Indulge in a culinary masterpiece that combines the irresistible flavors of bacon, white cheddar, pesto, and macaroni in a symphony of cheesy, savory, and aromatic delight. This bacon white cheddar pesto mac and cheese is a dish that tantalizes taste buds with every bite. The crispy bacon adds a smoky crunch, while the white cheddar cheese provides a creamy and tangy foundation. The homemade pesto, bursting with the freshness of basil, pine nuts, and garlic, infuses each macaroni noodle with a vibrant herbal essence. This recipe offers a delectable twist to the classic mac and cheese, transforming it into an extraordinary dish that will leave you craving for more. Additionally, the article features a collection of other tantalizing recipes, including a creamy tomato pesto pasta, a flavorful pesto chicken pasta, and a refreshing pesto quinoa salad, each offering a unique culinary experience to satisfy diverse palates.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
BAKED MAC AND CHEESE WITH BACON
There are few dishes more comforting and indulgent than mac and cheese, and this version will become your new go-to. Mac and cheese may seem straightforward, but in an all-star mac, each component is carefully considered and intentionally chosen to build a creamy, melty pasta bake. Master each element of the dish with this winning recipe.It all starts with the noodles, and in this recipe, we use large elbow macaroni noodles. They're a bit thicker than your average elbows, so they catch more of that creamy cheese sauce (and the exposed ends crisp up beautifully when baked).At the core of any good mac and cheese is a winning blend of cheeses; this recipe calls for three different types of cheese, each one serving a distinct purpose. Extra-sharp Cheddar brings that punch of sharp cheesy flavor and coveted orange color; Parmesan makes an appearance in the breadcrumb topping, bringing a natural bite of salt and crisping up beautifully. Then, for the third cheese, have your pick of Monterey Jack, provolone, or mozzarella, all white cheeses that bring creaminess and that stretchy, cheese-pull texture we look for in any high-quality mac.At the base of the cheese sauce is a roux-a mixture of butter and flour-and we incorporate mustard powder to bring salty, earthy tang. Then, to kick this mac and cheese up a notch, we add crumbled bacon to the breadcrumb crust and mixed directly into the pasta bake.From Skillet Cauliflower Mac to Macaroni Pie, there are countless ways to reinvent this comforting dish. But before you get really creative, it's important to master the basics. This Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon is an excellent, extra-indulgent recipe to keep in your rotation-it's sure to please a family or a crowd.
Provided by Nancie McDermott
Categories Macaroni
Time 1h10m
Yield Serves 10
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil over high in a large stock-pot. Stir in pasta and 1 tablespoon of the salt, and return to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender but still firm, about 6 minutes. Reserve and set aside 2 cups cooking water, and then drain the pasta. Return pasta to pot, and remove from heat. Cover to keep warm.
- Generously butter a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, and set aside. Toss together breadcrumbs; Parmesan cheese; and half of the cooked, crumbled bacon in a bowl, and set aside. Stir together flour, pepper, mustard, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Heat milk and buttermilk in a medium saucepan over medium, undisturbed, until barely steaming but not boiling, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high. Add flour mixture. Cook, whisking often, until mixture is smooth and thick and has a delicate golden color and toasted aroma, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in warm milk mixture. Bring to a boil over high. Cook, stirring often, until thickened to the texture of cream, about 3 minutes.
- Stir shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses into milk mixture, and remove from heat. Stir in beaten eggs until mixture forms a smooth sauce.
- Uncover cooked pasta, and stir. (If pasta sticks together, stir in reserved warm cooking water, and drain again.) Stir cheese mixture and remaining bacon into drained pasta in stockpot.
- Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Bake in preheated oven until firm, puffed up, and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
BACON WHITE CHEDDAR PESTO MAC & CHEESE RECIPE
Provided by Cheryl-4
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Grease a 2 1/2 or 3 quart baking dish Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, drain and preheat the oven to 350°F. Add melted butter with minced garlic in a large sauce pan over medium high heat whisk in flour cook whisking constantly until golden about one minute. Add milk cream, salt, pepper and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil whisking often. Reduce heat to medium and add white cheddarand stirring until melted. Mix Panko and Parmesan in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Sprinkle the asiago cheese bake until bubbly and just starting to brown about 11 minutes turn on the broiler broiler until browned two minutes top with remaining bacon.
CHEDDAR-BACON MAC AND CHEESE
Creamy, cheesy, and quick . . . it's everything you need.
