Bacon Mac and Cheese is a delicious and easy to make baked macaroni and cheese! Creamy, cheesy, macaroni is topped with bacon and breadcrumbs for an unforgettable meal!
This recipe was originally published on my blog on March 11, 2016 and has been updated with new photos!
We absolutely LOVE mac and cheese in this house. My kids are big fans of my Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, but this one here with all of the bacon and toasted breadcrumbs on it…yeah, it’s my all time fave!
How to Make Bacon Mac and Cheese:
- The first thing that I do is dice my raw bacon and cook it over medium-high heat until it’s cooked through. Once it is cooked, I dump the panko breadcrumbs in and stir them around with the bacon. Then, set the bacon breadcrumb mixture aside.
- While the bacon is cooking I shred up all of my cheese. For best results shred your own cheese and don’t use the bagged pre-shredded.
- Set the cheeses aside and start boiling your macaroni according to package directions.
- Melt your butter and whisk in the flour. Let the flour and butter cook for about one minute to get rid of the “floury” taste.
- Next, slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth mixture.
- Now you will let your milk mixture simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes until it has thickened.
- Then, turn the heat off and stir in all of your shredded cheese until melted.
- Mix your cheese sauce together with your cooked macaroni and pour into a large baking dish. Top evenly with the bacon and breadcrumb mixture, then bake for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon Gratin
Bacon Mac and Cheese is a delicious and easy to make baked macaroni and cheese! Creamy, cheesy, macaroni is topped with bacon and breadcrumbs for an unforgettable meal!
Ingredients
- 6 Slices Bacon, Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Pound Macaroni, Cooked according to package directions
- 5 Tbsp Butter
- 1/3 Cup flour
- 3 1/2 Cups of milk
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded Gruyere Cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large nonstick skillet, cook chopped bacon over medium heat 5-8 minutes until it starts to turn golden.
- Add panko breadcrumbs to the bacon and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- When butter is melted whisk in the flour and cook for one minute. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Slowly whisk in the milk until your sauce is smooth.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes whisking occasionally until sauce has thickened.
- Add the cheeses to the sauce along with more salt and pepper to taste if desired. Stir and allow to cook for a few minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
- Next, add pasta to the sauce and stir until coated. Pour macaroni into a large 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle bacon/panko mixture over macaroni. Cook at 350 for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Notes
NOTE: This recipe is best when you shred your own cheese. I do not recommend using bagged pre-shredded.
Nutrition
Calories: 773kcal, Carbohydrates: 72g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 587mg, Potassium: 453mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 960IU, Calcium: 593mg, Iron: 1.9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Rate & review this recipe below!
Easy and very good! I added some sauted onions to mine.
Can this recipe be made in advance? Was wondering if I could put everything together in the baking dish, refridgerate, and then bake the next day. Thanks!
I had made some pretty bland mac and cheese. The next day, to make it more enjoyable, I fried a few slices of bacon and heated the leftover mac in some of the bacon grease with added cheddar cheese, half and half, smoked paprika, and chili and garlic powders. I then crumbled the bacon slices and added them into the mix and topped it off with diced green onions. Thank you for a recipe that inspired me to turn failed mac and cheese into a winning tasty lunch.
Added some apple smoked gouda for the razzle dazzle and it was a huge hit. Now they ask me to make this once a week.
Yum!!!
This was a huge hit with my family. They said was better than the mac n cheese at a steakhouse!
Thank you for this recipe! We’ve made it in my house twice in the past 4 days. Everyone keeps asking for more! I added a little smoked paprika to the sauce as well and felt that it added some nice flavor. Thanks again!
I forgot to ask earlier what brand of Gruyere cheese do you use? I never heard of this kind before. Is there a particular brand that you don’t recommend? Thank you.
Hi! I don’t use a certain brand usually. It’s easiest to find Gruyere at the grocery store up by the deli with the fresh/specialty cheeses. You usually won’t find it back with the pre-shredded cheese, if that makes sense. Hope that helps 🙂
I’m assuming you used a grater for the cheeses. Do you know if my food processor would do the same thing to the cheeses? That would be so much easier.
Yes, you can grate with your food processor if you want
Great recipe! I added a pinch of ground nutmeg and half a teaspoon of smoked paprika. I only have extra old cheddar and monterey jack cheese in my fridge and it worked! Everyone loved it. Thank you.