#SecretRecipeClub ~ Creamy Stovetop Bacon Mac 'N Cheese

Welcome back to another wonderful Secret Recipe Club reveal day! Today I am sharing Nicole's Blog "I Am A Honeybee" with you. I have been reading and following along on Nic's blog for quite awhile now - pretty much since I joined SRC. I was pulled in by the way she shares her life, her fantastic family friendly recipes, and then the arrival of her little Autumn (Autumn is just a couple months younger then Lindsey, so it has been fun for me to watch Nic's posts about monthly milestones)! Learn all about Nic on her "About Me" page here. The summary version - do not call her Nicki. She is an architect. She likes NASCAR. She loves Food Network. Tulips are her favorite flowers. She is a crafter and has the sewing machine incident scars to prove it. She also has scars from exercising - treadmills are dangerous. Bring her some Peeps and you will have a new friend.

I hope you will take a moment to visit the  Secret Recipe Club if you've never heard of it before - it is a wonderful group of bloggers who are given a "secret" assignment of another member's blog each month and our goal is to pick ANYTHING from their blog to make and post about on our designated reveal day! I have been a part of SRC for quite awhile now (see my first post from 2/25/2013 here) and LOVE the opportunity to get to know another blogger a little better each month by spending time perusing their blog, reading through their recipes and posts, and finding something perfect for my family from what they've shared.

As is my norm, I had a hard time figuring out which recipe to highlight from I Am A Honeybee - there were SO many good choices! I settled on the Mac N Cheese recipe because I made it twice in two days and it is a delicious, creamy, comfort food side dish that I am happy to share with you today! Some of the other recipes that made my "short-list" include: Cheesy Pigs In A Blanket, Homemade Cheez-Its, Ultimate Tatchos, Light Cheddar Broccoli Soup, and Fried Rice!

Creamy Stovetop Bacon Mac 'N Cheese from I Am A Honeybee

Ingredients
8-oz dry elbow macaroni pasta
2 cups lowfat milk (more if needed to thin)
1 TBS butter
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp salt, more to taste
dash freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, or use an assortment: cheddar, swiss, gouda, parmesan, jack, etc.)
black pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup crumbled bacon, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium sized pot, combine the milk, raw pasta, butter, mustard powder and salt. Turn the heat to medium and slowly bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. (Stay close to the pasta to prevent sticking / burning).
2. As soon as the mixture comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and allow the pasta to cook in the milk slowly (if you leave the mixture on too high, the milk will evaporate and you will burn the pasta). Add more liquid during cooking if necessary. Continue to stir frequently until pasta is tender and most of the milk has been absorbed, about 10 - 15 minutes.
3. Once pasta is tender, remove the pasta from the heat and stir in the cheese(s). Cover and allow to rest for about 5 minutes, until cheese has melted, and remaining liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the bacon bits, grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top, give one last stir and serve warm.

For anyone interested in a 4-oz bottle of wonderfully scented, multi-purpose Peppermint Essential Oil, I have a giveaway going on now!

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