Serenity Now: Bacon and Jalapeño Mac 'n' Cheese

Did you ever seen the "Serenity Now" Seinfeld episode?



All week long I've been whispering under my breath, "serenity now".

Too many deadlines, piles and piles of mail to go through, random cat fur balls in the corner of the livingroom, a counter that needs to be cleared off and laundry to the brim. People dancing on my last nerve.  Serenity now.

All I want to do is bake heaps of peanut butter cookies with mounds of chocolate in the center...and eat them all.  Food is not the answer.  Well maybe it is a little.  The Chef's cat has taken up residence on my lap - all day long.  She's nothing like my cats who are content to sit at my feet.  Instead she wants to be body half on the computer, body half on me slowly inching closer and closer to the keys until she finally goes in for the swat!  Not so helpful when you're trying to get a project accomplished, much less a blog post.  Last night it became apparent around, oh, eight o'clock that I was near the end of my rope.  I heard some clanking in the kitchen, but blocked it out.  A short while later a knock at the door brought one of my faves.  

The picture does not do this dish justice, but last night it was not about pictures or blog posts or making things pretty.  Last night was about reality.  And much needed serenity now.

Bacon and Jalapeño Mac 'n' Cheese

(which the Chef so aptly called:  

'Mac for you that I didn't get any of since I drank the last Hansen's').

It's a cat eat cat around here for the last Mandarin Orange soda.

 I lost out on the soda.  He lost out on the Mac.  

His choice on the latter. I didn't fight him on it.

Bacon and Jalapeño Mac 'n' Cheese
Ingredients: Serves 4

4C Macaroni noodles cooked (we use Ancient Harvest Gluten-Free Quinoa Elbow Macaroni)

*Sauce
6 Strips bacon chopped
3 Red 3 Green Jalapeño - seeds removed and small diced
2T Flour
2C Heavy cream
1C Aged white cheddar grated salt and pepper to taste

*Crust
1/2C Bread crumbs
1/4C Aged white cheddar grated
2T Butter softened
1T Cilantro chopped

Method
Crust
Combine all ingredients together.

Sauce
Preheat oven to 400.  Sauté bacon on low heat till crispy.  Add the jalapeno's and cook for 3 more minutes.  Stir in flour (he used my gluten free flour blend from an earlier post) and continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Slowly drizzle in the cream while stirring.  Bring the cream mixture to a boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and whisk in cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Hold warm.

To Finish
Place cooked noodles in desired cooking vessel.  Ladle sauce over noodles to cover.  Sprinkle crust over top.  Bake in oven 8-10 minutes till golden brown and bubbly.

Why do you think it is that people persist in being annoying over the pettiest of things?  Especially when they know exactly what they're doing, but think they're so smart that no one can see it?  It amazes me. One would think that with all the sad and more important things going on in the world focus would lie on those matters - rather than acting like children or, worse yet, cats in a bag.  Shakes head profusely.

Is it Friday yet?