Bacon Mac N Cheese

Homemade Bacon Mac and Cheese is a simple twist on a classic dish made to perfection. Filling comfort food made with your favorite pasta, creamy cheesy sauce, and thick-cut bacon crumbles this perfect dish is as easy and delicious as it gets!

We love all things cheese and pasta and know you do too. Our Gouda Mac n Cheese and our Bacon Mac n Cheese Cups are some of our most popular recipes.

If you’ve been searching for an unforgettable macaroni and cheese recipe with a twist, this one is it. It’s thick, creamy, filling and so flavorful.

The familiar aroma of the cheese and bacon combination as you are stirring it is mouth-watering but tasting the dish really is everything.

Having the base of a simply delicious mac and cheese recipe means you can come up with your own variations.

Elevate your everyday pasta and cheese with bacon. With this simple twist, you’re adding a whole other flavor profile and taking an already delicious classic and turning it into a spectacular, yet easy bacon macaroni.

The two most important things about a party are the people and the food, and not necessarily in that order 🙂 Macaroni, and cheese, while it may seem simple, it is extremely versatile and totally customizable. This means you can tweak it for different occasions.

Serve it as a quick and easy make-ahead side dish during the holidays, or add a little food coloring to it at your next Halloween party. Spice it up with some added jalapenos for game day parties or make it for your family any night of the week–just because.

No matter how or when you’re serving it, this inexpensive and easy Mac n Cheese with bacon is perfect for serving a crowd of any size on any occasion!

Love Macaroni & Cheese? We have so many variations to choose from here!

Ingredients

• Cheddar Cheese – Depending on how aged your cheddar is will determine how sharp of a flavor it is. If you prefer a more tangy mac n cheese, old or extra old work well. Feel free to swap out the cheddar for other favorites such as Gouda, Swiss, American, any smoked hard cheese, and even Velveeta!
• Heavy Cream – Using heavy cream will help with the consistency and thickness, adding more body to your mac and cheese.
• Thick Cut Bacon – Using thick bacon will add more bite to your bite! If you choose to use thin cut just keep in mind cooking time, you don’t want to overcook your bacon and end up with burnt bits in there.
• Flour
• Butter
• Box of Pasta – You can’t go wrong with an elbow or straight macaroni. If you want to use an extra curly pasta to hold all of that cheesy goodness you can use Cavatappi. If you have other short pasta on hand in your kitchen, you can use that too.

Looking for more comfort food? You can find all of our casseroles here!

How to make it

• Cook pasta according to directions on the box, to al dente. This means it will still have a bit of firmness to the bite. No one likes mushy pasta!
• In a small skillet, crisp the thick-cut bacon until extra crispy. Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel to blot off extra grease.
• Take some of the bacon fat and butter and add to saucepan. Add flour while constantly whisking it, creating a roux. Cook for a couple of minutes to bring out that nutty flavor. Adding bacon fat with the butter will deepen that yummy bacon flavor.
• Slowly add the heavy cream to your roux while continuously whisking. Once it is combined, and smooth, switch to a wooden spoon. Stir until the sauce thickens and is able to coat the back of the spoon. You should be able to run a finger down the back of the spoon and cut the sauce in half.
• Once the sauce is thick, add the shredded cheese and stir to incorporate. You can remove it from the heat at this point if necessary.
• Pour sauce over pasta and coat evenly. Add most of the bacon, with the exception of a handful, and stir to combine.
• Crumble the last bit of bacon over the top and serve.

Variations

Bacon Jalapeno Mac N Cheese

When stirring the roux, add 1- 2 tablespoons of diced jalapenos (depending on how much “heat” you want) just before adding the heavy creamy. This will make the sauce zesty and spicy! Follow the rest of the recipe as given.

Turkey Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Use up the leftover cooked turkey from Thanksgiving by tossing in turkey at the same time you add the bacon crumbles.

Broccoli Bacon Mac n Cheese 

Add small cooked pieces of broccoli when adding the bacon to get some veggies into your pasta!

Common Questions in making this cheesy pasta recipe

Can I make it ahead of time? Yes! You can make the macaroni and cheese and decide to either completely bake it at a later date and time or you can warm in a 325 degree oven until warm throughout and once cooled store it in an airtight container. If keeping it in the baking dish, seal with plastic wrap tightly.

I’m trying to cut back on calories, can I use milk in place of heavy cream? You can use milk no problem. The consistency will be a little thinner with it, but it will taste just as good. Use at least 2% milk.

What can I serve it with? Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon is a standalone dish that can hold its own as a main dish served with a light side salad or coleslaw. On the flip side it’s also a great side dish for things like hamburgers, ribs, chicken wings, fried chicken and more!

You may also like these:

• Taco Pasta
• Spinach Artichoke Pasta ~ another version of macaroni & cheese
• Chicken Artichoke Casserole
• Tuna Noodle Casserole
• Easy Cottage Pie
• Ham and Potatoes
• Easy Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
• Spicy Asiago Shrimp Mac and Cheese Recipe

Hashtag any recipes you make from West Via Midwest #westviamidwestrecipes or tag me @michele_westviamidwest on Instagram to be featured on our stories!  

Yield: 8

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Print

Extra Creamy Mac n cheese with subtle bacon flavor with bits of bacon stirred in and crumbled on top. A filling twist on a popular classic that's perfect for entertaining at the holidays, game days or to bring to the company potluck.

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Box Pasta
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 6 slices Thick Cut Bacon
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 6 Tablespoons Flour
• 3 Cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 2 3/4 Cups Heavy Cream

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to box instructions --- to al dente- drain water and set aside.
2. In a small skillet crisp the thick-cut bacon until extra crispy.
3. Remove from the skillet and place it on a paper towel.
4. In a saucepan take 2 tablespoons bacon fat and 2 tablespoons of butter and place in the bottom of a small saucepan. Then add the flour while constantly whisking it. Cook the flour for 2 minutes to bring out the nutty flavor.
5. Slowly add the heavy cream while continually whisking it. Once combined switch to a wooden spoon and stir until the sauce thickens to coat the back of the spoon in a thick glaze. If you pull your finger through the sauce on the back of the spoon it will stay separated and not roll back and cover the spot where you ran your finger.
6. Add the shredded melted cheese and stir until the cheese is fully melted.
7. Pour over the pasta stirring to coat evenly.
8. Add all but a handful of bacon and stir to spread throughout.
9. Crumble the last of the bacon and sprinkle over the top and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 563Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 738mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 17g

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. Please calculate your own nutritional information if you want it exact to what you make and use my calculations as a guide only.

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