Creamy Mac and Cheese with Bacon Crumbs

This easy creamy mac and cheese recipe topped with sage-flavored bacon crumbs is a fantastic  main or celebratory side dish.

Ingredients

Full recipe and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

• Butter. 
• Flour. 
• Milk. Use half milk half cream if you want a richer finished product.
• Cheese. I like to use a combination of cheeses. Cheddar, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Havarti, etc. are all good options.
• Cayenne pepper. 
• Mustard powder. 
• Nutmeg. 
• Macaroni. Use any small pasta shape of your choice.
• Breadcrumbs. I used stale ciabatta but you could use any breadcrumbs of your choice.
• Bacon. 
• Sage. 
• Salt and pepper. 

How to make creamy mac and cheese with bacon crumbs

1. Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for a few minutes to form a roux then whisk in the milk/cream. Add the seasonings then reduce the heat and allow to cook, stirring regularly for 7-10 minutes until the sauce is thick and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until completely melted.
2. Assemble: Add cooked macaroni (or pasta of your choice) to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
3. Make the bacon crumbs: Combine the ciabatta (or breadcrumbs of your choice) with crispy bacon and sage in a food processor and blend until relatively fine. I like there to be a little texture still but blend to your preferred texture. Top the creamy mac and cheese with the bacon crumbs.
4. Bake: Place in the oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Creamy mac and cheese with bacon crumbs

This easy creamy mac and cheese recipe topped with sage-flavored bacon crumbs is a fantastic main or celebratory side dish.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Bacon crumbs, Creamy mac and cheese, mac and cheese

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 12 (as a side dish)

Calories: 379kcal

Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

For the cheese sauce

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup flour
• 2-3 cups milk
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1-2 tsp mustard powder depending on preference
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups grated mature cheddar
• ½ cup grated Parmesan

For the baked mac and cheese

• 1 kg (2lbs) macaroni par-cooked + reserve 1 cup of cooking water

For the bacon crumbs

• 2 cups bread / breadcrumbs
• 6 strips crispy bacon
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour.
  
• Whisk until smooth then slowly pour in the milk, a little at a time. (I always reserve approximately ½ cup milk. Some flours will absorb more/less liquid so you might not need all of it and sometimes after adding cheese I like to thin out the sauce just a little with the remaining milk.)
  
• Whisk continuously until the sauce is thick then turn down the heat, add the spices and allow to simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thick and cooked through (this takes around 7-10 minutes on a gentle heat).
  
• Once the sauce is cooked (the sauce will be completely smooth tasting with no flouriness) remove from the heat and add the cheddar and Parmesan. Stir until melted then season to taste. 
  
• Combine the cheese sauce with the pasta. Stir and add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce. You want the mac and cheese to be very creamy before going into the oven. 
• Combine the ciabatta (or breadcrumbs of your choice) with crispy bacon and sage in a food processor and blend until relatively fine. I like there to be a little texture still but blend to your preferred texture. Top the creamy mac and cheese with the bacon crumbs. 
• Place in the oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy. 
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 407IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 1mg