Mac and cheese is an American household staple. Elevate your mac and cheese for your next family gathering or dinner at home with this Extra Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese topped with bacon!
For some reason I was always that child that craved a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese over my grandmother’s homemade from scratch mac and cheese. She would shred her own cheese and make a batch bigger than my head, but all I needed was that boxed stuff with the powdery cheese. Looking back, all I can think is “how did I miss out on all those opportunities to eat her creamy baked mac and cheese?”
This recipe of Extra Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese is loaded with a couple types of cheeses, crispy bacon and a few healthier alternatives.
Less Carbs & Gluten-Free?
Your standard macaroni noodle is the elbow shaped noodle. But have you ever experimented with using different noodle types?
I choose to use the Banza Chickpea Pasta rotini shaped for this dish. The spiral noodles allow for more creamy sauce to get all over your noodles maximizing your sauce to pasta ratio.
Plus with the Banza Chickpea Pasta, your dish can be gluten-free, you gain a full serving of 23 grams of protein and 25% fewer carbs than your standard pasta.
An Option for Fewer Calories
Another swap I make to ensure this side dish (or main course, let’s be honest with ourselves), is a little less indulgent is using unsweetened almond milk instead of regular 2% milk or heavy cream for your creamy base.
The almond milk replacement does not impact the texture or overall taste. You still end up with the creamiest and cheesiest sauce to coat your noodles with while saving a few calories and less grams of fat.
Let’s Get Started
Most of the ingredients needed for Extra Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese I have on hand at home. Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with these few staples to ensure you’re ready to compliment your dinner with a creamy side dish.
For this recipe, you will need butter, unsweetened almond milk (or regular cow’s milk), cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, salt and pepper, Banza Chickpea Pasta (or your pasta of choice), a few strips of bacon and some Panko bread crumbs for a crispy topper. Skip the Panko bread crumbs on top and substitute for a gluten-free cracker crumble to ensure the dish is gluten-free.
You will combine the cheeses with melted butter and milk on the stovetop until it thickens, stir in your pasta, place in a baking dish and top with more cheese and bacon to bake the perfect side dish.
How Much Does This Make?
With a household of two, my recipes are created for smaller family sizes. I bake this in a 6-cup Pyrex rectangular dish. For a large family gathering, I recommend doubling the recipe. If you are a family of four that thrives on leftovers, make a double batch.
Ingredients
- ¼ c or ½ stick of salted butter
- ½ c unsweetened almond milk
- 1 c cheddar cheese
- ½ c mozzarella cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 lb pasta
- 3 strips of bacon
- ¼ c Panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a cooling rack on top of the foil and spray with cooking spray. Place strips of bacon on top of the cooling rack and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.
- While the bacon is cooking, heat a small sauce pan to medium heat.
- Melt the butter and milk together whisking constantly until well-combined.
- Stir in salt and pepper, mozzarella cheese and a ½ cup of the cheddar cheese until the cheese mixture is thickened. Continue to stir constantly until thick. Remove from heat once thickened.
- Cook pasta according to instructions in a large pot.
- Drain the pasta once cooked and leave the noodles in the large pot.
- Stir the cheesy mixture into the pot with the pasta until the noodles are well coated.
- Spray the 6-cup rectangular Pyrex dish with cooking spray.
- Place cheesy pasta mixture into your baking dish.
- Spread the remaining cheddar cheese evenly on top of the noodles in the baking dish.
- Top the cheese with Panko bread crumbs evenly.
- Once the bacon is finished in the oven, crumble it into smaller pieces. Spread the bacon pieces on top of the Panko bread crumbs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for best results. For reheating, I recommend placing your serving in a small dish and warming it up in the oven to keep the bacon and Panko bread crumbs crispy.
