Macaroni and cheese

Ingredients

375g macaroni
75g butter
6 short-cut bacon rashers (175g), chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup plain flour
1 litre (4 cups) hot milk
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp mild English mustard
2 cups finely grated parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup dried breadcrumbs
Dried bay leaves, to garnish

Method

1 Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain well.
2 Melt 25g of the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Remove. Wipe pan clean.

3 Melt remaining butter in same saucepan until foamy. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Gradually add hot milk, stirring until sauce is boiling and thickened. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar, mustard and 1¾ cups of parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
4 Add pasta and bacon mixture to sauce. Stir to combine. Pour into a lightly greased 10-cup capacity ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with combined breadcrumbs and remaining parmesan.
5 Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
6 Serve garnished with dried bay leaves.