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Image shows a Scoop of bacon mac and cheese with the entire casserole behind it.

Grown Up Mac And Cheese (With Bacon)

This delicious and creamy mac and cheese is a perfect comfort food dish. It has grown up flavors, but kids love it, too. Serve it as a main dish with a salad or as a side.
5 from 7 votes
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Course: main dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Fat
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 831kcal
Author: Michelle

Ingredients

For the mac and cheese:

  • 4 roma tomatoes
  • 1 pound bacon
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 pound cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 pound gruyere
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni

For the topping:

  • 1/2 cup Panko crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Prep tomatoes, removing seeds, dicing, and draining. Set aside.
    4 roma tomatoes
  • Grease
    2 quart casserole with butter, then coat with panko.
  • Chop bacon into matchsticks and add to a large pot. Cook on medium until crispy.
    1 pound bacon
  • Cook macaroni to al dente, and drain. Set aside.
    1 pound elbow macaroni
  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
  • Remove cooked bacon and drain.
  • Empty pot of bacon grease and add 3 tablespoons of grease back to pot. Add flour and whisk, cooking over medium heat 2-3 minutes.
    3 tablespoons flour
  • Slowly add the milk while whisking. Add pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then cook for 5 minutes.
    4 cups milk, 1 teaspoon pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Shred cheeses.
    1/2 pound cheddar cheese, 1/2 pound gruyere
  • After 5 minutes, remove milk from heat and add cheese in handfuls, whisking between each addition until melted.
  • Add macaroni to cheese sauce and stir. Add bacon and tomatoes, and stir again.
  • Pour into prepped casserole.
  • In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup panko crumbs and olive oil. Mix together, then sprinkle atop macaroni and cheese.
  • Bake at 325 degrees, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
  • Serve immediately.

Video

Equipment

Box Grater
Balloon Whisk
Balloon Whisk
3-Piece Round Casserole Set

Notes

  • If you prefer, use butter in place of bacon grease to start the cheese sauce.
  • Instead of gruyere, feel free to swap out your cheeses for more cheddar, manchego, cut up brie, or your other favorite cheese.
  • If you don't like tomatoes, you can leave them out.
  • If you don't have roma tomatoes, you can use canned diced or whole tomatoes. Just be sure to seed and drain them well.
  • For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 831kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1060mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1031IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 663mg | Iron: 2mg

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.