How To Make Bacon Mac And Cheese

What Is The Best Cheese To Use For Macaroni And Cheese

How to make BACON MAC AND CHEESE STEP BY STEP!â?¤

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.

How To Make Bacon Bourbon Mac And Cheese

Prep: bake the bacon on a baking sheet. Chop or crumble. Shred the cheese.

Cheese sauce: Make a roux by mixing flour and bacon fat. Brown for about 2 minutes . Whisk in the milk, but take your time. This is a heavy flour roux, so adding the cream too quickly will create lumps. Add the milk, bit by bit, until youve added it all. Add the cream next. Then, add the seasonings, and simmer until thickened. Turn off the heat, and stir in the shredded cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake: Stir in the macaroni noodles and bacon. Turn into a casserole dish. Top with additional cheese and bacon, and bake for 15-20 mins at 350Â°F.

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Tips For Success And Faqs:

For a baked pasta dish, it is important to have your pasta slightly undercooked. It will cook further when baking and nobody wants soggy pasta.

As well, before turning the mixture into a baking dish, be sure to check that the seasoning is to your taste: an under-seasoned dish will be bland.

What is the best cheese to use?

I have used cheddar for its flavour and the way that it melts. As well, it is readily available in the supermarket. Ideally, for the best flavour, look for an aged cheddar.

Can I use pre-shredded cheese?

You really need to grate your own cheese. The pre-shredded cheeses contain an anti-caking agent which prevents the cheese from clumping. This also prevents the cheese from properly melting.

Can I use another type of pasta?

Yes, you can. Ideally, avoid long, thin pasta such as spaghetti, or small pasta such as risoni. Choose a pasta that catches and holds the sauce. Macaroni, sometimes called elbow macaroni, is the go-to pasta but you could also use small shells.

Why You Will Love This Pasta

Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe (Creamy & Delicious)

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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How To Make Baked Mac And Cheese:

Cook the Pasta: Cook your favorite pasta according to package instructions, just until al dente t! Strain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Cook the Bacon in a large skillet until perfectly crispy. Leave a tiny bit of that delicious bacon grease in the pan for the next step the sauce!

Make the Sauce: Melt butter, whisk in flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in milk. Mix together cornstarch and half and half. Gradually add it to skillet followed by mustard, chicken bouillon, onion powder, garlic, powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until slightly thickened and remove from heat. Stir in cheddar cheese.

Add cooked pasta and some of the bacon.

Add topping: Pour mixture into 8×8 baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Add Panko, melted butter and olive oil to a skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until crumbs are golden brown. Evenly sprinkle bread crumb mixture over the gourmet mac and cheese. Add remaining bacon crumbles on top.

Bake at 350° F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm.

Gourmet Bacon Mac And Cheese

Crispy pork belly and 5 different kinds of cheese melted together to create the ultimate Gourmet Bacon Mac and Cheese. This is the kind of macaroni and cheese adults can swoon over.

Crispy pork belly and 5 different kinds of cheese melted together to create the ultimate Gourmet Bacon Mac and Cheese. This is the kind of macaroni and cheese adults can swoon over.

A while ago we ate at a local gastropub called The Flying Pig, and we havent been that impressed with a meal in a long time. We started off our meal with an incredible bacon mac and cheese. I inquired as to the types of cheeses that went into this magical creation and was given an answer. It was easy enough to experiment a little at home and come up with a great replica of the dish.

They used a really great diced pork belly for their bacon which I only wish I had. We subbed pancetta which was still absolutely delicious. The cheese sauce combines goat cheese with white and yellow cheddar and brie. Its then topped with provolone and baked, creating a scrumptious crust. We found a tasty sharp provolone and shredded it on top, but you can use slices from the deli just fine. This stuff is seriously good. We may have fought over the leftovers

Making The 3 Cheese Cheese Sauce

I make my cheese sauce with a simple butter and flour roux base. Roux is a paste of butter and flour combined together, used to thicken the sauce. Cook the roux for at least a minute to prevent the sauce from tasting like raw flour.

When adding the milk, add it 1 cup at a time and whisk vigorously after each addition. It will look clumpy at first but keep adding the rest of the milk and whisking until its smooth. I also like to add a cup of chicken or veggie broth to add more flavor. If you want and extra rich sauce, substitute 1 cup of the whole milk with 1 cup heavy cream.

