Tinis Mac Cheese Bacon (Printable)

Creamy macaroni combined with crispy bacon and rich melted cheeses for a flavorful comfort dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz elbow macaroni

→ Cheese Sauce

02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
04 - 3 cups whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
07 - 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
08 - 1/2 cup Gruyère or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
09 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
10 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
11 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Bacon Crunch

14 - 8 slices thick-cut bacon
15 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
16 - 1/4 tsp garlic powder

→ Topping

17 - 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
18 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
19 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
20 - Chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a large baking dish approximately 9x13 inches.
02 - Boil elbow macaroni according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Place bacon slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with black pepper and garlic powder. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until crispy and golden. Remove, let cool slightly, then crumble finely. Set aside.
04 - Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until foamy without browning.
05 - Gradually whisk in whole milk and heavy cream, avoiding lumps. Simmer gently, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
06 - Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in cheddar, mozzarella, and Gruyère until fully melted and smooth. Add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper, mixing thoroughly.
07 - Fold drained macaroni into cheese sauce until evenly coated.
08 - Spread half of the macaroni and cheese mixture in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the crumbled bacon over it. Add the remaining macaroni and cheese, then top with the rest of the bacon crumble.
09 - In a small bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, and optional Parmesan cheese. Evenly sprinkle over the layered mixture.
10 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The bacon isn't an afterthought—it's baked separately so it stays shatteringly crisp instead of turning into sad little chewy bits.
  • Three cheeses working together means real depth, not that one-note sharpness that makes your jaw hurt.
  • You can have this on the table in under an hour, which matters on nights when you're too hungry to think straight.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooking the bacon separately—mixing it raw into the mac and cheese means it stays chewy instead of crisp, and you'll spend the whole meal wishing you'd done it differently.
  • If your cheese sauce breaks or looks oily, pull it off heat immediately, let it cool slightly, and whisk in a splash of cold milk to bring it back—panic is optional but fixing it is mandatory.
03 -
  • Make your roux slower than you think you need to—rushing it means lumpy sauce, and no amount of whisking fixes that gracefully.
  • Keep the bacon crumble separate until the last moment so it stays crisp instead of getting reabsorbed into the sauce and turning into flavor without texture.
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