Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe
This my family's favorite baked mac and cheese: super cheesy, ultra-creamy mac and cheese featuring homemade cheese sauce made with a blend of three cheeses including cheddar, Monterrey Jack, and mozzarella cheese. On top, is the golden crumb topping made with bacon and Panko. You need less than an hour to make it and it's a perfect side dish for any dinner.
Servings: 8
Calories: 929kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni pasta*
- water to cook pasta
- salt to season water
Cheese sauce:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour*
- 4 cups whole milk (or reduced fat)
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese block
- 8 oz Monterrey jack cheese block
- 4 oz Mozzarella cheese block
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Topping:
- 1 lb bacon
- 1 cup Panko crumbs*
- 1 tbsp bacon grease from cooking bacon
Instructions
Cooking Bacon Bits:
- Preheat a cooking pan over medium heat and add a little bit of cooking oil.
- Slice cold bacon strips widthwise into small pieces and add it to the preheated pan.
- Spread it well all over the pan and let the bacon cook until the fat is rendered and bacon bits are all cooked. Make sure to stir from time to time and note that the last couple of minutes bacon cooks fast so don't overcook it.
- Strain the bacon bits out from the bacon grease and save them for the topping. (You can save the bacon grease for other recipes if needed. Store in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator.)
Mac and Cheese Sauce:
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente (little bite to it), strain it and set aside. You can cook the pasta while making the cheese sauce.
- Grate blocks of cheese on large block grater. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat and lower the heat to medium-low.
- Whisk in flour until smoothly combined with butter. As soon as it's combined and looks like paste, start slowly pouring in milk while constantly whisking. Keep whisking and pouring until all incorporated.
- Slowly stir until the milk mixture heats through and starts to thicken (Don't let it boil!)
- Add cheeses a handful at a time while slowly stirring.
- Season with garlic power, salt, and pepper. Keep slowly stirring.
- Once all cheese is melted and smooth, take off heat.
Baked Mac and Cheese:
- Add strained pasta to the cheese sauce and fold to mix thoroughly.
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a baking dish. Use a deep 9x9 baking dish or 9x13 baking dish.
- Spread mac and cheese mixture in the prepared baking dish.
- Mix panko bread crumbs and cooked bacon bits. Add a little bacon grease and mix until evenly combined.
- Spread topping all over the mac and cheese in the baking pan.
- Bake for about 20 minutes (until bubbling around the edges).
Video
Notes
- Gluten Free Notes: Use gluten free pasta. If you don’t have a favorite, I prefer the Tinkayada brand of gluten free pasta. To thicken the cheese sauce, substitute flour for 1:1 gluten free flour.
To make the bacon topping gluten free, use gluten free panko crumbs instead of regular panko. - Nutrition notes: Nutrition varies with cheese choices and toppings; use the blend table for closest match.
- Make-ahead: Assemble all the way in the baking dish, cover, refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as instructed but may need to add 5 min.
- Reheat quick tip: Add a splash of milk, cover, warm at 325°F in the oven until hot or in 30-45 second intervals in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 929kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 942mg | Potassium: 531mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1072IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 689mg | Iron: 2mg