Next up, the cheese!! I love to add a good amount of sharp, aged cheddar cheese. It adds the most flavor! I also add a bit of nutty and sweet gruyere cheese. If you cant find it, try using parmesan, mozzarella or aged white cheddar. And last, cream cheese. The cream cheese makes this cheese sauce extra creamy! If you dont like cream cheese, mascarpone will also work well for this recipe.

Cook the cheese sauce over LOW heat to allow the cheese to melt slowly until its super smooth and creamy. I recommend using a whisk to break up the cream cheese.

Top Tips For Perfect Bacon Mac And Cheese

Mac Daddy Bacon Mac and Cheese with Guy Fieri | Food Network

Always use block cheese. Try your best not to use pre-shredded cheese when making a cheese sauce. Sometimes there can be an anti-clumping agent in pre-shredded cheese.

Be sure the sauce isnt too thick when you mix it in with the pasta. The sauce will thicken when the mac and cheese bakes in the oven.

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Tips For A Perfect Mac And Cheese

Go slow when adding the cream to the roux. Good things take time, and going too quick will result in a lumpy sauce. We spent about 3 minutes getting incorporating the cream.

Dont add the cheese until the sauce has been removed from the heat. If you add cheese over the heat, you risk the cheese separating. This gets lumpy, and the cheese will add oil to the sauce. Not delicious.
You can edit the cheeses if youd like. Gouda pairs perfectly with the bacon and bourbon, and cheddars are a mac and cheese classic. We have enjoyed this recipe with a little mozzarella, gruyere, and cream cheese too!
For a spicy kick, add Â¼ teaspoon of cayenne to the cheese sauce. Its delicious.

If youre a fan of breadcrumb topping, mix 2 tablespoons of melted butter with Â½ cup of bread crumbs, and add it during the baking process.
Baking is optional, if youd prefer to eat it right away, go for it! We love doing the double bake with mac and cheese.
Go light on the whiskey. Youll be surprised at how much you actually taste it. I originally used 1 tablespoon, but added a second tablespoon and it was very noticeable!

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.

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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.

Can You Freeze Mac And Cheese

How to Make the Cheesiest Mac and Cheese with Bacon

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.

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Bacon Macaroni And Cheese Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F . Grease a 2 qt baking dish or large baking pot, set aside

In a large bowl, whisk together cream of bacon soup and milk until smooth. Stir through shredded cheese, chives and cooked elbow macaroni to combine. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and melted butter sprinkle over pasta. Bake the mac and cheese for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Homemade Mac And Cheese With Bacon

I feel like there is so much to say about this mac and cheese recipe that I dont even know where to start! My love of mac and cheese is a strange one. Its like that boy you dated your freshman year, and it was alright because you were both pretty immature but you knew it wasnt love or anything so eventually you parted ways. Then, years later, you bump into him at a restaurant and he is like super fine and he wants your number, but you hesitate because he was the guy that thought wet willies were a great way to flirt. You figure, what the heck, lets give this another shot! Within months you are inseparable and you are in love and everything is the best ever. And then you get married and have babies. Happily ever after, right?!

So now apply that weird story of my relationship to mac and cheese. I was cool with eating that boxed stuff for a while, but eventually I outgrew it. I tried the fancy boxed mac n cheeses but it made me gag. So I just stopped eating mac and cheese altogether. Then many years later, one of my favorite food blogs posted a recipe for homemade mac and cheese and I got pretty stoked! Homemade mac and cheese?! I didnt even know you could do that! So I cooked up some stuff from scratch and it was rather decent. I knew it needed a few modifications to match my grown up standards, but it had to be classic enough to not scare away my kids.

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Bourbon Bacon Mac And Cheese

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Jack Daniels bacon bourbon mac and cheese combines all of the best comfort foods into a show stopping homemade mac and cheese recipe that everyone will love.

A smokey cheese sauce is filled with bacon and gouda, then macaroni noodles are added before its baked to perfection.

Serve bacon bourbon mac and cheese next to some chicken breasts and a caesar salad, or just eat a whole bowl. We wont judge.

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How to Make Bacon Mac and Cheese! Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe!

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

MORE AWESOME MAC AND CHEESE RECIPES:

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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.

Storing And Reheating Mac And Cheese

Bacon bourbon mac and cheese stores really well.

Let it cool, and cover it with plastic wrap before storing in the fridge for up to 4 days.

When reheating, add 1 tablespoon of milk or heavy cream per cup of mac and cheese, and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between.

The pasta will soak the cheese sauce up as it sits, so adding a little milk will help keep the sauce silky smooth while reheating.

Mac and cheese doesnt freeze well, the sauce becomes grainy.

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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!