Creamy Bacon Mac and Cheese

• Pasta – Use classic elbow noodles, corkscrew, cavatappi, fusilli or cellentani.
• Bacon – The star of the show. Bacon adds a little salty flavor to this savory dish. I prefer to use center cut bacon for less fat and grease.
• Butter – Unsalted is preferred since bacon is so salty.
• Garlic – pre-minced (bought in the produce section of your grocery store) or freshly minced garlic cloves.
• Flour – All purpose flour to make the roux.
• Milk and Heavy Cream – Evaporated milk can be substituted to provide creaminess without the fat.
• Cheese – Cheese is the main ingredient in this easy dish, so it’s important to let it shine. Use a block rather than pre-shredded for the creamiest mac and cheese. I like to use a combination of cheddar and gruyere, but you can use Monterey jack, mozzarella, gouda, parmesan, and more. Learn how to grate cheese here.
• Seasoning – Salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder.

Crumb Topping

• Panko – Fine bread crumbs toast to make a crunchy crumb topping.
• Oil – Melted butter, olive oil or canola oil.
• Parmesan – Fresh grated parmesan adds a hint of toasted cheesy flavor to the crumb topping.

Variations

• Spice it Up – Red pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder and paprika all offer great flavor for this dish. You can also use Italian Seasoning or Cajun Seasoning or a diced jalapeño.
• Add Veggies – Sautéed Peppers, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Mushrooms, the options are endless!
• Add More Protein – Ground beef, sausage, cubed ham, prosciutto, sliced hot dogs or lobster in lieu of bacon.
• Bacon Ranch – Add 2 tablespoons Ranch Seasoning to make bacon ranch mac and cheese!

How to Make Bacon Mac and Cheese

1. Prep – Preheat oven and grease baking dish.
2. Prepare Pasta – Slightly undercook noodles, drain and set aside.
3. Cook Bacon – Fry bacon and cut into bits.
4. Make Crumb Topping – In a small dish, combine panko, parmesan and oil.
5. Make Sauce – Create a roux, add cream and bring to a low boil, remove from heat, fold in cheese, seasonings, cooked pasta and bacon. Toss with sauce and top with panko.
6. Bake – Bake until bubbly and golden brown.

In a Slow Cooker

1. Eliminate heavy cream and add 1 can evaporated milk.
2. Whisk milk, flour and seasonings in a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
3. Add uncooked pasta and 4 cups of shredded cheese.
4. Cook on low until pasta is tender, approximately 3 to 4 hours.
5. Meanwhile, fry bacon and cut into bits.
6. Fold in bacon and top with remaining cheese.
7. Cover and cook until cheese is thoroughly melted.

Tips

• Prepare pasta al dente (slightly undercooked) so that the noodles hold up when stirring the sauce.
• Use fresh grated cheese. Cheese from a block is higher quality and doesn’t have anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. Learn How to Grate Cheese here.
• Remove sauce from heat before adding cheese. This will make the sauce incredibly smooth and creamy (and prevent grittiness).
• Add a little cheese at a time. This allows it to melt thoroughly.
• Use the highest fat milk you have.
• Use high quality ingredients for gourmet flavor.
• Make it one dish! You can prepare the noodles and sauce in the dutch oven, combine and put it directly in the oven for easy cleanup!

For even more bacon flavor, use bacon grease to make the roux.

Serving Suggestions

• As a side dish
• As a main dish
• Mac and Cheese Cups
• On pizza
• On burgers

Keep it Warm

• Turn off oven. Store covered in oven up to 20 minutes or at 180 degrees F to store longer.
• Alternatively, you can transfer this mac and cheese to your slow cooker after baking, to ensure you get the toasted topping and keep it at the perfect temp for serving!

Make Ahead

To make Mac and Cheese with Bacon ahead, prepare and instead of putting it in the oven, cover and refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months before baking.

To reheat from frozen, thaw in the fridge and bake as directed.

Shortcuts

• Use bacon pieces rather than fresh cooked bacon. You won’t notice the difference!
• Prepare everything in a dutch oven for easy cleanup.
• Cook your pasta and grate your cheese the day before you’re baking and serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.