This creamy bacon mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Tender pasta is coated in a rich, velvety cheese sauce, topped with crispy smoked bacon and a crunchy Parmesan-herb breadcrumb topping, then baked until beautifully golden.
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Macaroni cheese is my go-to comfort food, and this creamy bacon version is one of my absolute favourite recipes. It's so simple to make, and best of all, it's bursting with flavour.
Love macaroni cheese? Try my easy slow cooker macaroni cheese too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Ultimate comfort food and easy to make.
- The rich cheesy sauce complements the crispy smoked bacon.
- Freezer-friendly pasta recipe.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Bacon - chopped maple-cured back bacon or smoked streaky bacon.
- Cheese Sauce - made with a classic roux base with butter, flour, and milk (full-fat for the creamiest flavour), and finished with grated (shredded) extra mature cheddar cheese, grated mozzarella cheese, and seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, and cider vinegar).
- Breadcrumb Topping - a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, Italian herb seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Parsley - freshly chopped to garnish.
🔪 How to make baked bacon mac and cheese
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. Meanwhile, dry fry the chopped bacon until golden and crispy in a non-stick frying pan.
Two: Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and stir in the flour to make a roux.
Three: Whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon.
Four: Take the white sauce off the heat and add the grated cheddar, grated mozzarella, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard, and cider vinegar. Mix until the cheese melts.
Five: Mix in three-quarters of the cooked bacon.
Six: Stir through the cooked pasta and add enough pasta cooking water to make a glossy sauce.
Seven: Mix together the breadcrumb topping ingredients (panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian herb seasoning).
Eight: Pour the macaroni cheese into an oven-proof baking dish and sprinkle over the breadcrumb mixture and reserved bacon pieces. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Garnish with chopped parsley
Top Tips
- Use freshly grated cheddar and Parmesan. Pre-grated cheese is often coated in flour to prevent it from sticking together and will affect the texture of the sauce.
- If you don't have macaroni, use any other short pasta shape. Penne, rigatoni, or cavatappi all work well.
- Lower the fat content and use semi-skimmed milk and half-fat cheese.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the bacon mac and cheese with a green salad or vegetables, such as air fryer asparagus or roasted Tenderstem broccoli as well as homemade focaccia or garlic bread.
📖 Variations
Here are a few ideas to take your bacon macaroni cheese to the next level:
- Garnish with fresh herbs like basil or thyme, and sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top for added crunch.
- Stir in a tin of drained sweetcorn for added sweetness and texture.
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick.
- Experiment with different cheeses-Gruyère or crumbled Stilton both add fantastic depth of flavour.
- For a creamier dish, top with grated mozzarella.
- For a more luxurious baked mac and cheese, replace half the milk with double cream and mix in caramelised onions for extra richness.
🥡 Storage
Make-Ahead - Prepare the mac and cheese up to the baking step and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Store - Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat - Reheat in the microwave until piping hot, using a microwave-safe bowl.
Freeze - You can freeze the dish, either baked or unbaked, for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before baking or reheating.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Use a cheese that melts well and has a strong cheesy flavour. I like to use extra mature cheddar cheese, Parmesan, and occasionally gruyere.
Not really! Due to the high-fat content of the cheese, butter and milk, macaroni cheese is not considered a healthy dish.
😋 More cheesy pasta recipes
- Chorizo Mac and Cheese
- Easy Macaroni Cheese
- Air Fryer Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Tuna Pasta Bake
- Easy Cheesy Pasta
- Creamy Boursin Pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
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Recipe
Creamy Bacon Mac and Cheese
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- 2 Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 250 g Macaroni
- 6 Smoked Bacon Rashers chopped
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 600 ml Milk
- 200 g Extra Mature Cheddar grated
- 100 g Mozzarella grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- 30 g Panko Breadcrumbs
- 50 g Parmesan grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian Herb Seasoning
- 2 tablespoon Parsley chopped finely
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°c (180fan/ Gas 6/ 425F)
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.250 g Macaroni
- Meanwhile, dry fry the chopped bacon until golden and crispy in a non-stick frying pan.6 Smoked Bacon Rashers
- Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and stir in the flour to make a roux.50 g Butter, 50 g Plain Flour
- Whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon.600 ml Milk
- Take the white sauce off the heat and add the grated cheddar, grated mozzarella, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dijon mustard, and cider vinegar. Mix until the cheese melts.200 g Extra Mature Cheddar, 100 g Mozzarella, 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard, 1 teaspoon Cider Vinegar, ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- Mix in three-quarters of the cooked bacon.6 Smoked Bacon Rashers
- Stir through the cooked pasta and add enough pasta cooking water to make a glossy sauce.
- Mix together the breadcrumb topping ingredients (panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian herb seasoning).30 g Panko Breadcrumbs, 50 g Parmesan, 1 teaspoon Italian Herb Seasoning
- Pour the macaroni cheese into an oven-proof baking dish and sprinkle over the breadcrumb mixture and reserved bacon pieces. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Garnish with chopped parsley2 tablespoon Parsley
Toni says
Everyone at my house really loved it! A new favorite for my kids!
Kathryn says
This mac and cheese was delicious! I could eat this every day and the bacon pieces took this to the next level. SO yummy!
Ieva says
Wow, this was amazing! Three types of cheese plus bacon and pasta in one dish? It doesn't get much better! Ultimate comfort food! So cheesy and delicious!
Catherine says
There's nothing I love more than a dressed up mac n' cheese dish. This looks absolutely delicious...so creamy and flavorful. The best comfort food!
Michelle says
Bacon and mac and cheese are a match made in heaven. I love this simple weeknight dish!