Thought nothing could beat regular macaroni cheese? What about creamy, cheesy macaroni with salty, smoky bacon and sweet, buttery leeks, all topped with the crunchiest, crispest panko breadcrumb topping and extra cheese? Have I convinced you yet? Then you are going to love my Leek and Bacon Macaroni Cheese!
I am so excited about this recipe…because, let’s face it, it’s hard to better a classic, but with this new recipe I think I’ve just gone and done it!! Macaroni cheese (or mac and cheese as my US friends would say) has been one of the staples in my life since, maybe forever…it’s something my mum always made as an easy weeknight dinner for us as kids and something I’ve made countless times since…it’s one of my easy fallback dinner options for when it’s been a busy day and the cupboard is bare.
It’s so easy to throw together and shove in the oven and so, so delicious…especially if you add a little Dijon mustard to the cheese sauce 🙂
I have a couple of versions on my blog…my Super Simple Macaroni Cheese which is a pretty classic mac and cheese recipe with a couple of neat little twists – it was actually the second recipe I ever shared on this blog (do go and have a laugh at the terrible photos!) and then another version involving butternut squash in the sauce that I imaginatively called Easy Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese, which is really yummy too and just that teensy bit healthier.
Easy Butternut Squash Macaroni Cheese
But to be honest, I never thought I would better my classic macaroni cheese…until I came up with this version. It’s insane… leeks and bacon is a bit of an awesome combo anyway, but when added to this gorgeous creamy, cheesy macaroni, it totally takes it up a notch…so far, so good, but then I threw panko breadcrumbs and extra cheese all over the top…and whoa – now you are talking. It’s just too good!!
Honestly, I ate this until I was full and then I carried on eating and then I ate a bit more whilst I was doing the washing up…and then I was sad because I had that very uncomfortable feeling in my stomach which indicates that I have eaten waaaay too much. I literally had to throw the rest in the bin to stop myself eating any more!
Seriously, if you are on a diet or attempting any kind of weight loss at the moment…DO NOT MAKE THIS – it is properly ADDICTIVE!!!
So yeah, probably not the healthiest recipe on Easy Peasy Foodie, but definitely one of the yummiest…#sorrynotsorry.
This macaroni cheese recipe also features a couple of neat tricks, one to cut down on the washing up and the other to ensure making the cheese sauce is really easy peasy (and no lumps!).
It would be quite easy to create a washing up nightmare with this recipe…one pan for the pasta, one for the cheese sauce, one for the bacon, maybe even another one for the leeks and then put it all together in an oven dish…a total of 5 pans to wash up – NO THANK YOU! To cut down on the washing up, I have cooked the bacon and the leeks in the same pan as the cheese sauce, and because I used my trusty cast iron pot, all I needed to do was stir in the pasta, sprinkle over the panko topping and shove it in the oven…thereby using only 2 pans – whoop, whoop! If you don’t have a cast iron pot, you can do the same thing with an ovenproof saucepan.
And to make the cheese sauce really easy to do, I’ve added the flour in to the pan with the bacon and leeks, stirred it around to evenly distribute and then added the milk. No idea why this works so well (I’m sure there’s some clever science behind this – do please enlighten me if you know!), but I always find that if you have some onions/leeks/carrots/bacon etc. in the pan before you add the flour, it’s so much easier to make a lovely smooth white/cheese sauce with no nasty lumps.
To go with this delicious Leek and Bacon Macaroni Cheese, all you need is a simple side salad – I went for a bag of mixed baby leaves, dressed with my current absolute favourite Honey, Mustard and Cider Vinegar Dressing. Or alternatively, if you are a 6 year old boy, I am reliably informed you need to serve this, or indeed any version of macaroni and cheese with a large portion of baked beans (my little boy cried last time I made macaroni cheese and didn’t make any baked beans to go with it!).
For me the best wine to go with this incarnation of macaroni cheese is a lovely crisp unoaked Chardonnay, which cuts beautifully through the richness of the cheese, bacon and butter in this recipe, but a soft red, such as Grenache or Merlot would work well here too.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Leek and Bacon Macaroni Cheese
Ingredients
- 250 g macaroni (NOT quick cook)
- 180 g lardons or diced smoked bacon
- 40 g butter
- 1 large leek sliced
- 20 g plain flour
- 500 ml milk
- Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 100 g mature cheddar cheese grated
- 50 g panko breadcrumbs
- 100 g salad leaves (to serve)
- 1 quantity Honey, Mustard and Cider Vinegar dressing (to serve)
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 220C / 200C / gas mark 7 / 425F.
- Cook the macaroni in plenty of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes less than you would normally do it. This is important or your macaroni will end up soggy and stodgy. Drain reserving a little of the cooking water.
- Heat a wide oven proof saucepan or cast iron casserole dish over a high heat and add the lardons (or diced bacon). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until starting to brown.
- Turn down the heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted add the leeks and fry with the lid on for about 3 minutes, until the leeks are nicely softened.
- Sprinkle over the plain flour and stir well, then add the milk very slowly, stirring constantly until thickened. When the sauce is roughly the thickness of double (heavy) cream add in a few twists of black pepper, the Dijon mustard and 50g/2oz of the cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and then turn the heat off.
