This smoky bacon macaroni and cheese is decadent, gooey, and good to the last bit. Kid-approved and crazy easy to put together!
Preparing homemade Mac & Cheese has been a no-brainier for many years in our home. With all of the dilemma about branded foods using food coloring in their Mac & Cheese products, we have been sticking to a homemade version. But hey – I might still use food coloring here and there, although the more natural the better. The great thing is that making your own Mac & Cheese is as simple as preparing the “boxed” version.
To pamper it with a kick of flavor, I used smoked Gouda cheese and crispy pieces of bacon. With nicely baked crisp tops, this will become the best Mac & Cheese you have ever drooled over. And, say, if you’re preparing this for kids – you will truly become their hero!
Other Pasta Dishes to Try:
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz Elbow Macaroni
- 12 oz Bacon
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
- 2 cup Whole Milk
- 2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
- 1 cup Mozzarella
- 2 cup Colby Jack Cheese
- 1 cup Smoked Gouda (Sold at Costco)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Lay out each slice of bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the sheet covered with bacon into the oven; bake until golden and crispy. Lay out cooked bacon on a paper towel, to get rid of any excessive grease.
- Using a sauce pan, warm up butter, 1 cup of milk and whipping cream. Whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk together with flour, until there are no lumps. Add flour mixture to the sauce pan. Once the milk is hot, whisk in Dijon mustard; also add diced or shredded Colby Jack cheese and smoked Gouda cheese.
- Add macaroni into the sauce and stir to combine. To the the macaroni, add most of the bacon pieces, leave a bit behind for sprinkling.
- This step is optional, but that crust on top is such a drool! Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle it with shredded mozzarella cheese and the remaining bacon pieces.
- Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until the tops are crispy.
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