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bacon crusted mac 'n cheese

thymeandmarjoram avatar
Recipe by
Diane C.
@thymeandmarjoram
Anytown, TX

I was joking with my husband that I wanted to jack up my mac 'n cheese. He said "With bacon?" I said "Sure." So I did. Because, you know, everything is better with bacon, right?

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yield 8 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 1 Hr
method Bake

Ingredients For bacon crusted mac 'n cheese

  • 2 c
    elbow macaroni
  • 4 Tbsp
    butter (can use margarine), divided into 2 x 2 tbs
  • 2 Tbsp
    all purpose flour
  • 1/2 c
    cheddar cheese (sliced, shredded, or cubed)
  • 1/2 c
    monterey jack cheese (sliced, shredded or cubed)
  • 1 slice
    velveeta - one inch thick, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces.
  • 1&1/2 c
    milk
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt
  • 1/2 tsp
    cracked black pepper
  • TOPPING
  • 2 Tbsp
    butter (can use margarine)
  • 1/2 c
    bacon, cooked and crumbled, (i used ready-made crumbles)
  • 12
    butter flavor crackers (i used ritz)

How To Make bacon crusted mac 'n cheese

  • 1
    Fill a 3 qt. saucepan 2/3 full of water. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Salt the water if you wish. Add the elbow macaroni. Don't cook the pasta for the full amount of time. Reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes. When done, drain and set aside.
  • 2
    In a medium saucepan, melt 2 T butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, whisking together to make a roux. It should look like creamy peanut butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just to remove the floury taste. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking to incorporate.
  • 3
    Add the cheeses, whisking to blend together. Add salt and pepper, stirring constantly, as the cheeses melt and the sauce thickens.
  • 4
    Spray a 2 qt. casserole with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the cooked pasta into the casserole. Top it with the sauce. Stir to coat the pasta. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • 5
    Bake the mac 'n cheese for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the topping. Topping: Crush the crackers. Crumble the cooked bacon. Melt the remaining 2 T of butter. Mix the crackers and bacon in a small bowl. Pour the melted butter over them and stir to coat. Sprinkle the topping over the mac n cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, til heated through.
  • 6
    Notes: If you don't use a cooking spray, you can just lightly oil the casserole dish. It helps with the cleanup. I do salt my pasta water before I cook the pasta. I used 4 slices (3 inch x 3 inch) of the cheddar and Monterey jack (I diced them) to equal a 1/2 cup. You can bake the topping for the full hour if you prefer a crunchy topping. I wanted a softer crumb topping so I baked it for 30 minutes.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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