Bacon Mac

I am already such a fan of Cooking Light, but just like any magazines, some months are better then others. This months edition was a particular treat with just about every recipe jumping off the page at me, and so far, none of them have been disappointing! When I saw this one, I new for sure I had to make it, if not for me, then for my husband and kids, who love pasta so much, sometimes I don't know why I bother to make anything else!

One thing I've just barely discovered is what a difference salting your boiling water makes when cooking pasta. Your pasta has so much more flavor and I just think the entire dish benefits from it, so if you haven't been seasoning your pasta, give it a try

Bacon Mac
From Cooking Light September 2009 edition

Ingredients

3 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
12 ounces preferred pasta
4 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk divided
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar, divided
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 slices center cut cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat broiler

2. Bring 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add pasta; cook al dente, drain.

3. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add 1 cup milk, bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes, or until it cools to 155. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. Add pasta; toss. Spoon into a 2-quart, broiler safe dish coated with cooking spray; top with 1/2 cup cheese. Broil 7 minutes.

Serves 6: 1 serving is about 1 cup

Per Serving: 399cal, 13.8g fat, 20g prot, 48.7g carb, 2g fiber, 44mg chol.

Points per Serving: 9