Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese. Three cheeses and plenty crisp bacon cooked right in, make this an ultimate comfort food side dish or complete meal.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Originally published December 2007.

As many readers already know, I am at home convalescing from an ankle surgery earlier this week, the fourth in 3 1/2 years. I’m feeling much better now and won’t labor you all with that tale of woe.

It is a good and very appropriate time however to touch on the subject of comfort food and what qualifies more in that category than mac ‘n cheese. Spouse whipped this bacon flavoured version yesterday as a twist on a comfort food classic.

Crisp cooked bacon.

I prefer my mac n’ cheese on the purist side but do admit that tomato and onion are good complimentary flavours that others often add. I prefer to add these as a side dish and the very simple recipe for roasted tomatoes and onions follows as well.

Vine ripened tomatoes are great for this recipe but you can use the same amount of canned tomatoes out of season.

One of the things I love most  about our family’s southern BBQ road trips are the delicious side dishes that are served up beside all the smoked or grilled brisket, steaks, sausages, pulled pork and more.

This Bacon Macaroni and Cheese would be an ideal, indulgent side dish for any summer BBQ.

Looking for even more delicious BBQ side dishes?

Be sure to check out out growing collection of 35 best Barbecue Side Dishes.

You might also like our Cheddar Chive Biscuit recipe:

Like this Bacon Macaroni and Cheese recipe?

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Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Yield: 10 servings as a side dish

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese - 3 cheeses and plenty crisp bacon cooked right in, make this an ultimate comfort food side dish or complete meal.

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Ingredients

• 2½ cups macaroni or scooby doo pasta

For the Sauce

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• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ pound smoked bacon
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 clove minced garlic, optional
• 2 tbsp regular or Dijon mustard
• 6 ounces mozzarella
• 6 ounces aged cheddar
• ½ cup grated Parmesan

For the topping

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• 1 cup cracker or bread crumbs, I use Ritz cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• Pinch of cracked black pepper

For the Roasted Tomatoes and Onions (Optional)

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• 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 large tomatoes chopped in large chunks
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• freshly chopped basil or other fresh herb, optional
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Start by cooking the pasta to al dente (or slightly under)

For the Sauce

1. In the microwave, scald the milk almost to boiling
2. In a medium saucepan, slowly fry he bacon. Cook to crisp, rendering out as much of the fat as possible. Drain on paper towels and strain all the fat from the pan.Do not clean the saucepan but return it to the stove and add the butter, flour, black pepper, salt & garlic.
3. Cook together for 1 to 2 minutes until foamy.
4. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in scalded milk. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes stirring constantly.
5. Stir in the mustard.
6. Grate the cheeses and blend them together.
7. Butter an 8-10 cup casserole dish. Place ⅓ of the pasta in the bottom of the dish. Pour on ⅓ the sauce. Scatter half the bacon over the surface. Sprinkle ⅓ of the cheese over the bacon layer. Repeat the layers ending with cheese on the top. Sprinkle on the crumb topping

For the Topping

1. Mix together the crumbs, butter and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over the top.
2. Cover the casserole dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes longer. If you double this recipe, add additional baking time for larger casserole dish.

Roasted Tomatoes and Onions

1. In a baking dish toss together all of the ingredients.
2. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to half an hour tossing once during the cooking time.
3. When fully cooked, you can toss in some freshly chopped basil or other fresh herb of your choice if you like.
4. Serve as a condiment with the mac n' cheese.

Notes

Nutritional information does not include the roasted onions and tomatoes.

Recommended Products

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

• 
  Lodge L8SK3 10-1/4-Inch Logic Pre-Seasoned Skillet
• 
  OXO Good Grips Freezer-to-Oven Safe Glass Baking Dish with Lid, 8x8", Clear
• 
  Rock Recipes: The Best Food From My Newfoundland Kitchen

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 371Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 66mgSodium 825mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 17g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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