Enjoy classic bacon mac and cheese flavor in a cool summer salad with this simple recipe from Cabot. You can let everyone personalize each portion by serving it with small bowls of fresh salad toppings – green onions, Italian parsley, fresh basil, raw fresh corn kernels, diced tomatoes, diced bell peppers and sliced romaine lettuce. This is a cool way to savor the flavor of macaroni and cheese on a sizzling summer day. It even comes with the requisite crispy crumb topping. The basic recipe will appeal to everyone, but it’s fun to add small bowls of our suggested “extras” to customize each serving. Get more mac and cheese makeovers today!
Directions
- HEAT oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir and shake in pan until golden, about 1 ½ minutes; immediately scrape into small bowl and set aside.
- ADD bacon to skillet and cook until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain, then crumble or chop and set aside.
- PREPARE in large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni according to package directions until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
- COMBINE yogurt and mayonnaise in blender; add cheddar, vinegar, hot sauce, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper; blend until the consistency of mayonnaise and nearly smooth, stirring and scraping down side of container as needed to help ingredients “liquefy”. (Salad may be prepared ahead up to this point: refrigerate dressing and other ingredients separately, combining just before serving.)
- TOSS together in a large bowl macaroni, cheddar dressing and reserved bacon in large bowl, mixing well. Serve topped with additional cheese and reserved toasted breadcrumbs. Surround with bowls of optional extras as desired.
