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Bacon Ranch Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Bacon Ranch Macaroni & Cheese is perfect for game day but quick enough to enjoy for dinner with your family on a busy weeknight!
Hi! My name is Jessy and I blog over at The Life Jolie. I’m so excited to share some recipes here with you at Yellow Bliss Road!
Mac and Cheese has been a favorite food of mine since I was a little girl. I mean, is there anything more comforting than creamy, savory pasta? When I was a kid, my mom would sometimes make frozen mac and cheese and my absolute favorite part was the slightly crispy crust that would form on the corners of the container. I always made a point to be the first one at the table in hopes of getting all those perfect corners to myself!
Bacon Mac and Cheese
My husband Justin is something of a picky eater, which can be challenging for me, since I love to sample a wide variety of foods. But in addition to enjoying mac and cheese, he and I both share a love for bacon and ranch dressing (in fact, I grew to love ranch because he loved it so much!). And since I’m always looking for ways to add a fun twist to classic recipes, Bacon Ranch Baked Macaroni and Cheese seemed like a natural next step.
This dish is the creamy and delicious mac and cheese that dreams are made of! The bacon brings a savory smokiness and the hint of zest from the ranch seasoning kicked the whole recipe up a notch without being overpowering.
I sprinkled some extra cheese on top at the beginning with a generous portion of panko breadcrumbs and some crumbled bacon to achieve that crispy crust that I loved all those years ago in every serving. If you’re looking for a more melty-cheese on top, simply wait to add the toppings until 5Â minutes before it’s done baking.
This fun variation will definitely be making some appearances during football season this year. But it’s also quick an easy enough to make a comforting and heart weeknight dinner this fall. It’s definitely best right out of the oven and can easily be doubled to feed a crowd. Your family will be fighting for that second helping!
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Bacon Ranch Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients
- 10 slices of bacon fried until crisp
- 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 3 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning
- 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni cooked as per package directions to al dente and drained
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium size pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add flour and whisk to make a roux. Let the roux cook for 1-2 minutes until golden, whisking often.
- Add milk and ranch seasoning. Whisk the ingredients continuously until the sauce thickens slightly; about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese until fully combined.
- Add the cheese mixture to the cooked macaroni and crumble 6 pieces of the bacon in.
- Stir until well combined and pour into a 9" x 9" pan.
- Top with remaining cheese, panko bread crumbs and crumble on the remaining bacon.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is crispy and the edges are bubbling.
- Serve immediately.
Make it a full meal with these other tasty options:
Here’s another great Mac & Cheese Recipe that our family loves:
Chicken, Bacon and Blue Macaroni and Cheese
For more easy weeknight dinner recipes, try these:
