Baked Macaroni and Cheese I
This is a delicious variation on macaroni cheese. While it may be slightly more difficult than other recipes it tastes even better!
This is a delicious variation on macaroni cheese. While it may be slightly more difficult than other recipes it tastes even better!
Very good! One of the best mac & cheese recipes I've used. My additions: 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt. The mustard adds a bit more flavor. As for a floury taste if you cook the sauce until it is "just boiling" it will alleviate the problem (don't reduce the flour or it will never get thick). Remove from heat and let set for a couple minutes before adding the cheese, this prevents the cheese from melting too hot and getting "grainy". I'll make this over and over. An update of my review: Many reviewers are saying the sauce never ‘gets thick’. It’s *not supposed* to “get thick”. It will be a creamy-textured sauce when mixed with the macaroni. It thickens and absorbs as it bakes in the oven. When making the sauce, use the standard above: Bring it to “just boiling”, period. That is the consistency it is supposed to be! When you take the dish out of the oven it will be perfect! ****Another update**** This recipe just keeps getting “favorite-er and favorite-er”! I’ve had a lot of company this summer and so as to stay out of the kitchen and visit I’m now using the crock-pot. (I triple the recipe and use several kinds of cheese. Omit the bacon for vegetarian guest and it’s still great.) Make the sauce the night before, let cool some, add the cheese, stir & refrigerate. In the morning, cook the noodles, al dente, and mix with the sauce in the crock-pot. Cover and cook on low, about 5 hours, just in time for a late lunch. Stir well before ser
Read MoreWell I hate to be in the minority but I won't be making this one again. My husband is a purist and did not like the onions in his M&C. There is a floury taste which surprised me. Perhaps cornstarch would be a better thickener. This will not be made in our house again :-(
Read MoreVery good! One of the best mac & cheese recipes I've used. My additions: 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt. The mustard adds a bit more flavor. As for a floury taste if you cook the sauce until it is "just boiling" it will alleviate the problem (don't reduce the flour or it will never get thick). Remove from heat and let set for a couple minutes before adding the cheese, this prevents the cheese from melting too hot and getting "grainy". I'll make this over and over. An update of my review: Many reviewers are saying the sauce never ‘gets thick’. It’s *not supposed* to “get thick”. It will be a creamy-textured sauce when mixed with the macaroni. It thickens and absorbs as it bakes in the oven. When making the sauce, use the standard above: Bring it to “just boiling”, period. That is the consistency it is supposed to be! When you take the dish out of the oven it will be perfect! ****Another update**** This recipe just keeps getting “favorite-er and favorite-er”! I’ve had a lot of company this summer and so as to stay out of the kitchen and visit I’m now using the crock-pot. (I triple the recipe and use several kinds of cheese. Omit the bacon for vegetarian guest and it’s still great.) Make the sauce the night before, let cool some, add the cheese, stir & refrigerate. In the morning, cook the noodles, al dente, and mix with the sauce in the crock-pot. Cover and cook on low, about 5 hours, just in time for a late lunch. Stir well before ser
OK, so I'll admit it's a little bland; so jazz it up the way you want! The "flour taste" complaints are because you all don't let the roux cook long enough! It's actually a pretty simple cooking technique that if you follow it, the sauce will thicken immediately. Like the recipe says, add the milk SLOWLY! To make it even easier, heat the milk slightly and then add it to the sauce. Just don't add it all at once, the sauce will seize and become lumpy. This is a great recipe for a basic sauce or one of the mother sauces called a Bechamel sauce or white sauce. Once you master this sauce, you can master anything that is cream based, like mac & cheese or a chowder or cream soup....just be patient. Good things come to those who wait! :)
I'm giving this great recipe 5 stars, but I made it slightly differently. No bacon. I made caramelized onions, which tasted excellent in the dish so I recommend it for sure. The cheese sauce which is made from a roux needs to be modified. Once you have melted the butter, added the flour and then milk, you need to simmer the mixture over low heat for about 8-10 minutes & stir occasionally making sure it does not burn. This is to cook down the flour and make a nice paste. Then add the cheese, and some nutmeg always adds that extra perfect touch to cheese sauce. I also added some garlic powder and cayanne. I love this recipe and next time I will throw in some stewed tomatoes as well. Thank you for sharing!!
Well I hate to be in the minority but I won't be making this one again. My husband is a purist and did not like the onions in his M&C. There is a floury taste which surprised me. Perhaps cornstarch would be a better thickener. This will not be made in our house again :-(
There are 2 things you don't add a lot of onion to. Pasta and seafood. They are delicate and are overpowered. What you taste is onion, you don't get the wonderful taste of other ingredients. When I get recipes with a lot of onions I replace with fresh chives to give a more delicate taste and flavor. This was overpowered with onions.
