Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (30)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(30)

Cook Time:
55 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 to 6

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: 5 min
Cook: 55 min
Total:: 1 hr 20 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for greasing
8 ounces macaroni
2 1/2 cups cold milk
4 ounces provolone cheese, coarsely grated
4 ounces aged Asiago cheese, coarsely grated
2 large eggs
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
3 strips bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart shallow casserole dish. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer the pasta to the prepared casserole dish along with 1/4 cup of the cold milk. (This will cool the pasta and prevent it from becoming gummy.)

Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. Beat the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, bread and half of the cheese to the egg mixture; set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and 3/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese. Add the sauce to the macaroni; stir to combine.

Crumble up the bacon and add it to the egg/bread mixture. Spread evenly over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Photograph by Tina Rupp

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Classic Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Bacon, Aged Cheddar and Fresh Sage

Picture of Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

Photo: Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese

Similar Recipes

More Comfort Foods Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-10 of 27

View all 27 Comfort Food Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese
Lisa East Lansing, MI 01-24-2010
Flag

Amazing topping ok mac & cheese
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I agree with previous comments that this would be better with some sharp cheddar. I used provolone and parmesan because I... couldn't find Asiago, and the main part was just pretty bland. I'd add some pepper to that mixture too!Read more
recipe Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese
Erin Richmond, VA 12-20-2009
Flag

Would make again
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I enjoyed this recipe. I did change the cheeses a bit and did extra sharp cheddar along with the others. I love cheese so I... wanted something a little bit stronger with more variety. I also agree that there could have been either more cheese sauce or less noodles. It looked like the cheese was going to be enough but once it bakes it was not as creamy as I thought it would be. I left out the onion completly and I enjoyed it that way. I will be making this again just with my own modifications.Read more
recipe Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese
Stephanie Lexington, KY 12-13-2009
Flag

Ok... will modify next time
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I made this recipe for the first time and had to double it... maybe something was lost in translation but I didn't think it... was all that great. The bacon/breadcrum topping with scallions was amazing, but the cheese blend just didn't do it for me. I think I'll use sharp cheddar next time, more like classic mac and cheese, but with that great crunchy topping. Read more
recipe Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese
Megan Flossmoor, IL 11-17-2009
Flag

Awesome
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe was AMAZING however I did modify a few things. 1) used 2% milk to make it a bit thicker 2) added many... different kinds of cheeses (italian blend; white cheeses mainly) 3) DOUBLE THE CHEESE AMOUNT AND ADD ADDITIONAL PASTA THAT IT CALLS FOR 4) put a lot of extra bacon 5) instead of regular bread we used a buttery croissant kind; be sure it is not too flaky however it really added some great flavor! 6) Dice the onion 6) basically we did all you could to make the recipe more fattening but it was so amazing; I will be making it a lot!!!Read more
recipe Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese
Robin Covington, WA 11-12-2009
Flag

This is the best Mac & Cheese I have ever had.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I added a bit of fresh terragon to the sauce and used home made chicken stock. This is the best Mac & Cheese & perfect for... the winter months. I would make a double batch though, if you are serving more than two. The left overs are wonderful.Read more
recipe Dressed-Up Bacon Mac and Cheese
katie lake forest, CA 11-10-2009
Flag

Delicious, but
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Yummy recipe overall, wonderful adult version of mac & cheese! However, I love onions, but we used less than this recipe... called for and it still seemed like too many for this dish. I would also recommend using more cheese and more varieties if possible, I threw in some grated parmesan since we already had it in the fridge. The topping was amazing! I think I'll add more bacon next time though ;)Read more