Mac and cheese, 2.0

The last time I posted about making mac and cheese the subject of my musing was an ooey gooey oven baked casserole.  Delicious.  However, completely impractical given the summer heat.  Better to do it on the stovetop, and add some fresh veggies for colour and crunch.

And bacon.  Because everything's better with bacon.........

Ingredients
-3 cups broccoli florets (use pre-cut to save time)
-4 cups uncooked rigatoni (or any other pasta that you have in the cupboard)
-2 slices bacon
-1/2 tbsp butter
-1 1/2 tbsp flour
-1 1/4 cup milk
-1/2 cup (ish) Velveeta cheese, cubed (the secret to a creamy sauce)
-1/2 cup (ish) shredded cheddar
-salt and pepper to taste

1) Steam broccoli for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain; pat dry and keep warm.

2) Cook the pasta in the same pot.  Drain; return to pot and keep warm.

3) In a small frying pan cook the bacon until crispy; remove to a paper towel but reserve drippings.  Add butter and flour to create a roux and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Slowly add milk (stirring well to incorporate) and then bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook for 1 minute, until slightly thick, and remove from heat.  Add Velveeta and stir until incorporated, then add the shredded cheddar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4) Add sauce to broccoli and pasta.  Crumble bacon over the top and enjoy!!

Don't worry if broccoli isn't your thing...you can replace it with any other vegetable that you like.  A cup of frozen peas works particularly well, just add them to the sauce at the same time as the shredded cheese so that they heat through!