Bacon & Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Karlie's Kitchen
by Karlie's Kitchen
8 Servings
40 min

Looking for a warm, comforting and down right delicious meal idea? Check out this bacon and broccoli mac and cheese recipe! It's relatively easy to whip up and definitely makes enough to feed a crowd so hello leftovers! Yum!


I love recipes that take simple ingredients and turn them into something yummy and this recipe does just that. Tender macaroni noodles, perfectly crispy bacon and broccoli come together with the most decadent cheese sauce. I love topping this recipe with Panko bread crumbs for an additional crunch. The key is to bake this dish just enough to toast the breadcrumbs without over baking to keep everything cheesy, melty and oh so delish.


Enjoy one of my favorite meals icon

Bacon & Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Recipe details
  • 8  Servings
  • Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 20 Minutes Total time: 40 min
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Ingredients
FOR THE MACARONI
  • 1 - 500 gram box macaroni
  • 3 cups broccoli, cooked and diced
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and diced
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp each; salt, pepper, garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp each: dry mustard, red pepper flakes
  • 3 1/2 - 4 cups milk
  • 3 Tbsp hot sauce
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (I like 1 cup cheddar and 1 cup Monterey Jack)
Instructions
For the macaroni
In a large pot of water, cook macaroni noodles according to package instructions until tender. Drain and place back in pot, cover and set aside.
Cook broccoli until tender either by boiling or steaming. Chop into bite sized pieces and add to the cooked macaroni noodles.
Next chop the cooked bacon into bite sized pieces. Add to cooked noodles and broccoli. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine panko bread crumbs and melted butter. Stir to combine then set aside.
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute or two.
Add in all seasonings, dry mustard and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
Begin to add in milk, adding one cup at a time while whisking. The mixture will be super thick! Add remaining milk and continue to whisk until smooth and bubbling.
Add in hot sauce and give everything a stir.
Add in cheese and whisk until smooth. Set cheese sauce aside.
TO ASSEMBLE
Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
To the prepared pan, add in noodles, broccoli and bacon. Stir until combined.
Next drizzle over cheese sauce. Give everything a big stir until noodles are totally coated.
Top mixture with prepared panko bread crumbs.
Bake for 15 minutes then switch oven to low broil. Broil until bread crumbs are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Keep a close eye so the top doesn’t burn! Serve hot and enjoy!
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