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December 27, 2016

Baked White Cheddar Mac ‘n Cheese with Bacon

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Cheesy, bacon-y, yum.  Ladies ‘n gents . . . white cheddar mac ‘n cheese with bacon!

Baked White Cheddar Mac 'n Cheese with Bacon - this easy recipe is great for grown-ups and kids alike!

Baked White Cheddar Mac 'n Cheese with Bacon - this easy recipe is great for grown-ups and kids alike!

When did we become grown-ups???

My favorite meme floating around is about that horrifying moment when you look around for an adult and realize you are an adult.  So you look for an older adult–an adultier adult.  Someone better at adulting than you.

David and I are probably particularly bad at adulting just because we are such children at heart.  Cartoons on Saturday mornings and hot chocolate loaded with marshmallows. (okay mine is loaded–david wants seven.  yes, seven.)  Juice over wine, soda and tea over coffee.  Nickelcade and mini golf date nights, and believing in the magical powers of mac ‘n cheese.  Sick?  Mac ‘n cheese. Tired?  Mac ‘n cheese.  Melancholy?  Mac ‘n cheese.  Homesick?  Mac ‘n cheese.

Baked White Cheddar Mac 'n Cheese with Bacon - this easy recipe is great for grown-ups and kids alike!

Baked White Cheddar Mac 'n Cheese with Bacon - this easy recipe is great for grown-ups and kids alike!

This past Christmas was David’s and my first Christmas without our parents – just us and fuzzybritches on the floor around the Christmas tree.  It was bittersweet – a roller coaster between wonderfulness and missing home.  Early on Christmas Eve, we couldn’t help our thoughts drifting to Socorro, where we knew family was singing carols by candlelight at the church.  Later on Christmas Eve, we snuggled into the couch with the puppy and just sat in the dark with nothing on except the tree lights and Christmas music. I thought my heart would burst from being so full and happy.  I fought to stay awake just so I could have another and another and another moment of that contented peace.  Christmas morning was back to thoughts of Sandy, wishing we could be there eating quiche and cinnamon pull-a-part and watching everyone open their gifts.

So we ate mac ‘n cheese.  Not exactly the traditional Christmas day lunch, but again–children.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  And all was good. Or . . . at least . . . cheesy. And bacon-y.

So… for the kids or the kids-at-heart… white cheddar mac ‘n cheese with bacon! Where is it taking you back to?

Baked White Cheddar Mac 'n Cheese with Bacon - this easy recipe is great for grown-ups and kids alike!

wyldflour

6-8 large bowls

Baked White Cheddar Mac ‘n Cheese with Bacon

20 minPrep Time

40 minCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb pasta - shells or macaroni
  • 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons butter, divided, + extra for greasing the pan
  • 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • 3 cups extra sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup fontina cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground garlic
  • 7 slices bacon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Place bacon strips on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Start checking bacon after 15 minutes and pull when it is starting to crisp. Use tongs to move bacon to a paper towel-covered plate. Set aside. (Save bacon grease for greasing the pan, if you like.)
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Cook pasta according to directions and set aside.
  5. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
  6. Add breadcrumbs and stir continuously over medium heat until thoroughly browned and toasted--about 1 minute. Pour into small bowl and set aside.
  7. Return saucepan to medium-low heat and melt 1/4 cup butter.
  8. Once melted, use a silicone whisk to whisk flour into butter to make a roux. Flour will brown and clump. Continue to whisk over heat for 30 seconds.
  9. Slowly pour milk into saucepan, whisking flour mixture into milk, until smooth.
  10. Heat milk/flour mixture over medium heat until it is almost simmering and starting to thicken.
  11. Add cheese - a half cup at a time - to the milk mixture. Stir with a spatula until all of the cheese is fully melted.
  12. Add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and garlic to melted cheese.
  13. Grease 9 x 13 inch baking dish. (You can use the bacon grease to do this, if you like.) Add pasta. Pour cheese mixture over pasta and stir to combine. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes until bread crumbs are starting to crisp.
  14. Serve with crumbled bacon bits.
7.8.1.2
22
https://www.wyldflour.com/baked-mac-n-cheese-with-bacon/
wyldflour

Nutrition

Calories

317 cal

Fat

25 g

Carbs

13 g

Protein

8 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
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Filed Under: Main Dishes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joyce says

    December 30, 2016 at 9:58 pm

    Adulting is over rated, there I said it. :D haha Cheesy crunchy salty cheesy cheesy goodness on Christmas day sounds so cozy! Oh and you make bacon like a pro! So simple and efficient!
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      January 1, 2017 at 9:17 pm

      So overrated!! And seriously--baking bacon is the best trick I ever learned. I HATE frying bacon for some unidentifiable reason. Baking makes it easy!
      Reply
  2. Jamie | A Sassy Spoon says

    December 28, 2016 at 3:49 pm

    But these photos though. Yummmm! I have a similar recipe except mine has beer. Not that I'm an alcoholic or anything...............lol. This looks delicious warm and cheesy and gooooood!
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      December 29, 2016 at 11:36 am

      Lol. This is a safe zone... your secret is safe with me! Sounds delicious!!
      Reply
  3. Erica Schmidt says

    December 28, 2016 at 6:31 am

    Beautiful recipe! I know my girls would wonder why I "messed" up their mac and cheese lol. Can't wait to make this! Pinning, thanks for sharing!
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      December 28, 2016 at 3:20 pm

      Lol. Thanks, Erica! Sometimes there is no messing with the original!
      Reply
  4. Riva says

    December 27, 2016 at 11:54 pm

    We are huge pasta eaters in our house, mainly because we have 4 growing kids, and frankly, pasta is cheap. :) I'm always looking for new pasta recipes, and this would be a winner in our house for sure. Can't wait to try it!
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      December 28, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      Thanks, Riva! Let me know how you like it!
      Reply
  5. Marie @ Yay! For Food says

    December 27, 2016 at 7:13 pm

    LOL! I'm not very good at adulting either. Love mac and cheese... *drools* fontina and sharp cheddar, bacon, and breadcrumb topping! I need this in my life! Pinning this to hopefully make soon!
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      December 27, 2016 at 10:34 pm

      Thanks, Marie! I hope you love it! And seriously... the adulting struggle is real . . .
      Reply
  6. Alyssa @ A Bite of Inspiration says

    December 27, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    I never thought mac and cheese could look this pretty! Great photos! Love the breadcrumb topping. I'll definitely be making this soon!
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      December 27, 2016 at 10:33 pm

      Thanks, Alyssa! For the longest time, I always thought toasting breadcrumbs was a pain and I'd skip it. But as soon as I did it for the first time, I realized how easy it was to get that wonderful crunch!
      Reply
  7. Neena | Paint the Kitchen Red says

    December 27, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    A very flavorful recipe - love the spices you include. We also love breadcrumb topping. Do you have any substitution for Fontina cheese that you use?
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      December 27, 2016 at 10:31 pm

      Hi Neena! Honestly, any cheese is good with mac 'n cheese! I would probably just sub in additional white cheddar. But you could give it dimension by using gouda or even provolone!
      Reply
  8. Romain says

    December 27, 2016 at 10:04 am

    Love the idea of adding a bit of spice and garlic to mac and cheese. Usually I'm more conservative in my mac and cheese - really just about mac and cheese but a bit of bite is a great idea. And bacon. Of course bacon!
    Reply
    • Mikaela says

      December 27, 2016 at 10:30 pm

      Thanks, Romain! Honestly, if I had my way, I would have loads of crushed red pepper in the mac 'n cheese - I love a kick! But I think David would be a tad bummed . . .
      Reply

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