Bacon Mac and Cheese
Bacon Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food: a grown up version of the classic childhood dish we all know and love. It's rich, hearty and full of creamy, craveable flavor!
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Pasta
- 16 ounces pasta
Bacon
- 6 slices bacon or bacon pieces
Crumb Topping
Sauce
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups gruyere shredded
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x13 casserole dish.
- In a skillet, fry bacon. Cut into bits.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta. Prepare noodles al dente. Drain, drizzle with oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine panko, butter or oil and parmesan. Set aside.
- Melt butter in large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour. Whisk continuously until golden, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk and heavy cream until smooth. Whisk about 5 minutes.
- Add onion powder, paprika and pepper.
- Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in cheeses until smooth.
- Fold in bacon and pasta. Stir until well combined. Transfer to casserole dish or bake in dutch oven.
- Spread panko mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake approximately 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="LUH4ABKq" upload-date="2020-11-24T00:00:00.000Z" name="Creamy Bacon Mac and Cheese" description="Creamy bacon mac and cheese with a buttery, crunch! It's the ultimate side dish or dinner everyone will love! This quick and easy recipe is always a crowd pleaser!"]
Notes
Make In a Slow Cooker
- Eliminate heavy cream and add 1 can evaporated milk.
- Whisk milk, flour and seasonings in a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
- Add uncooked pasta and 4 cups of shredded cheese.
- Cook on low until pasta is tender, approximately 3 to 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, fry bacon and cut into bits.
- Fold in bacon and top with remaining cheese.
- Cover and cook until cheese is thoroughly melted.
How to Store
- Room Temperature - Don't leave out more than two hours.
- Refrigerate - Store in an airtight container up to three days refrigerated. Add a touch of heavy cream or milk to reheat.
- Freeze - Store in an airtight container up to three months in the freezer. Transfer to refrigerator to thaw before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 679kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1321IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 652mg | Iron: 1mg