Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

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

Originally published December 2007.

As many readers already knowI am at home convalescing from an ankle surgery earlier this weekthe fourth in 3 ½ 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.

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.

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 brisketsteakssausagespulled pork and more.

This Bacon Macaroni and Cheese would be an idealindulgent 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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Yield: 10 servings as a side dish

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

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 inmake this an ultimate comfort food side dish or complete meal.

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4.4 Stars (26 Reviews)

Ingredients

• 2½ cups macaroni or scooby doo pasta

For the Sauce

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• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ pound smoked bacon
• 3 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon flour
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 clove minced garlicoptional
• 2 tablespoon 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 crumbsI use Ritz cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoon melted butter
• Pinch of cracked black pepper

For the Roasted Tomatoes and Onions (Optional)

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• 1 large red onionroughly chopped
• 2 large tomatoes chopped in large chunks
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• freshly chopped basil or other fresh herboptional
• 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

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

For the Sauce

1. In the microwavescald the milk almost to boiling
2. In a medium saucepanslowly fry he bacon. Cook to crisprendering 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 butterflourblack peppersalt & garlic.
3. Cook together for 1 to 2 minutes until foamy.
4. Whisking constantlyslowly 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 crumbsbutter 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 recipeadd 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 cookedyou 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 Programan 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 10-¼-Inch Logic Pre-Seasoned Skillet
• 
  OXO Good Grips Freezer-to-Oven Safe Glass Baking Dish with Lid8x8"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 entirelysuch as those with coatings on meatsor with sauces or dressings for examplecalorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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