 1 pound Large Elbow Macaroni
• Kosher Salt
• 1 quart Half-and-half
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 3 cloves Garlic, Smashed
• 1 pound Thick-Sliced Bacon, Cut Into 1-inch Pieces
• 1 whole Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped
• Fresh Thyme Leaves, About 1-2 Sprigs' Worth
• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 3 Tablespoons All Purpose White Flour
• 1- 1/2 pound White Cheddar, Shredded
• 1/2 teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 cups Fresh, Flat-leafed Parsley, Chopped
• 1/2 cups Italian-Style Panko Breadcrumbs

1. 1.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook til al dente (about 8-9 minutes).
3. Drain.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees .
5. 2.
6. In a small saucepan, heat the half and half with the sprigs of thyme and the smashed garlic cloves.
7. In a large, deep skillet cook the bacon til crispy.
8. Drain off the excess fat and add the chopped onion and thyme leaves (if you really love garlic, chop up a couple cloves and add them here too!)
9. and cook until the onion is translucent.
10. Remove the bacon-onion mixture to a bowl and set aside.
11. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt, then whisk in the flour to make a roux.
12. Strain the solids out of the half and half and add it to the pan, whisking til smooth.
13. Add all but a couple handfuls of the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.
14. 3.
15. In a large bowl, mix together the macaroni, sauce, and bacon-onion mixture.
16. Add the parsley, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
17. Pour into a large baking dish.
18. Toss the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and scatter on top.
19. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot & bubbly and the top is golden brown.

elbow macaroni, kosher salt, thyme, garlic, bacon, yellow onion, thyme, butter, flour, ground nutmeg, ground black pepper, parsley, italianstyle

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/white-cheddar-bacon-mac-cheese/ (may not work)