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1
For the mac and cheese: In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.
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2
Set an extra-large skillet, or a large heavy saucepan, over medium-low heat and cook the bacon until crispy and the fat renders out, 10 to 12 minutes.
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3
Set the bacon aside, reserving the fat to build your sauce.
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4
At this point you should have about 1/4 cup of reserved fat.
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5
If needed, add some olive oil or butter to make sure you have a 1/4 cup of fat in the pan.
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6
Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the paste bubbles a bit, about 2 minutes (make sure it doesn't brown).
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7
Continuing to whisk, add 3 cups of the hot milk and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
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8
Season with salt and pepper.
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9
Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.
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10
Stir in the dry mustard, and then gradually add the Cheddar and Muenster cheeses, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted into the sauce.
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11
Stir in the hot sauce and the remaining 1 cup milk.
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12
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat.
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13
Stir in the crispy bacon and season with salt and pepper.
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14
You'll need 1 to 2 cups of mac and cheese for the tomatoes.
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15
For the baked tomatoes: Set your oven rack to the middle position and preheat your oven to broil.
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16
Using a paring knife, remove the tops of your tomatoes (the stem end), and then carefully hollow each one out with a spoon.
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17
You want to create a bowl, while removing all the seeds and some of the flesh, leaving about 1/2-inch of flesh in each tomato.
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18
Season the inside of the tomatoes with salt and pepper.
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19
Then stuff each one with as much mac and cheese as you can, 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
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20
Mix the panko, Parmesan and parsley together, and season with salt and pepper.
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21
Pile some of the breadcrumb topping onto each tomato.
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22
Each one will accommodate about 2 tablespoons of the topping.
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23
Now, drizzle the breadcrumbs with olive oil, so the panko browns up nicely.
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24
Broil the tomatoes until the breadcrumb topping is golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes.