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1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fry the bacon until just undercooked and (optionally) reserve 3 T of the fat.
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2
Let drain on a paper towel.
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3
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta al dente.
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4
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter or reheat the bacon fat.
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5
Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutesensuring it is free of lumps.
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6
Stir in the milk, onion, garlic, bay leaf and cayenne.
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7
Simmer for ten minutes (onions should soften) and remove the bay leaf.
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8
Temper in the egg (by adding small amounts of hot ingredients to a whisked egg to prevent it from scrambling itself).
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9
Stir in 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese and all the gouda.
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10
Season with salt and liberally with pepper.
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11
Fold in the macaroni and bacon and put into a 2-quart casserole dish.
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12
Top with the remaining cheese.
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13
Melt the butter in a saute pan and add the paprika and garlic powder, ensure the spices are mixed evenly throughout the butter.
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14
Toss the breadcrumbs in the butter mixture to coat.
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15
Remove from heat and mix in the parmesan and herbs.
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16
Top the macaroni mixture with bread crumbs.
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17
Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
