There's only one way to start this post, and that's by reiterating that I don't care if you get fat. And if you make this, you probably don't care either. So here is mac and cheese pie with bacon lattice crust! I made this for a bacon-themed party. Not surprisingly, it was a big hit, especially among the kids.
Gather 1 package (16 oz.) of pasta shells or elbows, butter, extra sharp cheddar and muenster cheese, bread crumbs, bacon, flour, and (not pictured) 2% milk.
First, use a food processor to shred 3 cups of cheese (roughly 16 ounces of cheddar and 8 ounces of muenster). You can use almost any type of cheese, but I prefer a sharp flavor, which is why I use extra sharp cheddar, and the muenster adds a nice creamy texture to the dish.
Set aside. Now it's time to have some fun! Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and place a metal rack on top. Weave the bacon into a lattice pattern on the baking rack. Place it in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. The bacon will shrink and the individual pieces will adhere together so that you can flip it over after about 15 minutes, which will allow both sides to get crispy. It will come out looking like this:
As I suspected would happen, the bacon shrank too much to cover the pie, so my solution was to make a large circle of bacon that was slightly larger than the circumference of the pie dish. I baked this at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Next, fill a large pot with water, season with salt, and bring to a boil. While that gets going, make a roux in a small saucepan by melting two tablespoons of salted butter and whisking in 2 tablespoons of flour. Measure 1/2 a cup of milk and add a dash to the roux and whisk, then set aside the remaining milk. Whisk in 1/3 of the cheese and stir until it is melted. Add another dash of milk then 1/3 of the cheese and continue whisking until it melts. Finally, add the remainder of the milk followed by the remainder of the cheese and whisk until it's a nice, thick, cheesy sauce. Add a dash of salt, a dash of pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy). If the cheese sauce is too thick or sticky, add more milk and continue stirring until it reaches your desired texture.
As you're stirring this melty deliciousness, prepare the pasta shells according to the instructions. Once the pasta is done, mix the cheese and pasta and set aside. Next (or earlier, or really at any point during this process), make a breadcrumb crust. I thought this breadcrumb crust was pure genius (so much more clever than using a regular old shortening crust). It fell apart pretty quickly when I tried to cut the pie, but I stand by my decision because keeping slices of this pie intact is impossible anyway. To make the crust, mix 1 1/2 cups of plain breadcrumbs and 6 tablespoons of melted, salted butter. Press the mixture into your pie dish and bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes or until it is light brown.
Finally, pour the mac and cheese into the pie crust.
Place the bacon lattice on top and use the bacon edge to cover the remainder of the mac and cheese so that it doesn't look totally makeshift and a little sad. Whatever. At this point, everything is cooked. Before you serve it, throw it in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes or until it is hot in the middle.
Mac and Cheese Pie with Bacon Lattice Crust
Filling:
16 ounces (2 cups) extra sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces (1 cup) muenster cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 package (16 ounce) pasta shells or elbows
Breadcrumb Crust:
1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Topping:
1 package of bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and place a metal rack on top. Weave the bacon into a lattice pattern on the baking rack. Place it in the 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, flipping it over after about 15 minutes so that both sides get crispy. If the resulting lattice crust does not cover your pie, form the remaining bacon into a large circle that will cover the edge of the pie, and bake this at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping it over after 15 minutes. Reduce the oven's temperature to 375.
Fill a large pot with water, season with salt, and bring to a boil. While that gets going, make a roux in a small saucepan by melting two tablespoons of salted butter and whisking in 2 tablespoons of flour. Measure 1/2 a cup of milk; add a dash of milk to the roux and whisk. Next, whisk in 1/3 of the cheese and stir until it is melted. Add another dash of milk, then 1/3 of the cheese and continue whisking until it melts. Finally, add the remainder of the milk followed by the remainder of the cheese and whisk until it's a nice, thick, cheesy sauce. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy). If the cheese sauce is too thick or sticky, add more milk and continue stirring until it reaches your desired texture.
Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta shells or elbows according to the instructions.
To prepare the breadcrumb crust, mix 1 1/2 cups of plain breadcrumbs with 6 tablespoons of melted butter. Press the mixture into a pie dish and bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes or until golden brown.
Pour the mac and cheese into the pie crust and top with the bacon crust. At this point, everything is cooked. Reheat this in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes or until it is hot in the center.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
