About This Recipe
Mac and cheese really is the ultimate comfort food. There’s something about the combination of tender pasta combined with a rich cheese sauce that is so perfect. So this recipe for Mac and Cheese with Blue Cheese and Bacon is perfect.
There are so many variations of mac and cheese: made with different cheeses; with other ingredients such as onions, garlic, meatballs, or chicken thrown in; baked in the oven; cooked in the slow cooker; but the best variation is this one.
Bacon and blue cheese are the perfect additions to macaroni and cheese. The salty crispness of bacon and the super creamy tang of blue cheese elevate this recipe to something fabulous.
You can use other types of cheese in this easy recipe, but provolone, Muenster, and blue cheese really combine well. The provolone is the perfect melting cheese. The Muenster is very mild and creamy and adds body. And the blue cheese is a spike of flavor.
Enjoy this recipe on a cold night with a green salad tossed with avocados and a glass of white wine. Comfort is on the way!
Why this recipe for Mac and Cheese with Blue Cheese and Bacon works:
- The milk and cream cook down a bit and thicken to form the sauce. This recipe doesn’t need any flour or cornstarch to make it the perfect consistency.
- The provolone and Muenster also help make the sauce creamy; they melt and blend perfectly with the milk and cream.
- The blue cheese will not melt into the sauce, but it softens and adds lots of flavor. You need that strong taste to balance the bacon.
- Make sure that you cook the bacon until it is very crisp. Bacon softens a bit in the creamy sauce so it must be crisp to start with.
- The pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and absorbs some of the flavor.
Steps
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1
Done
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Fill a large pot with water and add about 1 tablespoon salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat. |
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2
Done
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Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and drain the bacon fat from the pan. Do not clean the pan. |
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3
Done
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Add the butter to the unwashed pan and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until tender, stirring frequently. This should take about 4 minutes. |
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4
Done
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Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 8-9 minutes. Drain and set aside. |
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5
Done
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Add the milk and cream to the onion mixture in the pan and cook and stir with a wire whisk until the sauce thickens. |
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6
Done
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Crumble the bacon. Add it along with the pasta, provolone and Muenster cheeses to the sauce in the pan. |
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7
Done
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Cook and stir gently for a few minutes or until the cheese melts and the sauce is creamy. Stir in the blue cheese and serve. |
