Brussels Sprout Mac'n Cheese
I had the biggest craving for mac'n cheese the other day. I also had Brussels sprouts in the fridge that I forgot about. Naturally, I had none of the ingredient for mac'n cheese so I went to the store, where I also got bacon. I know, I know, who is this girl buying cheese and bacon. It's just me, needing to make something delicious that isn't good for me, but tasty.
I am just going to say right now, BAKE THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS PRIOR TO PUTTING THEM IN THE DISH. Golden brown is fine, but just don't put them in raw, it's not going to bake properly.
Okay, let's make mac'n cheese from scratch, trust me, your stomach will thank you. Anyone else get weird stomach grumbles from Kraft dinner?
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 2 1/2 cups of milk
- 2 cups of shredded cheese (Leave 1/2 cup to the side for the top)
- 4 strips of bacon, chopped in small pieces
- 4 cups of halved Brussels Sprouts
- 2-3 cups of cooked noodles, I used fussily
- Baking dish
How to make it:
Please note you will be doing multiple steps at the same time.
1) Halve the Brussel sprouts, place on a baking sheet. Cut up the bacon and place on the same baking sheet. Bake until the Brussel sprouts are golden brown and bacon is crispy.
2) Start boiling water for noodles. Once boiling add noodles, cook until al dente.
3) In a large sauce pan, melt butter. Once it is melted, add the flour, this will make a rue, it's a thickener for the milk.
4) Once the flour and butter mixture are well mixed add the milk. Begin to whisk until the mixture is thickened. This is a béchamel sauce.
5) Add the cheese to the béchamel sauce. You have successfully made cheese sauce.
6) In a large bowl, add noodles, Brussels sprouts, bacon, and cheese sauce. Mix together until everything is covered in cheese sauce.
7) In a baking dish, add the noodle mixture and cover with shredded cheese. You could also add bread crumbs* on top, if you want.
*How to make bread crumbs: Dry out 10 or 12 slices of white bread. Once they are dried out, break them up into pieces and drizzle with 1/4 to 1/2 cups of melted butter.
8) Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted.
9) Serve and enjoy.
Thanks for reading,
Samantha