BACON MAC AND CHEESE

Bacon Mac and Cheese image

Oven-baked macaroni and cheese with bacon and bread crumbs on top.

Provided by Hannah Casey

Categories Everyday Cooking Special Collection Recipes New

Time 55m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
6 slices bacon, chopped
½ cup panko bread crumbs
5 tablespoons salted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
3 ½ cups milk
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
At the same time, cook bacon in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat until it starts to turn golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Add panko and stir well. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour into the melted butter and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add milk slowly, whisking continuously, until sauce is smooth. Bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add Gruyere, Cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Stir and cook until cheeses have fully melted, about 3 minutes.
Add drained pasta and stir until coated. Pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle bacon-panko mixture over top.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 403.5 calories, Carbohydrate 41 g, Cholesterol 53.7 mg, Fat 18.3 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 18 g, SaturatedFat 10.4 g, Sodium 342.8 mg, Sugar 5.3 g