Mamma Horn's Mac n' Cheese with a Twist

Mac n' Cheese is always a winner at the dinner table.  Kids and adults love it, and unless your lactose intolerant I cannot imagine why you wouldn't enjoy this meal.  Mac n' cheese is like cheesecake.  It is wonderful plain, but even more amazing when you add something more to it! The recent jalapeno poppers I made a few weeks ago were the inspiration for this particular mac n' cheese.  I added bacon and Serrano peppers to this to give it a little bite.  My mom got this recipe from Food Network a long time ago and she makes it all the time.  I have yet to be disappointed by it.  She also adds Panko bread crumbs to the top to give it a little crunch.  Of course I followed in tow and did the same.  The directions may seem daunting when you first look at them, but it's actually really easy.  I was pleasantly surprised that this only took about 10-15 minutes once the noodles were cooked.  

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. box of your favorite noodles
8 oz. Velveeta Cheese
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar
1 Cube Chive Cream Cheese - They sell little personal packs of four now, and they're great!
2 Cups Milk
2 Tbs. Flour
3 Tbs. Butter
3-4 Strips Bacon - diced
1 Serrano Pepper - minced

1.  You're going to want to begin by cooking the noodles.  You can do this first and just keep them in the strainer while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.  Cook the noodles a few minutes less than the box says.  You want the noodles to be tender but still have a bite to them, since they will be baked in the oven too.

2.  Once the noodles are finished, in the same large pot melt the 2 Tbs. of butter.  Once the butter is completely melted, add the 2 Tbs. flour, stirring for about 45 seconds.  This is called a Roux (said Roo). It helps to thicken the cheese sauce. You want to cook the roux for 45 seconds to ensure the flour "taste" is cooked completely out.  Make sure not to burn this and do not cook for more than a minute.

3.  Warm up your milk for 30 -45 seconds, and dice the Velveeta cheese into cubes.  Add the milk to the pot once the rue is complete.  Stir to remove any lumps and let the milk thicken.  Once thickened, add the cubed Velveeta, shredded cheese, and cream cheese and stir until completely melted.


4.  Take the cheese sauce off the heat and add the noodles, bacon, and Serrano peppers to the pot.  Stir until the pasta is evenly coated.  In a non-stick sprayed baking dish, pour the noodle and cheese mixture.

5. For the topping, melt 1 Tbs. butter in a small bowl.  After melting the butter, add 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs to the butter and stir until well coated.  Sprinkle on top of the mac n' cheese.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the Panko topping is browned and cheese is bubbly.