I know, right! With a title like that, how could things go wrong? Short answer is that they couldn't.
Recently I cooked up a super-tasty dinner that featured shells drenched in a bacon-flavored cheese sauce with super-mini shrimps thrown in. This was the truly made from scratch macaroni, and I made it like that so that I could get the bacon flavor in. Essentially what I do is make a simple cheese sauce, one that could be used for any number of applications and with a wide variety of variations.
First thing to discuss is what is known as roux. Pronounced "roo" (like the character from Winnie the Pooh) it is a classic thickening agent used in classical French cooking made from a fat and flour in equal proportion. Typically the fat is butter, but in reality a roux can be made from any fat, and in this case is made my roux for the cheese sauce from bacon fat. Heating about 1 tbsp of bacon fat in a small saucepan until it is liquid, add 1 tbsp of plain AP flour and whisk the two together until they form a paste. This is your roux. Reduce the heat to medium low and add 1 cup of milk and once the milk is warmed add about 2 cups of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese. Mix gently until the cheese is melted in nicely and then pour over the cooked noodles. At this point I also added the shrimp - sine they were already cooked they just needed to warm through, and they were so small it took no time at all.
This dish was so well received by my kids, that my youngest, now nearly 2 years old, wanted to save his leftovers for later just like his big brother had. I managed to grab this picture of him doing his best to transfer his remaining dinner into a container:
He really kind of made a mess, but his heart was in the right place. Thankfully there was a little more in the pot to give to him, and I repackaged it for him after he had moved on to the next thing.
What would you put this cheese sauce on? Broccoli? Zucchini? Something entirely different? Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook!
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