Bacon Macaroni And Cheese Directions
Creamy Bacon Mac And Cheese Recipe
An easy creamy bacon mac and cheese recipe topped with herby Parmesan breadcrumbs and crispy smoked bacon pieces.
An easy weeknight dinner that both adults and kids will love!
Macaroni cheese is my go-to comfort food dinner, and this creamy macaroni cheese with bacon is one of my very favourite recipes!
It’s super simple to make, and best of all so tasty!
Love macaroni cheese? Try my easy slow cooker macaroni cheese too!
What I Love About This Recipe:
- Crumb Topping: The Panko bread crumb topping elevates the dish and adds great texture and taste, making it restaurant quality.
- TheHomemade Sauce starts with a basic roux, and then a few spices to enhance the flavor and make the BEST, creamy, cheesy sauce for mac and cheese. If youre looking for a very traditional version, try my regular mac and cheese recipe.
- Family Favorite: This is a huge crowd pleaser that I serve year round! You can bring it as a side to serve along with ribs, pulled pork or chicken, or serve it as a main dish with a side of green beans or roasted veggies.
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How To Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Slice the onions into even, 1/4-inch slices and toss in heated olive oil/butter. Caramelize slowly over medium/low heat. Remove and set aside.
Cook bacon until crispy in a large skillet while the onions caramelize. Remove and set aside. Reserve 4 Tbsp. bacon drippings and heat them in the same skillet. Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and milk in splashes, stirring continuously.
Add the seasonings and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Separately, boil the pasta until just al dente and drain.
Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in the shredded cheese. Add the caramelized onions and stir to combine.
Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Garnish with bacon and parsley.
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VARIATIONS ON BACON MAC AND CHEESE
- Pepperoni Mac: Pepperoni and bacon taste amazing together. Add some mini pepperoni slices to your mac and cheese and top with mozzarella cheese for a pizza spin.
- Toppings: Give your Baked Mac and cheese more crunch by sprinkling the top with breadcrumbs, mixed with seasonings and butter, during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
- Bacon Ranch: Make this into mouthwatering Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese recipe. Take 2 cups of shredded chicken and 2 tablespoons dry Ranch Dressing Mix and combine in skillet. Add chicken mixture to your pasta before baking.
- Pasta: Switch up your pasta by using another small noodle that has curves or hollow centers perfect for catching more of that delicious cheese sauce. We like to use cavatappi, fusilli, or small shells.
MAKE AHEAD BACON MAC AND CHEESE
To make this dish ahead of time, follow recipe until it is time to add to oven. You can store in the freezer, covered in foil for up to 3 months, and in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat from frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as usual.
SLOW COOKER BACON MAC AND CHEESE
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Serving And Storage Instructions
This recipe is one of the most requested dinners at home. My boys love it to bits and pieces, and I cant blame them because its really good! I could eat it all day! Leftovers are rare and close to impossible.
But anyway, if you want to save some for later:
- Store You can store the leftovers in a dry and clean airtight container.
- Refrigerate It will keep in the fridge for up to four days.
- Freezer If properly stored, it will last in the freezer for up to two months.
Reheating Leftover Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Oven Bake the leftover in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes at 350/177, covered with aluminum foil.
- Microwave Reheat a small serving for 1-2 minutes in 30-second blasts or until heated through.
Pro Tip: Add about a tablespoon of butter and a splash of milk to your leftover mac and cheese before reheating to bring back moisture and flavor. You may also need to season it with salt and pepper.
Why We Love This Recipe:
When it comes to comfort food, nothing tops a baked pasta dish such as my Bacon Mac and Cheese. This is an easily prepared recipe, which is made from readily available ingredients that you may already have on hand and the addition of bacon can only be a good thing!
You will love this recipe because:
- It is family friendly.
- You can make it ahead of time.
- It is creamy and cheesy, with a crispy breadcrumb topping.
- You can make it gluten-free. Just use appropriate pasta and gluten-free flour for the sauce.
- It is pure comfort food.
- Bacon makes so many things better.
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What Is The Best Cheese To Use For Macaroni And Cheese
The key to macaroni and cheese is using a cheese that melts well. I like to use cheddar because it melts well, it tastes great and has a nice color. You will want to use a medium or sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor. Avoid the extra sharp aged cheeses. Aged cheddars tend to separate or get oily when heated and do not melt well.
What Ingredients Do I Need For Bacon Mac And Cheese
- Plenty of bacon. Dont be skimpy! You need twelve ounces to get enough bacon-y flavor. I prefer regular over thick-cut here because the bacon cooks up thin and crispy, which is a nice contrast to the soft, cheesy pasta. And were not wasting the precious bacon fat. It serves as the base for the cheese sauce.
- A combination of cheeses. Although cheddar and bacon is a classic combo, using some Monterey Jack in addition to the cheddar keeps the sauce smooth and creamy.
- The remaining sauce ingredients. Youll also need milk, flour, mustard powder, and salt to make the sauce.
- Macaroni. And of course, macaroni! Go with the classic shape, or small shells work great too.
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How To Make Bacon Mac And Cheese:
- The first thing that I do is dice my raw bacon and cook it over medium-high heat until it’s cooked through. Once it is cooked, I dump the panko breadcrumbs in and stir them around with the bacon. Then, set the bacon breadcrumb mixture aside.
- While the bacon is cooking I shred up all of my cheese. For best results shred your own cheese and don’t use the bagged pre-shredded.
- Set the cheeses aside and start boiling your macaroni according to package directions.
- Melt your butter and whisk in the flour. Let the flour and butter cook for about one minute to get rid of the “floury” taste.
- Next, slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth mixture.
- Now you will let your milk mixture simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes until it has thickened.
- Then, turn the heat off and stir in all of your shredded cheese until melted.
- Mix your cheese sauce together with your cooked macaroni and pour into a large baking dish. Top evenly with the bacon and breadcrumb mixture, then bake for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy!
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Making Fabulous Bacon Mac And Cheese
You will cook your bacon first, and part of the bacon fat will be left in the pan to lightly saute your garlic.
This is a fantastic base of flavor that you will built upon to create an amazing mac and cheese!
The next key to making this dish as tasty as possible is to cook the pasta in the chicken stock .
As noted above, the chicken broth is measured precisely so you won’t need to drain, and the pasta will soak up the delicious chicken broth flavor.
So, layer one of flavor is your bacon and garlic. Layer two of flavor is the chicken-broth-enhanced pasta. Layer three will be your cheeses, butter, and cream.
And then, layer four will be the bacon crumbles that you add at the end – YUM!
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead:You can make this creamy baked mac and cheese recipe 1-2 days ahead of time. Prepare the sauce, cook the noodles, and store both separately in the fridge until ready to bake.
To Freeze: Make the entire dish, but freeze before baking. Allow it to cool completely in the 8×8 pan, cover it well with plastic wrap and tinfoil and store it in the freezer for 2-3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake until warmed through and the cheese is bubbly on top.
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Recipe
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More Delicious Recipes For You To Try:
We love a comforting pasta dish! Here are some more of our favourite recipes that are all simple to prepare and so tasty:
My Bacon Mac and Cheese is a family-friendly meal that offers comfort in every bite. It is an easily prepared meal which is suitable for weeknights or relaxed dinners with friends. Take it to potlucks or give a dish to help someone out. It is always well received.
Alex xx
Baked Macaroni And Cheese With Bacon
What is so special about this dish? Simple it has bacon in it! Duh!
Kidding aside, youll definitely love this recipe for its simplicity. Yet it is full of savory and bold flavors from bacon and a combination of different cheeses. The extra kick of heat from Creole Seasoning and cayenne is enough to create a flavor explosion in your mouth. And Im telling you, its really comforting, not to mention highly addictive, too.
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How To Get Creamy Macaroni And Cheese
I am on a mission to make sure no one has grainy homemade mac n cheese ever again and in my research discovered this awesome tip. Do NOT put the pan back over the heat to melt the cheese. The ingredients in the pan are already hot enough to do the job of melting the cheeses. If you get cheese too hot that is when you will end up with a grainy texture. After you have stirred in the cheese, pour the mixture over the cooked noodles and serve. Best served hot!
Why You Will Love This Pasta
Craving comfort food? We’ve got you covered. Macaroni and cheese is the perfect comfort food. It is creamy, cheesy, and satisfies everyone.
And we kicked up our recipe a notch by adding bacon. Bacon makes everything better, so adding it to our mac and cheese recipe gave it that extra delicious twist. There is a slight smokey and salty flavor that tastes amazing!
The best part is that this pasta recipe is so easy to make. It only takes 30 minutes to prep everything and make it on the stove top.
If you are looking for a fast dinner idea that will please everyone at the table, give our homemade mac and cheese a try tonight! You won’t be able to resist a second helping.
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The Best Bacon Mac & Cheese
Theres not much that cant be improved by the addition of bacon. Its the secret ingredient in my award winning best chili recipe , the base of my ultimate potato soup, and its also Zachs favorite food group. Its the perfect balance of chewy, salty and smoky, and its the star of todays bacon mac and cheese recipe.
While this recipe is inspired by my classic baked mac and cheese, its not just that recipe with a bit of bacon tossed. No, todays recipe is truly next-level. We start with a bacon and butter-based roux, use a fresh new blend of cheeses , toss in some smoked paprika for incredible depth of flavor , and top things off with a crispy, buttery, and bacon-infused topping.
I think youre really going to love this one. Lets get cooking!
How Do You Make Bacon Mac And Cheese
For bacon mac and cheese, you first want to cut bacon into small squares and cook it in a pan. Some of the bacon fat gets mixed with flour, milk and water to make a sauce, and the pasta simmers in the sauce until tender. Add a generous amount of cheddar cheese, and stir in the crispy bacon. Add more bacon for garnish, along with a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy.
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Tools For This Recipe
– Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- This is the skillet I used in this recipe, . Its pricey, but it conducts heat really well and is oven safe. The size is perfect and the quality is great.
- Box Cheese Grater Always shred your cheese from a block. Packaged shredded cheese doesnt melt nearly as well.
- Pasta Strainer This is the one I have and love.
How To Reheat Mac And Cheese
To reheat frozen mac and cheese, place the mac and cheese in a baking dish. Cover the mac and cheese and bake it at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour. Uncover the mac and cheese and let it bake another 10-30 minutes until the mac and cheese is hot and bubbly.
This bacon mac and cheese combines classic creamy mac and cheese with the savory crunch of bacon to make an unbeatable combination.
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Can You Freeze Mac And Cheese
Yes, a creamy cheesy macaroni and cheese freezes very well. The extra sauce helps to keep the noodles moist when you reheat the pasta.
Let the pasta cool completely, then spoon servings into a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove any plastic wrappings and reheat on the stovetop or microwave. Add 1 tablespoon of milk per serving to help the cheese sauce become creamy again.
Ingredients In This Recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Dried pasta I use elbow pasta or macaroni. They are similar, but macaroni is generally a tubular shape and elbow pasta has a bend in it. Use gluten-free if you wish.
Olive oil just a little to start the bacon and onion cooking.
Bacon adds flavour and texture.
Brown onion also known as yellow onion.
Butter to make the roux for the sauce.
Plain/all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce. Use gluten-free if you wish.
Milk full cream or fat reduced.
Cheddar cheese use freshly grated cheese. Dont use pre-shredded cheese as they contain anti-caking agents that dont melt smoothly and may make your sauce grainy
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper check the seasoning is to your taste. Under seasoned Bacon Mac and Cheese will be bland.
Panko breadcrumbs are light and flaky and give the dish a crispy topping.
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Bacon Macaroni Cheese Ingredients
Bacon: I prefer thick-cut bacon in this recipe. But, you can use regular bacon as well.
Noodles: I went with elbow macaroni for the noodles. Use pasta noodles that you prefer and be sure to cook them al dente before adding the cheese sauce.
Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper was added to the cheese sauce with ground mustard and garlic powder. But, you could definitely leave it out.
Cheese: Shredded sharp cheddar cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese are the kinds of cheese I used. But, you can certainly kick it up with whatever cheese blend you would like.