Home-baked macaroni and cheese take the boxed options to a new level. Add goose bacon to the mix and the flavour elevator climbs to the next floor. And with a texture-rich delicious topping, this Wild Side Mac N’ Cheese will have you scouring the freezer for more goose breasts to make more.

Goose bacon is easy to cure and smoke and can be used anywhere you enjoy regular bacon. Keep the skin and fat on the breasts; it will render like pork bacon with extra flavour. Use the same cure recipe to make venison or black bear bacon, following the same steps.

Ingredients:

Goose Bacon Cure

• 5 lbs goose breasts, boneless
• ¾ cup kosher salt
• 1 tsp Prague Powder #1 curing salts
• ⅓ cup brown sugar

Panko Topping

• 1 ½ cups panko crumbs
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

Mac N' Cheese

• 2 cups goose bacon, diced
• 454 grams elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 156 ml can tomato paste
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Goose Bacon Cure

1. Mix the salts and sugars in a shallow bowl and stir.
2. Clean and pat goose breasts dry with a paper towel. Rub the cure mixture over the entire skin surface and the meat of each breast in equal amounts. Put the breasts in a large zipper bag, skin side down, push out any air, and seal.
3. Place the curing breasts in the refrigerator for five to seven days and turn the bag over every day or two. Extra days in the cure will not hurt the meat.
4. When curing is complete, remove the breasts and rinse under cold water. Place the breasts in a bowl, fill it with cold water, and let them sit for 20 minutes. Repeat the rinse steps. Remove the breasts from the rinse water and dry them with a towel before placing them on a rack to air dry on a counter. When the skin and meat have a dry sheen on the surface, they are ready to smoke.
5. Place the breasts in a smoker for two to three hours at 150°F. Monitor the internal temperature of the goose and remove when they hit 125°F (time will vary based on the size of the breasts).
6. Allow the bacon to cool, then slice for use.

*You can eat it from the smoker, like a medium-rare grilled goose, but it is best fast-fried with a small quantity of oil or butter. It can also be diced for any recipe that calls for bacon.

 

Panko Topping

1. Mix panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and paprika in a medium bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

 

Mac N' Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Dice 2 cups of goose bacon and add to a medium bowl.
3. Add pasta to salted boiling water and cook one minute less than directed on the package to ensure it is al dente. Drain, toss with olive oil, and set aside.
4. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add butter. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and garlic. Cook until lightly browned.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic and stir to mix thoroughly. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Over medium heat, whisk the milk into the onions and flour. Mix until thickened. Add the tomato paste and oregano. Stir until warmed throughout.
7. Gradually stir cheeses into the pan. Once combined, stir in the pasta and bacon. Pour contents into a large, greased baking dish.
8. Sprinkle the top of the macaroni mixture with the panko crust topping and cook in oven for 25 minutes or until the top is brown. Serve hot.