Ingredients
• Salt.
• 450g Elbow macaroni.
• 4 Cups milk.
• 2 to 3 Sprigs of thyme.
• 4 Cloves of garlic crushed.
• 3Tbsp Unsalted butter.
• 3Tbsp All-purpose flour.
• 5 1/2 Cups shredded sharp white Cheddar.
• Freshly ground black pepper.
• 1/2 Cup chopped flat leaf parsley.
• 4 Slices of bacon cut cross-wise into thin strips.
• 1 Large onion diced.
• 2 Cloves garlic crushed (in addition to above).
• Leaves from a 1/4 bunch of thyme.
Instructions
• Bring a pot of salted water to the boil over a high heat.
• Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
• Preheat the oven to 200°c.
• In a small saucepan heat the milk with 2 cloves of garlic and sprigs of thyme.
• Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly to keep lumps from forming.
• Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture.
• Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is smooth.
• Stir in the 4 cups of cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold it in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture.
• Scrape into a 2.8l baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• While that cooks, heat a saucepan, add the bacon, render fat and cook until crispy.
• Add onion, garlic and thyme leaves and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, scatter the bacon mixture over the mac and cheese.
