Bacon Mac and Cheese

My Bacon Mac and Cheese is a delicious family-friendly meal that contains crispy bacon, crunchy breadcrumbs, and a creamy cheese sauce. You will love this delicious Baked Mac and Cheese. It’s an easy meal that offers comfort in every bite.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine International

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 1030kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

Pasta Base:

200 g (7 oz) dried macaroni or elbow pasta See Note 1
1 teaspoon olive oil
150 g (5 oz) bacon - cut into 1 cm (0.5 inch) cubes
1 medium brown/yellow onion - finely chopped

Sauce:

¼ cup (60 g) butter
¼ cup (40 g) all-purpose/plain flour See Note 2
2 ½ cups (625 ml) milk
2 ½ cups cheddar cheese - freshly grated See Note 3
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste See Note 5

Breadcrumb Topping:

1 cup (90 g) panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup (60 g) butter – melted

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C (355 F).
In a medium frying pan, heat the oil and fry the bacon and onion until slightly caramelised (8-10 minutes). Turn out onto some paper towel to drain any excess oil and set aside.
In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until very al dente. Drain and set aside. (See Note 4.)
In the same saucepan you cooked the pasta, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the flour and using a whisk, stir well. Cook for 1 minute to avoid a floury taste.
Add in half the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps forming. Add the remaining milk.
Cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring regularly, until a pouring cream consistency is reached.
Remove from heat, and whisk in the cheese. Add the bacon and onion mixture and pasta, and season to taste.
Grease a 20cm (8 inch) square baking dish and add the pasta mixture to the dish.
In a small frying pan, melt the remaining butter and once melted, mix through the panko breadcrumbs. Top the pasta with the breadcrumbs.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden on top. Allow the pasta to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Macaroni, elbow pasta or another short pasta works best for this recipe. Avoid long, thin pasta such as spaghetti, or small pasta such as risoni. Choose a pasta that catches and holds the sauce.
For a gluten-free option, use the appropriate flour, pasta and breadcrumbs.
Use freshly grated cheddar cheese. The pre-shredded cheeses contain an anti-caking agent which prevents the cheese from clumping which also prevents the cheese from properly melting. It will affect the texture of the sauce.
It is important to undercook your pasta as it will cook further when baked.
Adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour.
Please note, the nutritional information is based on four serves. The nutritional information is an estimate only.

Nutrition