The Best Bacon Mac and Cheese

This extremely cheesy bacon mac and cheese is topped with crispy bacon crumbles and baked to creamy perfection! It’s the perfect combination of simple ingredients and gourmet taste.

Table of Contents

1. Why You’ll Love This Homemade Bacon Mac and Cheese
2. Ingredients for Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon
3. How to Make Creamy Bacon Mac and Cheese
4. Tips and Tricks for the Best Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe
5. More I Heart Recipes Mac and Cheese Recipes to Try
6. Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

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Hey Cousins! I am back with another next-level mac and cheese recipe. I know, I know… You’re thinking, “But Rosie, don’t you already have, like, TEN macaroni and cheese recipes?! What in the world could you possibly do this time?!” Well, yes, in fact, I DO have over 10 macaroni and cheese recipes. So, what?! I Heart Recipes macaroni and cheese is somewhat of a legend if I do say so myself. 😉 So, buckle up, Cousins. Today, I’m sharing my recipe for the best-ever bacon mac and cheese!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Bacon Mac and Cheese

I’ll tell you one thing: it doesn’t get much better than homemade mac and cheese. It’s the ultimate comfort food! Creamy cheese sauce, smoky bacon, and nowhere near healthy. If you’re looking for an excuse to indulge, consider this your sign! There’s a whole lotta reasons why this is the best bacon mac and cheese, but here are a few reasons why my family loves it.

• It has four kinds of cheese. You can’t get much cheesier than that!
• You don’t need to make a roux. Making a roux can feel intimidating. You don’t want to burn the flour or mess up the base of the cheese sauce. No roux is needed in this recipe!
• It uses plenty of bacon. Each flavorful, cheesy bite will have crisp crumbles of smoky bacon mixed in–it really kicks it up a notch!
• It’s the perfect side dish. Because it’s so easy, you can serve it on holidays or at a weekly dinner! I will warn you, though… it’s not diet food, so save it for when you’re really trying to impress your diners.

Y’all ready to learn just how easy it is to make this homemade bacon mac and cheese recipe? Let’s jump right on into it, fam!

Ingredients for Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Now, y’all know I love a simple recipe, especially when it comes to my comfort foods. There’s no comfort in cookin’ for hours in the kitchen! These ingredients are easy to find, and all the necessary cheeses can be found at your local grocery store. Don’t forget to check out the full recipe in the recipe card down below!

• Elbow Macaroni: I don’t stray from classic here, fam!
• Shredded Cheese: We’re using sharp cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, and Havarti cheese in this creamy bacon mac.
• Velveeta Cheese: Yep, Velveeta is our fourth cheese! It really makes the flavorful cheese sauce much creamier, so don’t skip out.
• Bacon: I don’t go for store-bought bacon bits; I fry up my own bacon and crumble it into little pieces.
• Milk: I don’t use heavy cream or half and half here. Stick with 2% or whole milk.
• Eggs: These help hold everything together, giving a bit more structure to the dish.
• Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter here, as long as it’s melted!
• Seasoning Salt & Black Pepper: My seasoning salt has black pepper in it, but if yours doesn’t, be sure to sprinkle some in!

What does putting eggs in mac and cheese do?

Adding eggs to mac and cheese makes the cheesy sauce velvety smooth and sinfully rich. It also helps to thicken and bind everything up a bit, so the creamy baked mac has some structure when it comes out of the oven. Overall, it’s definitely a necessary ingredient in this simple recipe, so don’t skip out!

What other kinds of cheese can I put in bacon mac and cheese?

I like to keep it simple with the cheese and add my favorites – sharp cheddar, gouda, and Havarti. But the sky is the limit! In other mac and cheese recipes, I’ve used Monterey Jack cheese, mild cheddar, white cheddar, Gruyere, and even pepper Jack cheese. You could even use Mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese in this recipe, which would taste great with the smoky, salty bacon.

How to Make Creamy Bacon Mac and Cheese

Now we’ve reached the good part… how to make the best bacon mac and cheese recipe! You’ll be surprised at how easy this recipe is. Want to watch me make the recipe? I have a video tutorial below! Don’t forget to subscribe to I Heart Recipes on YouTube, where you can find all my video tutorials and the coveted I Heart Recipes mac and cheese recipes.

