Mac and Cheese, the ultimate classic comfort food, is a house favorite. Well, really a guilty pleasure! For my Bacon Mac and Cheese Casserole, I load it with crispy bacon, cheddar, mozzarella and cream cheeses. The perfect cheesy pasta dish. Topped with crunchy Panko breadcrumbs and baked to a bubbly, golden brown it’s an undeniable indulgence.
I felt like making some Buffalo Chicken the other evening with some pasta on the side and got the idea for this Bacon Mac and Cheese. With a little of that influence coming from Franks Hot Sauce, like in my Baked Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, it was my go to for that kick of heat.
Keeping with that crunchy exterior of the meatballs, I made sure to add that aspect as the topping for this Bacon Mac and Cheese Casserole.
Cheeses that are perfect for melting like mozzarella, Monterey jack, cream cheese, and Brie are wonderful all gooey and soft. Dipping your bread in, smothering pasta or all stretchy on top of pizza, it’s all good. The reason for this is the high moisture content. See the proteins are loosely packed with lots of water mixed throughout them, so they liquefy really quick. Unlike hard, low moisture cheeses that contain so little water in them that it’s harder to melt.
That’s why I chose cream cheese and lots of mozzarella with a nice touch of sharp cheddar. Everything better with cheddar – and bacon!
So if you’re looking for a different mac and cheese recipe this version using cream cheese and a little buffalo hot sauce is for you. Feel free to omit the hot sauce if it’s not for you, but I highly recommend it. Watch the video below to see how easy this is to make.
Super cheesy and gooey, loaded with bacon and tender pasta all topped with a buttery, crunchy, golden brown crust.
If you love cheese like I do try my Cheddar Bacon Jam Puff Pastry Bites, Green Chili Chicken Mac and Cheese Muffins or this Chili Mac and Cheese Casserole. Enjoy!
This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking August 2017 and has been updated with a new video.
Bacon Mac and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 4 slices thick cut bacon
- 6 tbsp butter separated
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese (or Monterey Jack)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped (loosely packed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of melted butter, Panko breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot boil pasta in heavily salted water per package directions. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent sticking in a 9x9” square or a 13x9” pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, render bacon until crispy and browned. Remove bacon and set aside to crumble. Keep bacon fat in pan. Add crumbled bacon to pasta, reserving some to top pasta at serving.
- In same skillet with bacon fat add 4 tablespoons of butter and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Add the milk and whisk to mix thoroughly. Whisk in the mustard, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 4 minutes, the sauce will thicken.
- Add the cream cheese and stir to melt in the sauce. Add the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and stir to melt and incorporate. Sauce should be smooth.
- Pour cheese sauce over pasta and bacon and stir to mix in completely. Top with breadcrumb mixture and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until top is golden brown and crunchy.
Thanks so much for this recipe! We made this for thanksgiving and it was a HIT. I used an extra sharp cheddar and I substituted a white cheddar for the Monterey jack and Fontina for the cream cheese . It was a little stiff (I’m guessing because I didn’t use the cream cheese) but everyone still loved it and they have requested it again for Christmas.
Excellent. You could always thin it a bit with a little milk, too.
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it? If so – how long would you recommend in the oven?
I have not made it that way, so I would recommend thawing it out first.
I definitely will be trying this Recipe! I have been looking for quite some time for one that looks as delicious as this. I make a pretty tasty Mac and Cheese but need a new recipe to try, and this seems to be it!
So glad you found me then Emily. Hope this gets added to your Mac and Cheese library! 🙂
This looks yummy! I want to make it for our camping trip. Can I make it ahead of time and bake it when we get there?
Yes, but I’d add a little milk or water to bake it as I’m sure most of the sauce with be absorbed by the pasta.
I’m pretty sure I could live off of this. Thanks for sharing, and for the thorough cheese explanation!
So glad you think like I do Nick. 😉
Kevin..could you make this in a crockpot? Sounds great.
I haven’t tried it myself, so couldn’t give you the exact cooking times Sheri. If you do it, let me know and I’ll update the recipe Notes.
Ok Kevin. Thank you. Making it over the weekend so I’ll lay you know.
Sounds good. 🙂
If I triple the recipe should I triple all ingredients?
Yes.