This was good. Even my husband who is not a fan of mac and cheese enjoyed this. The only thing I did was I sauteed the onions in a little bit of the bacon drippings and I added some pepper in step 3 otherwise great recipe.
I read the other reviews before making this and therefore put 3 whole cups of shredded cheese to help thicken and up the flavor of the sauce. I also used SHARP cheddar, and thank heavens I did otherwise I think this would have been too bland. I more than doubled the bacon, and used 11oz of large elbow macaroni. Used the onion and garlic just as suggested, and used a sweet onion. The sauce took FOREVER to thicken. The bottom line was that with these modifications, I thought the flavor was fantastic. My husband liked it too, but thought it wasn't different enough to warrant all the trouble, particularly the stirring time on the sauce.
Though this recipe was great for anyone making their first mac n cheese and the cookin instructions were good the recipe itself needed quite a bit of work. First of Im an onion lover and it was even too much for me. Half and onion is just the right amount.I added an extra cup on cheddar to the sauce aswell as a couple tsps of garlic salt. And topped it off by sprinkling 6 saltines mixed with a table spoon of melted butter on top.
I thought this was a great recipe and my boyfriend even enjoyed it for lunch the following couple of days. I'm a little skiddish of too much onion, so I used one small yellow onion and it was perfect. I also like to take short cuts, so instead of grating cheese I bought already shredded cheese and instead of cooking a couple slices of bacon I used 1 tbsp of Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits. The bacon bits are awesome and can be used for so many things, I keep a bag in the fridge for just such recipes. I heated about a tsp of olive oil in a pan and sauted the onion, garlic, and bacon bits all together. I will certainly make this dish again.
This was good - not the best I've ever had but good. I would make it again.
My kids loved it! Only gave it 4 stars because I tweaked the recipe a lot due to what I had on hand. I left out the bacon and onion (bummer). I used 2c cheddar and 1 c mozarella, and put fresh grated parmesan on top. I also added a little dry mustard and chili powder to the sauce. My kids gobbled up and have requested I make it all the time. Next time I'll add the bacon or maybe stir in some ricotta as I thought it was too dry (my own fault, I bet it's fine with the additional fat from the bacon and onion). Just a note to those that might find the sauce gritty: Pre-shredded cheese usually has flour or some other starch on it to keep it from clumping in the bag (that's what gives the cheese the dusty look). If using pre-shredded be sure to melt/stir the sauce long enough to not only melt the cheese but to fully blend that additional starch into the sauce.
I was looking for a simple, basic, but tasty Mac n Cheese recipe. I would have to say this is the one! The recipe is excellent as it is, only made minor changes. One of the most critical, I think for taste was to use the same "cast iron ' pan through the whole process. From frying the bacon to cooking the onion and garlic, to making the roux. Then finally in the end adding the cooked pasta to the pan and then putting the same pan in the oven. I didn't measure exactly how much cheese I used, but it was probably at least a cup more! Everyone loved it, even my non onion loving daughter had to take leftovers to school this morning! This will be added to my recipe box !!
I added 3 cooked, cut up hot dogs to this and my kids went NUTS. They loved it! I didn't have penne, so I used tri-colored rotini I had. Added panko bread crumbs to the top at the end--perfect!
Very simple and super comforting. I did end up tripling the bacon and adding just a little more cheese in the "sauce" as we like our noodles SUPER cheesy. I also used elbow macaroni because that was all I had. It was hard to keep myself at one serving, this is total comfort food. There's just something about adding fresh onion and garlic to macaroni and cheese. NOTE: I do make this a little more personal with just a touch of dijon mustard and a little hot sauce.
This is a good basic recipe. I do agree with an other reviewer that the basic roux definitely needs salt, pepper and dry mustard (1/2tsp) and needs to be cooked long enough to prevent the "floury" taste. The reason you don't want the sauce to be too thick, is that you want the sauce to get inside the elbow or penne pasta. The sauce will thicken as the M&C bakes in the oven. Almost everything else is a matter of taste and you can adjust the amount of bacon, onion & garlic to your liking. I prefer sharp cheddar, but any cheese will do. Finally, I've been making baked M&C for about 45 years. Before baking I spread a cup of cubed cheese over the top of the casserole along with cornflake crumbs and a little salt and pepper. This makes a wonderful crust on the top. Served with a side of stewed tomatoes and peanut butter muffins!! Love it
Good, simple recipe. My husband doesn't like homemade macaroni & cheese, but he enjoyed this. I agree with a number of reviews that adding a few extras to zip up the flavor a bit is good. I used ziti but will use elbow macaroni next time. I did not have mustard on hand but added some ground red pepper and increased to four strips of bacon, which still weren't noticeable enough for our tastes (so I will use six or even eight next time!). I did two cloves of garlic and will increase that to three. Also, I will increase the amount of butter to match the flour 3/3 (I have only ever read that it's equal amounts). This was extremely dry and pasty in the pan and I could not cook it for the suggested two minutes for fear of burning the flour. I look forward to trying this again with the above-suggested alterations.
