BLT Pasta Salad

It’s far from picnic season, but that isn’t going to stop me from craving those kinds of foods. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s nothing like a cool and creamy pasta salad on a warm summer day. Of course, just because I can’t enjoy the sunshine doesn’t mean I won’t make the most awesome pasta salad possible. And I did.

I humbly submit for your approval BLT Pasta Salad. It combines subtle herbs with peppery arugula and fresh tomatoes, all held together by a creamy base. Most importantly, it’s finished with a modest portion of ever-delicious bacon. With those ingredients, it’s hard to go wrong—even if it’s not quite time for a picnic.

BLT Pasta Salad
3 cups corkscrew pasta
½ cup milk
10 slices thick-cut bacon
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp thyme
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp sour cream
3/4 cup grape tomatoes
½ arugula, packed
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta in salted water according to the package’s instructions. Drain and rinse, then pour into a large bowl. Mix in the milk and set aside.

Cook the bacon on medium heat until crispy. Remove from pan and crumble. In a separate pan, bring 1 tsp of the bacon drippings to low heat. Add the garlic and thyme, allowing it to cook for no more than a minute. Pour the garlic and drippings into the bowl of pasta and mix. Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream until thoroughly incorporated.

Halve the grape tomatoes and add them, along with the arugula, to the pasta. Gently toss to coat the vegetables. Mix in all but 1 tsp of the bacon. Stir in the parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper. Garnish with the remaining bacon and additional parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese

Alright, it’s about time I did some serious cheese pushing.

As I’ve said before, I love Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese. It’s delicious, and not to mention cheap. It’s great for those times when you get home at the end of a long day and just want some easy, fast comfort food.

Last night was one not one of those nights.

It had, in fact, been a long day. I was in class for 10 hours, and had only gotten 2 hours of sleep of the night before. (I know, you came here to listen to me whine). But last night, I just wanted to come home and have an awesome meal.

Because, when it comes down to it, there aren’t many foods much more awesome than cheese. That got me thinking: what was the cheesiest food I could prepare? I decided to make some real mac ‘n cheese—nay, macaroni and cheese—that would satisfy my cheese need, as well as my desire for comfort food.  I also decided to throw in some equally awesome bacon for good measure. (Bacon is life, after all.)

Because I usually have a wide variety of cheeses in my fridge, the sky was the limit. I decided on a combination of havarti (arguably one of the best cheeses ever), mozzarella, and cheddar for some color.

And that, my friends, made for an awesome meal.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

6 slices of bacon
½ lb pasta (about 2 cups)
1½ cups milk
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups cheese (shredded or diced)
½ tsp salt
Pepper to taste
1/3 cup bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cook the bacon in a pan on medium heat until it is crispy, saving about a teaspoon of the grease. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta (either elbow macaroni or shells is best) according to the directions on the box.

In a saucepan, warm the milk. In a larger pot, melt 2 tbsp of the butter on medium heat (do not let it brown) and stir in the flour. Once thick and thoroughly mixed, add the milk. 

Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and gradually add the cheese, stirring until it is smooth. Crumble the bacon and add it, as well as the teaspoon of bacon grease, to the cheese sauce. Mix in the pasta, and pour into a 9x13 glass pan.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and mix in the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle this over the pasta, and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.