- In a small bowl place the panko breadcrumbs and the remaining 50g/2oz of the cheese. Mix together to make the topping.
- Tip the macaroni into the cheese sauce, together with about a tablespoon of the cooking water, and stir to combine. Scatter the panko topping evenly over the top and place in your preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Notes
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Corina says
Oh yummy! I’m sure adding bacon makes anything cheesy even better as it’s such a great combination and gives so much flavour. The leeks must go so well too and at least you can feel you’ve made the macaroni cheese just a little bit healthier by adding some vegetables! x
Eb Gargano says
Hahaha – yes, if you eat enough of it, this macaroni cheese will probably give you 1 of your 5 a day – practically a health food then!! ;-D Eb x
Julie McPherson says
I love macaroni cheese, in fact I remember craving it when pregnant. Adding bacon to it takes it a whole new level. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-up Editor.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Julie 😀 It really is soooo good!! Eb x
Mandy says
Macaroni cheese and baked beans! I love the sound of that. Kids are hilarious. I would leave the bacon out of this of course but the leeks and the panko breadcrumbs sound like the perfect additions to mac n cheese.
Eb Gargano says
I reckon it would still be a very good Mac n Cheese even without the bacon…and you could always sneak in a few extra veggies too! My son is obsessed with baked beans…they are by far his favourite food group 😀 and must be present with macaroni cheese or there will be guaranteed tears!!! Eb x
Midge @Peachicks' Bakery says
ok so ordinarily not a fan of mac & cheese (too much of a dairy-fest for me) BUT this looks lovely. I love the idea of panko on the top – I usually put stuffing mix on but def going to try breadcrumbs next time I make a dairyfree version for home! Also know that the leek/bacon combo would be VERY popular in this house! Thanks for sharing x
Eb Gargano says
Yey! I’m glad I’ve tempted you with my Mac and Cheese! The leek bacon thing is a little bit awesome and the panko breadcrumbs just makes it!! Although I am rather liking the stuffing mix idea…you have just planted a little seed of an idea in my head…watch this space! 😀 Eb x
emma says
OMG, I just want to eat all your food!! Macaroni and cheese is one of the only dishes my husband makes – but it’t not as posh as this, haha! #freefromfridays
Eb Gargano says
Aw, Emma – thank you!! Do you know what, this may look posh, but it really isn’t – it’s almost as easy as the standard version…and in some ways easier (the cheese sauce is actually easier to make this way), but it really does taste very good!! Ppretty much that’s what I aim to do for all my food – recipes that look and taste fancy, but are secretly very easy indeed! Eb x
Jan says
This is a winner! I’ve made it 3 times in the last month! My son requested it again the second time and I made it for my husband tonight. As there is 3 of us my son took leftovers to school to share with his girlfriend the next day, who says romance is dead? The only change was to add more milk for more sauce to dunk garlic bread into!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks so much for this lovely comment Jan! I am so pleased you and your family love it so much – you have made my day!! Eb 🙂
Chris says
OMG! Most delicious recipe ever! Made this last week with unsmoked bacon and it was great. Made it again last night with smoked bacon and it took it to a whole new level again. My husband must have said how fantastic it was about 30 times. I make my own breadcrumbs but next time might try crushing some plain crisps on and then top with the cheese. YUMMY!
Eb Gargano says
Yay! Thank you so much for this lovely comment and for the 5* rating. Delighted to hear you and your husband loved it so much. Love the idea of using crisps instead of breadcrumbs! Eb 🙂
Louise says
Making this was the best decision I have made. I looked at so many recipes but am so glad I chose this one. I used red onions instead of leeks as thats what I had available (cooked in a dash of chilli oil), and I may have been extra generous with the cheese, but it was so worth it. Me and my other half managed to polish off the whole thing between us, I even went back for seconds when I didn’t need them. Definitely keeping hold of this recipe.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! Thank you for this lovely comment 😀 I am delighted that you and your OH liked this so much! Eb 🙂
Effie says
Maid this again today. It’s a recipe I keep coming back to. Mac & cheese is the ultimate comfort food, but add leeks and bacon to it, which I love, and it becomes extra special. So very yummy!!!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, I am so happy to hear that. And I totally that leeks and bacon take macaroni cheese to the next level! Thanks so much for leaving a review… and especially for the 5 star rating! Eb 🙂
Ann Camarata says
When you cook the leek and bacon first, then add the flour, you are basically making a rue which thickens the mac & cheese further as it cooks, which is why you need to add some pasta water to the mixing ingredients.
Hope this helps.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Ann. I know that the flour and fat combo is a roux. (I use this often for my macaroni cheese recipes and to thicken sauces.) What intrigues me is why, if you already have some onions, leek or bacon in the pan, it makes it so much easier to achieve a lovely smooth sauce. I find if I don’t have anything else in the pan, I have to work much harder and really ‘babysit’ the sauce to achieve a perfectly smooth sauce. If you have any knowledge of the science behind this I’d love to know! Eb 🙂