Easy Bacon Macaroni Cheese

5 from 3 votes

Bacon makes everything better, right? OK, perhaps not quite everything… but it certainly makes mac and cheese taste next level! This super easy Bacon Macaroni Cheese recipe features crispy smoky bacon, oozing melted cheese, a wonderfully crunchy breadcrumb topping and perfectly cooked pasta – comfort food at its finest!

Course Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine American, British

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 697kcal

Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

250 g macaroni (NOT quick cook – see Note 1)
180 g lardons (or diced smoked bacon)
25 g butter
20 g plain flour
500 ml milk
Black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
100 g mature cheddar cheese grated
50 g panko breadcrumbs

Metric - US Customary

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.
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add the lardons (or diced bacon). Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until nicely browned.
Turn the heat right down and add the butter. When the butter is melted, sprinkle over the plain flour and stir in well, then add the milk very slowly, stirring constantly until all the milk has been incorporated. Continue cooking until 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 just melted and then turn the heat off.
Tip the macaroni into the cheese sauce, together with about a tablespoon of the cooking water, and stir to combine. Then tip the macaroni and sauce into an ovenproof dish.
In a small bowl place the panko breadcrumbs and the remaining 50g/2oz of the cheese. Mix together to make the topping.
Scatter the panko topping evenly over the top of the macaroni cheese and place in your preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Notes

Whatever you do, do not make this with quick cook macaroni…or it will end in total disaster, AKA mush…you have been warned! 😉
Not suitable for freezing. (Well, technically you can, but I don't recommend it.)
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition