Bacon Mac And Cheese
Bacon Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food, blending creamy, velvety cheese with smoky, crispy bacon in every bite. Ready in just 35 minutes, it’s a quick yet satisfying meal that feels like a warm hug on a plate.
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni dry
- 8 strips thick-cut bacon uncooked and cut into pieces
- 2 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted is fine
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
- 3 cups whole milk see note for different types of milk
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese see note
- 1/2 cup freshly shredded gouda cheese
For Panko Topping
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup seasoned panko
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and lightly butter a 1 ½ quart baking dish. Set aside.
- Begin cooking the elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Once finished, drain, rinse under cold water, and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, place chopped bacon in Dutch oven and turn stovetop heat to medium. Cook until bacon is crisped and then carefully remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside. Once cooled, crumble or chop bacon into small pieces.
- Drain all but approximately 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease and add 2 Tablespoons of butter to the pot over medium heat.
- Once butter has melted, sprinkle flour overtop and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Continue to cook, stirring, another 30-60 seconds to toast the flour.
- Add spices (salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, and smoked paprika, if using) and stir well.
- While still whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Continue to stir over medium heat until milk and butter are completely combined.
- While stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Your whisk or spoon should leave a trail through the sauce and it should coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove sauce from heat and add shredded cheeses. Stir until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add cooked, drained pasta noodles and half of the chopped bacon and stir well.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and begin preparing Panko seasoning.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently until panko is toasted golden brown.
- Add remaining bacon and toss with the panko. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over macaroni and transfer to 350F (175C) oven. Bake for 15 minutes then allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before digging in.
Nutrition
Calories: 553kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 23gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 793mgPotassium: 321mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 712IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 429mgIron: 1mg
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