BLT Mac and Cheese

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place bacon pieces in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from the skillet and set on paper towels to drain excess grease. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease, and carefully discard any extra or save for another use.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Return 1/4 cup bacon grease to the skillet, adjusting heat if the skillet is too hot. Whisk in flour until smooth. Allow flour mixture to bubble gently and cook, whisking regularly, about 1 minute. Whisk in canned tomatoes with liquid and milk. Whisk until smooth and mixture is bubbly and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. If mixture is too thick, thin with a little more milk.

5. Stir in Cheddar cheese and stir until cheese has melted into the sauce. Thin with a little bit of milk if needed. Taste mixture and season with salt and pepper. Stir grape tomatoes and broccoli into the sauce. Add cooked and drained noodles and stir gently to coat. Fill mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with bacon pieces.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until top is bubbly and broccoli is crisp-tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Toss arugula with some lemon juice and serve atop the mac and cheese.

Cook's Notes:

You can use a mix of your preferred cheeses instead of only Cheddar cheese.

Instead of lemon juice, you can toss arugula with a little vinaigrette.