Go Back

Creamy & Delicious | Southern Baked Bacon Mac & Cheese

Super low-effort, creamy and cheesy baked mac and cheese! A crunchy top makes this mac and cheese absolutely perfect for the colder season!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups bow-tie pasta (or any small sized pasta)
  • 3 cups milk (1% or more)
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ⅓ cup flour
  • 2 cups Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese (or any high-melting cheese of preference)
  • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese (do not use pre-shredded)
  • 1 cup bacon (about 6 slices diced)
  • ¼ tbsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tbsp onion powder
  • ¼ tbsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp parsley flakes (optional)
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (or italian breadcrumbs)

Instructions
 

  • Begin by preheating the oven to 350° and filling a pot with salted water to boil.
  • Cook your choice of pasta for the recommended cooking time, minus 1-2 minutes (you want these to be al-dente as they will continue cooking in the oven). Once cooked, remove from heat and add a small splash of butter/vegetable or olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking,
  • In the meantime, fry the bacon until crisp edges form and most of the fat has been cooked off.
  • In a separate saucepan combine butter and flour and stir constantly, until roux forms.
  • Add 1 cup of milk at a time to the roux and continue mixing with a whisk to make sure no clumps remain - about 5 minutes. You want the consistency to be reminiscent of mushroom soup - cream should be thick, but still run. Add the spices now. Remove from heat.
  • Add the shredded cheese to the milk mixture to make the cheese sauce. Mix just until combined.
  • Add the bacon to the pasta, and then pour in and mix in the cheese sauce.
  • Transfer to a casserole dish and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs and garnish with black pepper before setting to bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown crust forms. Do not overbake.
  • Sprinkle with parsley flakes. Serve immediately!

Notes

  1. Make sure not to overcook the pasta, as it will continue cooking in the sauce when in the oven. 
  2. You can use Italian breadcrumbs instead of panko, but panko are more crumbly and large and give a better crunch to the dish.
  3. If you like extra cheesy, stringy mac and cheese, sprinkle an additional cup of grated mozzarella on top of the casserole in addition to the panko.
Keyword baked, baked goods, casserole, cheesy, mac and cheese