For the Casserole:
- Half an onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon each of freshly chopped thyme & sage
- 3 cloves of garlic , minced
- 1 pound of macaroni noodles, cooked
- ½ cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 bunch of black/lacinato kale, blanched & chopped
- 5 strips of cooked bacon, roughly chopped
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked pepper
For the Cheese Sauce:
- 1.5 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cup whole milk
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked pepper
For the Herbed Breadcrumbs:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup Japanese style panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon each of freshly chopped thyme & Italian parsley
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Couple cracks of fresh pepper