Here are the steps to make bomb.com baked mac and cheese with bacon:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of (salted!) boiling water until just al dente (we don’t want to overcook the pasta since it will continue cooking in the oven). Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it down.
2. Dump the cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl, or mix everything together right in the baking dish. Add the melted butter, eggs, and milk, then stir to combine all the ingredients.
3. Next, add the shredded cheese, cubed Velveeta cheese, and seasonings. Since we slightly cooled the pasta, the cheese won’t melt immediately, so don’t worry if it’s not looking super creamy just yet.
4. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top and pop the dish into a 375-degree oven, uncovered, for about 35 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the cheese is creamy, melted, and bubbly.

That’s it – that’s all you gotta do to make the best creamy mac and cheese with bacon. Like most of my mac and cheese recipes, this recipe puts that boring ol’ Kraft dinner to shame. Once you try mac and cheese the Cousin Rosie way, you’ll never go back to neon-orange boxed goopy-ness. 😉

Tips and Tricks for the Best Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

Now, you have to admit – this creamy homemade mac and cheese with Velveeta and bacon is already pretty out-of-this-world, right? Well, in true Cousin Rosie fashion, I have some tips and tricks to take it to the next level.

• Say it with me, Cousins: SHRED YOUR OWN CHEESE! I know pre-shredded cheese is convenient, but shredding your own cheese makes a world of difference in this recipe.
• Kick up the seasonings for even more flavor. Onion powder and garlic powder are common seasonings found in flavorful mac and cheese. Mustard powder enhances the cheesiness, and cayenne pepper adds a touch of heat.
• Use whatever kind of bacon you have or prefer! Try thick-cut bacon for more substantial chunks, hickory smoked or applewood smoked if you want extra flavor. I like my bacon extra crispy, borderline burnt, but cook your bacon to your preferred level of doneness.
• Instead of just sprinkling the bacon bits on top, mix a layer into the mac and cheese.
• To add more crunch, whip up some bacon breadcrumbs. Combine panko breadcrumbs with some melted butter (or bacon grease… oh my gah!) and bacon crumbles, and layer on top of the mac and cheese before baking.
• A serving of this would slap with a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce or BBQ sauce for a finishing touch.

My mouth is watering just thinking about all the ways you can make this bacon mac and cheese even more delicious… ooohhh, Cousins! Y’all get on into the kitchen and start cookin’ while I cool myself down. If you make this recipe, let me know in the comments below! Did you love it?

More I Heart Recipes Mac and Cheese Recipes to Try

Once you’ve mastered bacon mac and cheese, try some of these iconic recipes next!

• Cajun Crawfish Mac and Cheese
• Low Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Pepper Jack Macaroni and Cheese
• Best Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
• Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
• Slow Cooker Greek Yogurt Mac & Cheese

Don’t forget to follow along with all things Rosie and I Heart Recipes by following me on social media! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, subscribe to I Heart Recipes on YouTube, and check out all my cookbooks! My brand-new Cousin Rosie Holiday Cookbook is available now!

Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

With four different types of cheese, this bacon mac and cheese recipe is cheesy and sinfully delicious. The addition of bacon knocks it out of the park!

Watch Video Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Side

Cuisine Soul Food

Keyword Bacon Mac and Cheese, mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 cup gouda cheese shredded
• 1 cup havarti cheese shredded
• 8 oz velveeta cheese cubed
• 2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tbsp butter melted
• 1 tsp seasoning salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup real bacon crumbs

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain, and rinse under cool water.
  1 lb elbow macaroni
• Add in the butter, milk, then eggs, and fold in the ingredients.
  2 cups milk, 2 large eggs, 4 tbsp butter
• Add in all the cheeses, and sprinkle in the seasonings. Fold in the ingredients
  2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup gouda cheese, 1 cup havarti cheese, 8 oz velveeta cheese, 1 tsp seasoning salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Sprinkle the bacon crumbs on top, and bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
  1/2 cup real bacon crumbs
• Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Video

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Recipe by: I Heart Recipes