Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Alejandro™ EZ melt cheese is a key player in the kitchen. An ingredient so versatile and tasty it can be added to most things and boost the flavor! Sliced, shredded, cubed – all acceptable ways to enjoy the rich flavor of this EZ melt Cheese. Can you think of another ingredient people love to add to everything? Bacon perhaps?!

This week we encourage you to enjoy your Alejandro™ EZ Melt cheese with another house hold favorite – bacon!
We’ve got a Bacon Mac ’n’ Cheese Quesadilla recipe we hope you’ll try.
Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 8 ounces shredded Alejandro™ EZ Melt cheese
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 425℉.
• Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Make a Bacon Weave (Instructions below) on each baking sheet. Cut off the corners with shears to make the weaves circular. Set the cut pieces aside and bake the weaves until crisp, about 15 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain.
• Return pot to medium-high heat. Add the pieces of bacon you cut from the weaves. Cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Break up large pieces with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low, add drained pasta and remaining ingredients. Stir until cheese is melted and well-combined.
• Transfer bacon weaves to a wire rack or paper towels and let cool/crisp up for 5 minutes. Place one weave on a cutting board. Top with mac ‘n’ cheese. Cover with the other weave. Cut into 6 equal pieces.

How-To Make a Bacon Weave

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 10-12 inch weave

Ingredients:
• 2 pounds of bacon

Directions:
• Lay 6-8 strips of bacon vertically across a rimmed baking sheet or aluminum foil, flush up against each other. Fatty sides should all face one direction and meaty sides should all face the other direction. The width should match the length of the strips.
• Fold every other strip in half onto itself. Lay one strip of bacon perpendicular to those strips, flush up against the back of the folds. Unfold those flipped strips back over the perpendicular strip of bacon.
• Now fold every other strip in the alternating columns. Lay one strip of bacon perpendicular to those strips, flush up against the back of the folds. Unfold those strips back down over the perpendicular strip of bacon.
• Repeat again with the first set of strips. Do the same thing on the upper half of the weave. There should be the same number of strips going down as there are going across.
• Cooking time and temp will vary depending on what you're making the weave with. Baking it as is will take 15-20 minutes in a 425℉ oven.

By: Bill Wagner, Regional Sales Manager