Provided by Kraft
Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese
Time 40m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook macaroni as directed on package. Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan on low heat. Stir in flour; cook 2 min. or until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk; cook on medium heat until mixture comes to boil, stirring constantly. Simmer on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; cook and stir 5 min. or until melted.
- Drain macaroni. Add to sauce with bacon; mix lightly. Spoon into 1 1/2 quart casserole; top with remaining cheese.
- Bake 20 min. or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 385.1 calories, Carbohydrate 30 g, Cholesterol 59.9 mg, Fat 21.8 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 16.5 g, SaturatedFat 13.5 g, Sodium 411.3 mg, Sugar 4.7 g
WHITE CHEDDAR MAC & CHEESE
My mac and cheese is simple and has lots of flavor from the cheeses and ground chipotle chile. I use conchiglie pasta because its shape allows more melted cheese to pool inside. Yum! -Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 25m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return to pot., Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and seasonings until smooth; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses until melted. Add to pasta; toss to coat.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 650 calories, Fat 35g fat (22g saturated fat), Cholesterol 101mg cholesterol, Sodium 607mg sodium, Carbohydrate 55g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 27g protein.
BACON WHITE CHEDDAR PESTO MAC AND CHEESE
A rich and bacon-y variation of the tradition macaroni and cheese pasta dish.
Provided by fabeverydayblog
Categories Pork Recipes
Time 45m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 1/2- or 3-quart baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer pasta back to pot; cover and keep warm off heat.
- Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble.
- Place butter and minced garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until butter is melted. Whisk flour into butter mixture, and continue whisking until flour starts to turn golden brown, about 1 minute. Slowly add milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper to the saucepan, whisking until there are no lumps. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium.
- Stir grated Cheddar cheese into the cream mixture, stirring until the cheese is melted. Add basil pesto sauce and half of the crumbled bacon; stir. Transfer mixture to pot with cooked elbows; stir to combine. Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Mix panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a bowl. Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and just starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Top with remaining half of bacon.
- Preheat the oven's broiler. Place baking dish under broiler until browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 563.3 calories, Carbohydrate 50.7 g, Cholesterol 75.7 mg, Fat 30 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 23.1 g, SaturatedFat 15.3 g, Sodium 547.8 mg, Sugar 4.4 g
MAC 'N CHEESE WITH BACON AND WHITE CHEDDAR CHEESE
This is a recipe we have been making for awhile now. The original recipe was from Tyler Florence. My family loves the white cheddar and bacon in the dish; it gives this macaroni and cheese a very unique, but comforting, flavor. This is most definitely not a 'light' recipe as we use extra sharp white cheddar and whole milk and always add extra bacon. It comes out bubbly and creamy and no one can wait to dig in.
Provided by TheShields
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Cook the elbow macaroni until al dente, 8 or 9 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray 3-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Heat milk with 3 sprigs of thyme and 4 cloves of crushed garlic in a small pan, do not boil the milk.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and garlic cloves from the milk then whisk the milk into the butter and flour mixture.
- Continue to cook until the mixture is smooth, whisking constantly. Once smooth, stir in 4-1/2 cups of the white cheddar cheese. Continue to cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add in the cooked macaroni and the chopped parsley. Stir to coat the macaroni and incorporate all ingredients then pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, cook bacon until crispy. Then add the onion, the remaining two cloves of garlic (chopped) and the remaining thyme (leaves only this time). Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- When the macaroni and cheese comes out of the oven, spread the bacon and onion mixture over the top, serve and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1102.3, Fat 66.9, SaturatedFat 38.8, Cholesterol 192.1, Sodium 1095.6, Carbohydrate 72.7, Fiber 3, Sugar 3.2, Protein 51.7
Tips:
- Use quality ingredients: Fresh, high-quality ingredients will make a big difference in the final dish. Use real bacon, sharp white cheddar cheese, and a flavorful pesto.
- Don't overcook the pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package directions, or slightly al dente. Overcooked pasta will become mushy and ruin the texture of the mac and cheese.
- Make sure the cheese sauce is smooth: Use a whisk to stir the cheese sauce until it is smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add a little milk or cream.
- Don't skimp on the toppings: The toppings are what make this mac and cheese special. Use plenty of bacon, cheese, and pesto. You can also add other toppings, such as bread crumbs, chopped nuts, or diced tomatoes.
- Serve the mac and cheese immediately: This dish is best served hot and fresh out of the oven. If you need to make it ahead of time, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the oven before serving.
Conclusion:
Bacon White Cheddar Pesto Mac and Cheese is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a dish that will be a hit with everyone at the table. So next time you are looking for a comforting and satisfying meal, give this recipe a try.
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