I can sit here and lie by telling you that winter time is the best time for comfort food. Those of you that know me know that comfort food is a year-round thing for me. Perhaps that’s why my jeans feel tighter and my belly gets people to ask when my child is due. Regardless, food was created to be enjoyed and eaten, dammit. It says so in some bible somewhere.

Anyway, this is a recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Homesick Texan. I added an extra chipotle and made this thing a spicy thing of delicious beauty. Enjoy!

-The Godfather

Chipotle macaroni and cheese with bacon (adapted from the NY Times)
Ingredients:
2 cups of dry elbow pasta
2 cups of milk
1 cup of cottage cheese
2 chipotle chiles in adobo
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
Pinch of cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups of shredded cheese, a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack
1/4 cup of crumbled cotija cheese (optional, but delicious!)
4 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon of butter

Method:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch square or round baking pan with the butter. Add the dry pasta.

In a blender, mix together the milk, cottage cheese, chipotle chile, mustard powder, garlic, cumin, salt and black pepper until it’s smooth. Pour mixture over dry pasta and stir until sauce is evenly distributed.

Stir in two cups of the shredded cheese, cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the foil and stir the macaroni and cheese a couple of times. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and chopped bacon and cook for another 25 minutes uncovered or until brown and bubbling.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with cotija and serve.