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This article is all about how to make bacon mac and cheese.
There’s nothing quite like a bubbling dish of mac and cheese straight from the oven, but adding crispy bacon takes it to another level.
The smoky, salty bacon pairs perfectly with the creamy, cheesy sauce, and baking it at the end gives you that golden crust everyone fights over.
This is my go-to when I want comfort food that feels indulgent but still easy enough for a weeknight.
The best part is that you only need one pan for the sauce since you start by cooking the bacon in it.
The only part that is kind of annoying is shredding the cheese.
BUT I highly recommend hand-shredding the cheese, because the pre-shredded cheese in the grocery store just doesn’t melt the same.
It is worth the labour of love.
Ingredients
- 8 slices of bacon
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk (whole or 2%)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- 3–4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or a blend)
- 1 lb cooked macaroni pasta
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the pan, let cool slightly, then chop into small pieces. Drain most of the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving just enough to coat the bottom.
Add butter to the same pan and let it melt. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 2–3 minutes until it turns a golden brown color.
Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until it becomes a smooth, thick sauce.
Season the sauce with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, and mustard.
Lower the heat and add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted and creamy.
Add the cooked pasta and bacon pieces into the cheese sauce and stir until everything is coated.
Transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish and bake at 375°F for 15–20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
Nutrition Estimate (Per Serving, 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: ~580
- Protein: ~25g
- Carbohydrates: ~48g
- Fat: ~30g
- Fibre: ~2g
Nutrition will vary depending on cheese type and bacon thickness.
This bacon mac and cheese is rich, cheesy, and full of flavour. It’s the kind of dish that makes everyone go back for seconds, so you might want to make extra.
Ingredients
Method
- Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the pan, let cool slightly, then chop into small pieces. Drain most of the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving just enough to coat the bottom.
- Add butter to the same pan and let it melt. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 2–3 minutes until it turns a golden brown color.
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until it becomes a smooth, thick sauce.
- Season the sauce with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, and mustard.
- Lower the heat and add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted and creamy.
- Add the cooked pasta and bacon pieces into the cheese sauce and stir until everything is coated.
- Transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish and bake at 375°F for 15–20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.