Our Favorite Food This Week: Loaded Mac n’ Cheese with Nueske’s Pepper Bacon
Location: Farm Fresh Booth – Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Price:  $4.50

Welcome to this week’s Favorite Food Friday where we share our favorite foods with our friends.  This week we return to Epcot’s final weekend of the Food and Wine Festival, hope you were able to attend and now we all have to hit the gym.   We hadn’t tried the mac and cheese at Farm Fresh and many of our friends kept saying how good it was.    They were right, this loaded mac and cheese is similar to your standard Disney mac and cheese, but loaded with Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers, and Green Onions.   And I mean loaded, they don’t skimp on the extras.   Though it did have a good kick to it, it was not overwhelmingly spicy.   We loved it, if you are headed there this weekend be sure to give it a try.   If you can’t make it then your in luck – the recipe has been supplied by our friends at Disney Parks Blog – be sure to check out there pics and description of the mac and cheese right here.   Recipe can be found at the end of this post.   Have a great weekend!

Pepper Bacon Mac and Cheese
Farm Fresh Marketplace
Serves 6

Pepper Bacon Macaroni

• 1 pound macaroni
• 8 slices pepper bacon
• 1/2 cup diced white onions
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 3 small jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced

Cheese Sauce

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 pound (4 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 pound (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 pound sliced American cheese
• 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded Gruyere cheese

Topping

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 slices pepper bacon, cooked and chopped
• 3 green onions, sliced
• Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For pepper bacon macaroni:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook pepper bacon until crisp. Chop and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of grease.
3. Heat grease in a medium-skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper and jalapeño. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are warm, but still crisp. Set aside.

For cheese sauce:

1. Heat cream in large saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to simmer, slowly stir in all of cheese, mixing well to melt cheese.

To assemble and serve:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine cooked pasta, vegetables and cheese sauce in a large bowl.
3. Pour into a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake 15 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
4. Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onions and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.