Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

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This bacon macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. Made in 30 minutes on the stovetop, bacon mac and cheese is rich, creamy, cheesy and loaded with bacon—an easy dinner your whole family will love.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Author: Laura

Cost: $10

Equipment

Ingredients

16 ounces elbow macaroni (uncooked)
12 ounces bacon
2 Tablespoons salted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups whole milk
½ cup sour cream
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Finely dice bacon into small pieces.
Cook macaroni in salted water according to package instructions. Drain, but do not rinse.
Cook the diced bacon over medium heat in an 6 to 8-quart saucepan until slightly crispy ( 5-8 minutes), stirring often.
Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove bacon from the pan and transfer it to a bowl or plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
Melt butter over medium heat in the pan with the bacon grease.
Once the butter is melted, add flour, salt, and pepper, whisk to combine and cook for 1 minute.
Then, add the whole milk and sour cream and heat over medium heat until the sauce is thick. Stirring or whisking often.
Turn heat to low and whisk in cheese until melted.
Then, turn off the heat, add the cooked macaroni and stir.
Then stir in bacon. If desired, reserve about ¼ to ½ cup of the bacon to sprinkle on top.
The bacon macaroni and cheese thickens as it cools, so you can serve it immediately or let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitution Notes

Macaroni. Any pasta variety works well in this recipe. Some suggestions include shells, wagon wheel pasta, bowties, rotini, etc. You can also use gluten-free pasta, whole wheat macaroni, chickpea pasta, etc. etc.
Bacon. this recipe calls for 12 ounces of your favorite bacon. Any variety works well. I don't suggest using turkey bacon, however.
Salted Butter. unsalted butter works great.
All-Purpose Flour. There are a few substitutions that work well for the flour including corn starch, tapioca starch/flour, and all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Whole Milk. I suggest dairy with fat in it like whole milk, heavy cream and half and half for the best results.
Cheddar Cheese. shredded gouda, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, etc. are all good substitutes.

Store/Freeze

Store leftover bacon mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.

Nutrition