Beer and Bacon Mac and Cheese

Wow.. this recipe combines three of my favorite foods! Mac and cheese has to be the best comfort food known to man. Its warm cheesy goodness restores our spirits and reminds us of childhood days, being taken care of by mom. Take good ol' mac and cheese and add beer and bacon and that is something else entirely. Sounds dangerously delicious to me.

Many beer drinkers may find it sacrilegious to use perfectly good beer for cooking. However, beer, especially dark, flavorful brews, can add a rich and earthy taste to a variety of both savory and sweet dishes. Sweeter, malty beers can be an excellent addition to many dessert recipes, imparting a nutty flavor to the dish. Wheat beers are lighter and fruitier, better used in fish and vegetable dishes. Try a dark stout ale in a stew or rich dessert to accentuate it's coffee and chocolate undertones. Pilsner is a crisp bright lager that complements spicy Asian dishes while bock lager's dark malt is best in dishes with pork or root vegetables.

Taking it even further, how about baking with beer? Most of us have heard of beer bread, but what about beer pancakes? Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes? Gingerbread Stout Cake? Beer ice cream? I am sure the possibilities are endless and limited only by one's imagination.

However, back to our recipe, as you check out the list of ingredients you may wonder what Barilla Ziti is. Barilla is a popular pasta manufacturer and ziti is one of many shapes of pasta noodles. Ziti is a similar but welcome alternative from typical but overused macaroni, still in a tubular shape and most commonly used in baked pasta dishes. This may not be the most calorie conscious meal but sometimes we need to feed our soul without worrying about our waistline.

Now it is time for you to enjoy! The link to the recipe is found on the "Mogwai Soup" website below.