This recipe is everything I want a baked macaroni and cheese dish to be. It’s topped with a crispy panko top layer while underneath are cooked macaroni swimming in a sea of creamy cheese sauce. Did I mention there are bits of thick cut bacon sprinkled throughout the dish? I really recommend going for the thick cut with this recipe–trust me it makes all the difference.
Do I have to bake it?
If you’re strapped for time, you can absolutely enjoy the dish as pan macaroni and cheese and skip the baking part. Once your cheese sauce is ready you can add your cooked pasta and bacon and call it a day. Believe me though when I say the extra 25 minutes you’ll spend toasting the panko bread crumbs and baking it up in the oven is well worth it.
What is Panko? Is it different than regular bread crumbs?
Panko is flakier and lighter than regular breadcrumbs and thus yields a crispier topping. You can absolutely use regular bread crumbs but the panko adds a uniquely satisfying crisp texture to the overall dish. The larger flakes not only up the crunch factor but also absorbs less oil, making it lighter and healthier than traditional bread crumbs. Panko is available at most supermarkets and Asian groceries but if you’re having a hard time locating it, you can also substitute with crumbled cornflakes or Ritz crackers.
Can I use other pasta shapes besides macaroni?
Traditionally the recipe calls for macaroni (hence the name “mac and cheese”), but feel free to go with whatever pasta you prefer. I would stay away from anything long and thin like noodles or anything that’s teeny tiny. As a general rule, you want a pasta whose shape is conducive to picking up as much of that cheesy sauce as you can.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz Elbow macaroni pasta, cooked about a minute under package instructions for al dente
- 4 oz thick sliced bacon, sliced into 1/4" pieces (4 slices or 6 slices of regular bacon)
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3.5 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp BetterThan Bouillon chicken soup base or 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley to garnish *optional
Panko Bread Crumb Topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water up to a minute under the package instructions for al dente
- In a large pan or pot, cook your bacon until crispy then scoop out and set aside in a bowl
- Add 6 tbsp of butter to the residual bacon fat and cook diced onions until caramelized (about 5 minutes)
- Add flour and whisk for about a minute then drizzle in the milk and heavy cream while whisking constantly to create a rue. Add cream cheese and whisk until fully combined.
- Add seasonings (nutmeg, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper) and whisk.
- Add all the cheeses into the pot and mix using a spatula or wooden spoon. Add a few more tablespoons of milk as needed if your cheese sauce feels too stiff. Add cooked macaroni and half the cooked bacon and mix (reserve the remaining half of bacon to top before serving).
- You can serve it as is or take the extra step to make a crispy panko topping and bake it all together in the oven.
FOR THE PANKO TOPPING
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan under low heat. Add the panko to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and stir frequently until the panko is slightly golden and toasted.
- Transfer your macaroni and cheese into an oven safe baking pan if needed. Sprinkle the toasted panko over the macaroni and cheese.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and the remaining bacon before serving.
