Kids in the Kitchen – Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

This post is sponsored by Western Star

My kids love to cook and have been doing so for many years.  Letting them help in the kitchen is teaching them life lessons and skills from measuring and learning fractions to how to cook particular foods.  My youngest Miss 9 enjoys cooking pasta dishes, I stand by helping her out when needed and available to stir when her arms get tired!  Today she is making Macaroni and Cheese with bacon, one of her favourite dinners. Typically mac and cheese is just that, macaroni and cheese sauce, but my kids love a little bacon flavour and crispy breadcrumbs on top.

Get your kids in the kitchen these school holidays making some of this delicious Mac and Cheese for dinner!

Chef/Apron packs and 1 major prize which is the holiday.

1. Purchase any two Western Star products from anywhere
2. Hold onto your receipt
3. Visit www.westernstarkitk.com.au and enter the two Western Star product barcodes

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Kids in the Kitchen – Macaroni and Cheese

find full recipe below

Prepare macaroni according to packet directions.  I like getting the kids to read the recipe and tell me how much they need and see if they can determine the best method of measuring the ingredients themselves.

Dice bacon and brown, then set aside.

Measure out Western Star Original Butter to make cheese sauce.  I use the original butter for all my savoury dishes and the non salted variety for baking (cause we don’t want salty biscuits).  Original butter has only 3 natural ingredients, cream, water and salt.

Melt butter in same pan the bacon was cooked in, this will give the sauce a bacon flavour.  It will also give the sauce a brown tinge, not the typical yellow cheesy sauce.

Add in flour and spice, whisking over heat for 1 minute

Remove saucepan from heat and gradually add in milk.  I helped pour the milk while Miss 9 whisked to create the sauce.  Then return to heat until it boils and thickens.

Remove from heat and add in cheese, stirring until all melted… she is having so much fun.  Then pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir through.

Create bread crumb mixture

Spoon macaroni mixture evenly into ramekins or large casserole dish.  Sprinkle with bacon.

Then sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture and bake in oven until golden brown.

Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Serves: 6

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
30 mins	30 mins	1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups macaroni
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 short-cut bacon rashers, diced
• 45g butter
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups tasty cheese, grated

TOPPING

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 6 slices bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C, fan forced.
2. Cook macaroni following packet directions, drain and return to saucepan.
3. In a small frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
4. Cook bacon until browned, remove from pan onto a plate lined with paper towel.
5. To make cheese sauce, melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming.
6. Add flour, salt, mustard, pepper and paprika. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until mixture bubbles and begins to come away from the side of the pan. Remove from heat.
7. Gradually pour in milk. Whisk continuously until mixture is smooth.
8. Return saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Stir continuously for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens.
9. Remove from heat. Add 2 cups cheese and stir until cheese melts.
10. Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and add half the bacon, toss to stir through.
11. Spoon cheesy macaroni mix evenly into individual ramekins or a large 3L casserole dish.
12. Sprinkle remaining bacon and cheese over each portion.
13. To make breadcrumb topping, place garlic, parsley and bread into a food processor. Process until it turns into crumbs.
14. Pour butter into food processor and pulse until mixed through.
15. Sprinkle breadcrumb topping evenly over each portion.
16. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden. Serve.

By Kat – The Organised Housewife

What do your kids love to cook in the kitchen?

This post was coordinated by The Remarkables Group and run in accordance with my disclosure policy

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