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

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4.95 from 57 votes

Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon Gratin

By Nichole

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!

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 30 minutes mins

Total 50 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

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