Cheddar Bacon Penne

Cheddar Bacon Penne is one of our family's favorite meals. I passed the recipe along to my mother and it quickly became one of their favorites as well. The recipe below serves 2 but the recipe can easily be doubled. I occasionally double it when it's just us eating. If I'm good, I put half of the doubled recipe into a second container and into the freezer. If I'm not so good, we eat it all ourselves.... sometimes that night, sometimes as leftovers the next day. Yum!

Cheddar Bacon Penne
recipe modified from Taste of Home's Cooking for 2
Serves 2

1 cup uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp butter
4.5 tsp flour
1 cup skim milk
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Cooked and crumbled bacon strips, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté onion and garlic until tender; set aside. (If I'm feeling lazy, I sometimes skip the onion and garlic.)

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup cheese until melted.

Drain pasta. Add pasta, bacon and onion mixture to the sauce; stir to coat. Taste. :)

Transfer to a baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. We like to put ours under the broiler for a few minutes so the cheese is nice and brown.