Comfort Food Mac Cheese Bake (Printable Version)

Creamy macaroni with cheese sauce and crispy bacon crumbs baked to golden perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz elbow macaroni

→ Cheese Sauce

02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - ½ cup heavy cream
06 - 7 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
07 - 3.5 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
08 - 1.75 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
09 - 1 teaspoon mustard powder
10 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
11 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Bacon Crumb Topping

13 - 4 slices bacon
14 - 2 oz panko breadcrumbs
15 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook until just al dente, approximately 1 minute under package time. Drain thoroughly and reserve.
03 - In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute until fragrant and paste-like in consistency.
04 - Gradually add milk and heavy cream while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue stirring until sauce reaches desired thickness, approximately 3-4 minutes.
05 - Remove saucepan from heat. Add sharp cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan cheeses along with mustard powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir until completely smooth and cheese is fully melted.
06 - Add cooked macaroni to the cheese sauce and toss until all pasta is thoroughly coated. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
07 - Cook bacon slices in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, approximately 7-8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess fat, then crumble into bite-sized pieces.
08 - In a small bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, crumbled bacon, and chopped parsley. Mix until breadcrumbs are evenly distributed and coated with butter.
09 - Sprinkle bacon crumb mixture evenly across the top of macaroni and cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and sauce is bubbling at the edges. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The bacon topping stays crispy even after baking, which shouldn't work but somehow does.
  • Three cheeses layered together create a depth that tastes like you spent hours on this, even though it takes less than an hour total.
  • It's rich enough to feel indulgent but never heavy, thanks to the balance of cream and mustard powder cutting through.
02 -
  • The cheese sauce will look slightly thin when you first make it, but it thickens as it cools and especially as the pasta absorbs liquid in the oven—don't panic and add more flour or you'll end up with something stodgy.
  • Grating your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded makes an enormous difference because pre-shredded contains anti-caking agents that prevent the sauce from being as smooth and silky as it should be.
03 -
  • Add a tiny pinch of smoked paprika to the cheese sauce if you want a subtle depth that hints at smokiness without tasting like you're eating bacon-flavored paste.
  • If Gruyère is expensive or hard to find where you are, Swiss cheese works as a genuine substitute and brings its own nutty charm to the party.
Return