Kate's Macaroni and Cheese With Tomatoes

Yummy, cheesy mac and cheese with bacon, garlic and topped with tomatoes and panko. I have only made this with the cheese I have listed, but I am sure you can swap out almost any cheese with this.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1  teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper (again, to taste)
• 3 -3 1⁄2 cups  whole milk
• 6  slices bacon, sliced into lardons
• 5  garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4  cups cheese (I use 2 cups sharp cheddar and 2 cups Gruyere)
• 2 -3  tomatoes, sliced
• 1  cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 (8 ounce) box elbow macaroni, cooked just 5 minutes

Directions

1. Boil water and cook noodles.
2. Cook bacon til alomst crisp. Add garlic and turn off heat. I use a cast iron pan for this so it retains a lot of heat -- which finishes the bacon and just cooks the garlic. Be careful not to burn.
3. In a medium saucepan add cornstarch, salt and pepper, dry mustard and milk. Wisk, bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat. Add the bacon, garlic mixture (I also add the bacon fat if there isn't too much. This is comfort food!). Stir, and add to greased casserole dish along with drained macaroni noodles. Add cheese. Stir to combine completely.
4. Top with sliced tomatoes. I like to add a handful of shredded cheese over the tomatoes, but occasionally I omit this step. Top with panko, enough to lightly cover the tomatoes. Dot panko with butter.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or til golden on the top.