Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese is extremely cozy, comforting and flavorful! Cooked pasta in a simple two-cheese sauce is combined with tender broccoli florets and chopped cooked bacon.
Ingredients
- olive oil spray
- 6 to 7 ounces small broccoli florets
- 5 strips center cut bacon
- 10 ounces dried short pasta like pipette or elbow
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 7 ounces sharp cheddar grated
- 9 ounces fontina grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉ (or 160℃) and lightly spray a medium casserole dish.
- Bring a 10 or 12-inch skillet of water to a boil, add florets and cook 3 mintues. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to an ice bath and set a timer for 3 minutes. Then transfer to paper towel (or clean kitchen towel) lined pan. Set aside.
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions.
- In a 10-inch skillet, arrange bacon and cook until crispy. Transfer bacon to a cutting board to cool, then finely chop.
- To the bacon fat (see notes) add butter. Once melted, stir in flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk while pouring in milk. Simmer until slightly thick and creamy. About 6 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and season the cream sauce with ground mustard, white pepper, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk to incorporate.
- Add half of the grated cheddar and fontina to the cheese sauce. Continue to whisk until smooth. Taste and season with kosher salt, more or less to taste.
- To the cheese sauce, add the cooked pasta, blanched broccoli and 3/4 of the chopped bacon. Stir to combine and transfer to prepared pan. Sprinkle with the last of the cheeses and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to carefully remove. Move the oven rack to the highest position and turn on the broiler. Slide the mac and cheee under the broiler for 2 minutes or until the top is golden.
- Sprinkle with remaining bacon and serve immediately.
Notes
I based this recipe using center cut bacon which has less fat than regular bacon. If using regular bacon, you will need to drain off excess fat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 708mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g