Bacon Mac and Cheese is classic mac & cheese kicked up a notch with bacon. It is the comfort food of your dreams. It will take you back to your childhood.

I worked at a guest ranch in my twenties. I learned a lot about cooking and life while I lived there. In the summer, we had the same menu every week. Every Monday we have the same meal and every Tuesday and so on. I don’t remember what night it was, but one day a week we had mac & cheese.

The staff loved mac & cheese night. We didn’t have to show up for any meal. We could eat on our own if we wanted. But mac & cheese night we had more staff show up than any other night. More than steak & shrimp night and more than BBQ Pork Rib night.

I took this basic mac & cheese recipe and kicked it up a notch with bacon. Bacon makes everything better, right? At least, that’s what The Hardworking Husband tells me. We love bacon in our house.

This recipe calls for Velveeta. If you would like a homemade version that is healthier, one of my goals in 2013 was to make Homemade American Cheese. It will work wonderfully.

While mac & cheese is traditionally made with elbow macaroni, I like using cavatappi noodles. They add a little fun to the dish. It also makes it feel more like grown up mac & cheese. You can use whatever noodles you want. Have fun with it. Go wild! Fusilli would be fun too.

Yield: 4 Servings

Bacon Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

8 oz elbow macaroni
1 lb bacon
1 1/2 lbs velveeta
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray 8x8 or 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Cut bacon up into small pieces and cook in skillet until it is done but not crispy.
In a large pot, melt velveeta, butter, and milk together. Keep an eye on it because it can burn quickly.
Once cheese mixture is melted and pasta is finished, add pasta to cheese mixture. Add bacon when it is finished.
Add crackers, sugar and salt. Stir to combine all ingredients.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until it is browned and bubbly.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Enjoy.