Greatest Macaroni And Cheese In The Universe

Source: Recipe Library

3/4 lb(350 ml) bacon (optional, but I think this really makes the dish!)
1/4 cup(60 g) butter (margarine will do in a pinch)
1 1/2 cup(60 g) bread crumbs (unseasoned, and don't use sourdough crumbs either)
1 lb(500 g) uncooked elbow macaroni
3-5 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 lb(750 g) Swiss cheese

Cook the bacon until it is very crisp. When done, blot dry.

Put the butter in a small frying pan and heat at a low temperature until it's melted. When melted, add the bread crumbs and sauté until the bread crumbs are browned, stirring frequently to avoid burning the crumbs.

Boil the macaroni in water according to directions on the package. Don't overcook ... it should be ``al dente''. A little olive oil added to the pot will help prevent the macaroni from sticking together.

While the macaroni is cooking, grate the cheese and chop the scallions.

When the macaroni is done, drain it in a colander. The ``assembly'' is done in layers into a glass baking dish. Put a layer of macaroni on the bottom, then cheese, the crumble bacon and scallions on top of this. Make the layers thin; this way, you can get about three pasta/cheese/bacon layers. When all of these are in the pan, top with the bread crumbs and bake at 325F or 160C for 20 minutes or until the bread crumbs are a little more browned and the cheese is melted.

Eat. However, it makes fantastic leftovers, so you won't want to eat it all.

Cooking the bacon in the oven or in a microwave works well for this recipe. I find the best way to dry the bacon is to put a couple of paper towels on top of an old brown paper bag, then the bacon, and then a couple more paper towels on top of that, and then just pat with the hand a few times. It's important to get the bacon dry or the casserole will be too greasy.