Caramelized Onion and Bacon Mac n Cheese
Made with simple ingredients, this homemade mac n cheese is great for weeknight suppers, parties, potlucks, and more. Plus, it’s guaranteed to take your mac n cheese game to the next level!
Ingredients
- 1 lb short cut pasta I used elbow macaroni for mine, but any kind of short cut will work great, so feel free to switch it up and use a unique shape!
- 16 oz Gouda Cheese shredded. I highly recommend buying blocks of cheese and shredding it yourself; it tastes way better than the pre-shredded cheese.
- 10 oz white cheddar cheese shredded. Again, I highly recommend buying blocks of cheese and shredding it yourself; it tastes so much better than the pre-shredded cheese.
- 8 tbsp butter I like to use salted butter, but unsalted works too
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups milk I like to use whole milk, but 1%, 2%, and even half and half all work.
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground mustard also called mustard powder.
- 1 lb bacon chopped into small bite-sized pieces. I like to use smoked bacon, but any kind of bacon will work.
- 3-4 onions cut into thin rounds. I like to use Vidalia onions for this recipe, but you can also use white onions or yellow onions.
Instructions
- Place your chopped bacon into a large skillet over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess grease. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add your sliced onions to the pan and season with salt; cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized. Taste and add additional salt if needed. (I like to cook my onions right in the bacon fat; just keep in mind you might not need all the fat. I normally discard about half and then cook my onions in the remaining fat. If you aren’t a fan of bacon fat, you can cook your onions in butter in a separate pan.)
- Once the onions have finished cooking, remove them from the pan and set aside until ready to use.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; once boiling, add your pasta of choice and cook to al denta according to the package directions. Drain your cooked pasta and rinse under cold water to keep the pasta from sticking; set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Reserve 1 cup of your shredded gouda cheese and 1 cup of your shredded white cheddar cheese.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the stick of butter until it is completely melted and bubbly. Add the all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth. Next, slowly pour in your milk, whisking continuously.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and continue whisking until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the spices and whisk to combine.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add your remaining cheese(not the 2 cups you set aside) a little at a time, whisking between each addition until it is completely melted.
- Once all the cheese has been added, add your cooked pasta and mix with a rubber spatula until the noodles are completely coated in the cheese sauce. Carefully pour the mac n cheese mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Be sure to scrape as much of the sauce out of the pan as you can!
- Sprinkle the reserved cup of gouda cheese over the noodles, then layer your caramelized onions over the mac n cheese, followed by your crispy bacon. Finally, sprinkle the reserved white cheddar cheese over the top of the bacon and onions.
- Place the mac n cheese into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and the edges are bubbly. I like to switch my oven to broil, then broil until the melted cheese on top is golden brown, but that step is completely optional!
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Any leftover mac n cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can easily make this recipe with just bacon or just onions if you aren’t a fan of both.
Personally, I love making this recipe with the cheeses mentioned above, but homemade mac n cheese can really be made with any of your favorite cheeses. Gruyère cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Colby, and even American cheese all work great.
If you like, you can also top this homemade mac n cheese with panko breadcrumbs or crushed crackers for an added crunch!
Nutrition
Calories: 1018kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 43gFat: 67gSaturated Fat: 35gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 1370mgPotassium: 642mgFiber: 3gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1418IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 866mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!