This White Cheddar Bacon Mac and Cheese is classic comfort food: tender elbow macaroni tossed in a creamy white cheddar sauce with crisp bacon bits throughout.
I made this recipe months ago and have been impatiently waiting to share it. It was briefly delayed for seasonal posts, but it’s finally here — mac and cheese belongs on dinner tables all fall and winter.
I’m already planning to make this again for dinner — my kids love it. Who doesn’t enjoy bacon, pasta and cheese together?
One tip that makes a big difference is using quality cheese. For this dish I used Vermont sharp white cheddar for excellent flavor and smooth melting. This is a real, homemade mac and cheese — not the boxed version.
If you enjoy hearty pasta bakes, you might also like other baked pasta recipes that pair well with good cheddar.
A quick bacon tip: baking bacon on a foil-lined sheet yields crisp, evenly cooked slices that lie flat — perfect for chopping and sprinkling over mac and cheese or for sandwiches. Bake at 400°F for about 18–22 minutes, checking near the 18-minute mark for your preferred crispness. Drain on paper towels, then chop.
This mac and cheese comes together quickly. While the bacon crisps, cook the pasta and prepare the cheese sauce. The combination of crisp bacon and creamy cheddar is a perfect match.
For a loaded-baked-potato twist, I stirred sour cream into the cheese sauce and finished the dish with chopped green onions and extra bacon on top. It’s rich, tangy and satisfying — definitely worth making soon.
White Cheddar Bacon Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 8 oz Vermont sharp white cheddar, shredded
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- green onions, diced
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the bacon in a single layer. Bake 18–22 minutes, watching closely near 18 minutes, until bacon reaches desired crispness. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool, then chop.
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Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions (about 7–8 minutes) until al dente. Drain and set aside.
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Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce: in a large saucepan melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar and sour cream until smooth.
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Add the cooked macaroni and most of the chopped bacon to the sauce. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve topped with the remaining bacon and diced green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
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