I love gourmet Mac & Cheese dishes. There are so many ways to modify your basic Mac & Cheese. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a good Velveeta Mac & Cheese in a pinch.
But nothing compares to homemade gourmet Mac & Cheese. And this Blue Cheese Bacon Mac & Cheese does not disappoint.
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For this Mac & Cheese, I decided to use Blue Cheese as the main ingredient. I realize not everyone cares for the taste (or smell!) of Blue Cheese but this Mac & Cheese tastes awesome! Plus it has bacon and we all know everything tastes better with Bacon!
What is Al Dente
When making Mac and Cheese, it’s important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure the best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term “al dente”, it means cooking the pasta so it’s still chewy and form and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it.
If you’ve ever wondered what part of the pig Bacon comes from check out the picture below. Surprised?
How to Make Bacon
If you struggle to make bacon perfectly, I’ve put together a short tutorial on How to Make Perfect Bacon – 3 Ways. Check it out! My preferred method is baking it in the oven.
Bacon Grease Tip
And don’t throw away that bacon grease! Bacon is expensive and the grease is great for making Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Cheese, Popcorn and even hash browns. It can keep up to 3 months if properly stored in the refrigerator.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Blue Cheese Bacon Mac and Cheese recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pasta – I like Penne but use whatever kind of pasta you want
- Milk – I use 2% milk
- Heavy Cream
- Unsalted Butter – you can use regular salted butter if you prefer
- All Purpose Flour – I mostly use King Arthur but use what you got (no affiliation)
- Salt – a must for most recipes
- Blue Cheese
- Bacon – you can also use pre-cooked bacon to save time!
- Ground Black Pepper – Freshly Ground as much as possible
- Soda Crackers – you can also use bread crumbs if you want
How to Make Blue Cheese Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9 x 13 dish and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- In another pot, bring milk and cream to a boil then reduce to low heat.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, metal butter, whisk in the flour for 5 minutes. Add milk mixture and mix well.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in 3/4 of the Blue Cheese and mix well until the cheese has melted.
- Add bacon and penne pasta to the cheese mixture and toss.
- Pour pasta mixture into a greased baking dish and top with remaining Blue Cheese and crushed crackers.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
- Top with pepper and serve.
Blue Cheese Bacon Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 16 oz Penne Pasta
- 2 Cups Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 6 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
- ½ Tsp Salt
- 10 oz Blue Cheese
- 1 lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- ½ Sleeve Soda Crackers, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9 x 13 dish and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- In another pot, bring milk and cream to a boil then reduce to low heat.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, metal butter, whisk in flour for 5 minutes. Add milk mixture and mix well.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in 3/4 of the Blue Cheese and mix well until cheese has melted.
- Add bacon and penne pasta to cheese mixture and toss.
- Pour pasta mixture into greased baking dish and top with remaining Blue Cheese and crushed crackers.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
- Top with pepper and serve.
This recipe was delicious
love this mac and cheese