Hard Apple Cider Mac and Cheese (with Bacon!)

This easy mac and cheese recipe gets a boost of fall flavor from hard cider and crispy bacon!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta (we used large shells)
• 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 2/3 cup hard apple cider
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (we love this aged cheddar from Kerrygold!)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Cook pasta in very salty water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. 2Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat (we use the same pot we just cooked the pasta in!) Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until crispy.
3. 3Remove crispy bacon from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pot - you want about 3 Tablespoons!
4. 4Reduce heat to medium. Add flour and whisk together with bacon fat to form a roux. Cook for about a minute until the roux is sizzling.
5. 5Add hard apple cider to pot a little at a time, whisking constantly to work out any lumps. Add milk and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking frequently, until sauce has thickened and reached a low simmer, about 8 minutes.
6. 6Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. 7Remove pot from heat and stir in shredded cheese. Mix until cheese is melted and you have a smooth sauce.
8. 8Stir half of the crispy bacon pieces into the sauce (save the rest for topping later!)
9. 9Add cooked pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Top with remaining crispy bacon and serve immediately.