Baked Macaroni & Cheese With Bacon
Who doesn’t love delicious baked macaroni and cheese? I elevated the flavor by adding cooked bacon, two kinds of cheese and topped with buttered Panko Crumbs for a delicious flavor. Whether you eat it as a side dish or a meal, your family will love it!
Using a fork, combine melted butter with panko crumbs then set aside.
Crumble bacon into small pieces and set aside.
Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.
Spray a 9”x13” oven safe dish with cooking spray.
Add the garlic, salt and pepper to a large bowl.
Whisk in the heavy cream and half-and-half.
Add in the cheddar cheese, Mexican-style cheese and bacon.
Stir to combine.
Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl then pour the cheese mixture on top. Gently toss until cheese is melted.
Pour into the prepared dish.
Top with the prepared bread crumbs. Bake in a preheated 350º oven, uncovered, for 60 minutes.
Let sit for 15 minutes then garnish with fresh parsley (optional) and serve.
Baked Macaroni & Cheese With Bacon
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
Ingredients
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1 cup panko breadcrumbs
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5 Tbsp butter, melted
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1 Tbsp garlic, minced
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1 tsp salt, or to taste
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½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
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1 cup heavy cream
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2 cups half-and-half
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2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
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2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
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1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
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16 ounces elbow macaroni
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Fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Prepare a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a small bowl combine bread crumbs and butter, set aside.
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Crumble bacon into small pieces, set aside.
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Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.
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In a large bowl combine garlic, salt, and pepper.
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Whisk in the heavy cream and half-and-half.
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Add in the cheddar cheese, Mexican-style cheese and bacon then stir to combine.
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In a large bowl, pour in the drained, hot macaroni. Pour the cheese mixture on top then gently toss until the cheese melts.
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Pour into the prepared dish then top with the prepared bread crumbs.
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Bake, uncovered, for 60 minutes or until a golden brown.
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Cool for 15 minutes, garnish with parsley then serve. Makes 8-10 servings.
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
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Categories: Bacon, Bread crumbs, Butter, Cheese, Garlic, Half-and-Half, Macaroni
Always a delight 😋
Thank you Ribana!
The bacon makes it
It really did, this was my first time putting bacon in it!
yes!
Thank you Beth!
You put lots of twists into this basic recipe. I sounds delicious.
Although there is a lot of cheese in this recipe, I have never liked anything overly cheesy. By adding the Panko Crumbs, it had a crunch that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you Linda!
Panko and bacon are great ways to elevate a baked Mac and cheese. Looks just delicious, Diane! 😋
It was very good and a nice crispy crunch on top, I love Panko Crumbs! Thank you Ab!
Delicious !
Thank you Susan!
Nope, wouldn’t need a side dish – would eat it as is!
Hahaha That’s exactly what I did, for three days! I am having trouble cooking since my hubby’s ordeal. I will have to throw 2/3 of the casserole out.
Oh, that is a shame – you have to freeze it since you have a microwave!
I’m not crazy about frozen leftovers unfortunately.
OH this looks so yummy.
Thank you Eunice
Creamy, smokey, salty, cheesy – this recipe is everything we love!
I agree! Thank you Mary!
Bacon “goes with” anything for me, and when you pair it with a classic Mac and Cheese…that checks all the boxes for me, Diane!
This was the first time I put bacon in macaroni and cheese. I put it in everything else so I figured why not this.
Yum! You can’t go wrong with bacon and mac and cheese!!!
I can’t believe I never thought about it before this. Thank you Tierney!