Bacon, Basil, Tomato Mac and Cheese

When people find out that I am a food blogger, they often ask, “Have you always loved to cook?” or “Where did you learn how to cook?”

Here’s the deal- No, I haven’t always loved to cook. And that’s mostly because I never knew how. Shocking.

Another shocker- I got married when I was 19. I was thrown into the world of, “Hey honey, what’s for dinner?” and after I realized he was talking to me, I was wondering the same thing…

I started learning the basics- like Mac and Cheese. I taught myself to cook, and once I grew comfortable adapting simple things like macaroni and cheese, the world was my oyster.

kinda.

I know it’s nothing fancy, and yes this is a box of macaroni and cheese, but I’m not out to change the world – just to simplify it.

You don’t have to be a Julia Child knock off to enjoy good food.

Ok, off my soap box.

This Bacon, Basil, Tomato Mac and Cheese is delicious.

If you’re like me, you might have a loads of tomatoes from your garden and looking for ways to use them up. We planted 4 cherry tomato plants this year, and that was 3 too many. I’m up to my eyeballs in tomatoes.

I grabbed some diced pancetta (italian style bacon, regular bacon will work too), and cooked it up in my skillet. Then I halved my tomatoes and threw them in the hot bacon grease for a minute or two. They blistered and absorbed the delicious flavor. Seriously good stuff right there.

I sliced up some fresh basil from my garden. who am I? #icantbelieveihaveagardenthatactuallyproduces

I threw it all on top of some white cheddar mac and cheese (also made it with original) and it was delicious. Fresh and tasty, savory and a tad sweet from the tomato.

Trust me, this is one you’ll want to dig in to.

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Bacon, Basil, Tomato Mac and Cheese

Bacon, Basil, and Tomato Mac and Cheese is fresh and tasty, savory and a tad sweet from the tomato.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Calories: 253 kcal

Author: Shawn

Ingredients

• Mac and Cheese, prepared according to package instructions
• 1 cup Pancetta, (diced thick cut bacon will work too)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 basil leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons
• black pepper

Instructions

• While your macaroni and cheese is cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove from skillet and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes to the bacon grease. Let them blister a bit, but try not to stir too much, cause you might make them too squished. Once they are slightly charred and blistered, remove them from the skillet.
• Place the pancetta, tomatoes, and basil on top of the prepared mac and cheese, sprinkle with a little bit of cracked black pepper. Enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

Keywords: Bacon, Macaroni and cheese, pancetta, tomatoes

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