I thought this recipe was great! I will preface my review with the fact that I have never made macaroni from scratch before and am still learning a lot about cooking. As always, lots of previous reviews helped me. Those along with my own suggestions: (1) use 3 cups cheese in the sauce, (2) mix up the cheeses - i did 2 cups sharp cheddar, 1 cup colby jack, and a little bit of both mixed with parmesan on top, (3) a light coating of bread crumbs under the top layer of cheese. For my version, I used a whole 13.5 oz box of whole grain macaroni noodles and it was perfect. I did not add the onions or bacon (working with limited time and a large group) but I did add cumin as suggested (and, as noted, couldn't taste it at all so I guess it was a good thing??). I had to google "roux" and was glad I did since mixing flour and water seemed a bit odd. The sauce took longer than I anticipated. I was unsure at what point the roux/milk mixture thickened but someone had noted that as soon as it thickens at all, it's done. So, I went with that. Will turn the stove up slightly above Low next time bc I think it was not hot enough (and therefore took longer). I baked it for about 15 minutes but then covered it with foil for a bit longer. I got A LOT of compliments (served it with slow cooker bbq pork and California Coleslaw which is from allrecipes too). Will definitely be making this macaroni again --- so sad there were no leftovers!!! Enjoy!
Any dish that messes up 5 pots/pans isn't one I am going to continue using. The bacon is a nice touch, tho.
This recipe, in my opinion, is 5 stars. And yes, I did alter it slightly, as I have to admit, I tend to do that based on my families preferences. I increased the pasta to 12oz, fried 6 pieces of bacon and then caramelized my onions in the bacon pan. I used all three cups of cheeses in my sauce and even added a little extra to the top before baking. Now here is where I really deviated! I took the spices from Chef Jonh's Mac and Cheese (from this site) and added them to my sauce. I also used his Panko topping as I prefer my Mac and cheese to have a crunchy topping. The reason why I love this site is not only for the recipes but because of the reviews! Countless times in the past (from cookbooks) I have made recipes that never turned out....I have made dozens of recipes from this site and I can honestly say that there was only one that wasn't a hit, it was good, but not a 'wow I would make that again'. And the reason for my success (other than my stellar cooking/baking skills ;) is because I read the recipes over and then the reviews to see what has worked countless times for everyone. I see nothing wrong with altering a recipe as I believe that is what cooking/baking is all about! If it wasn't for the recipe submitter playing around with recipes, it wouldn't be here for us to enjoy. :)
I should have read the reviews before trying this recipe. Very floury tasting. Will not try this again.
This recipe was the best mac&cheese recipe I have ever tried and I have tried many! I totally disagree with the reviews that said this was bland. The only change I made was to use a mix of colby, jack and mild cheddar. I also sprinkled hot paprika over the top before baking. Plenty of flavor, plenty of cheese. Perhaps some of the people who tried the recipe don't know how to make a roux. The flour/butter/milk ratio was perfect-the garlic/onion flavor was just right. Thank you.
You can use three cups of any of your favorite cheese for the sauce, I have tried it with just cheddar, and a mix of regular or sharp cheddar, mozzerella, american, whatever you feel like. My husband raves about this mac and cheese. We both agree it is by far the best recipe we have ever found for mac and cheese. I even cheat and add more bacon. YUMMY! Thanks for the recipe!
I am SOO glad I decided to try this recipe! I consider myself a connoisseur of mac n cheese and I give this one four stars. It had humble beginnings in the pot at first but it turned out really great! I didn't use bacon or an actual onion, but instead used onion powder (a few shakes). Also, I baked it in a 9x13 baking dish since I don't yet have a 2-qt dish (newlyweds, go figure). I only baked it for about 6 or 7 minutes because I was afraid it would dry out. It turned out great! Next time I think I'll add some swiss as well!
I read the reviews before I decided to make this. I understand the "flour" comments. It's a texture thing but, in my opinion, doesn't detract from the favor. This is a good recipe. I followed another suggestion of sauteing the onions and garlic in the bacon drippings. A few other alterations: 3/4c. of heavy cream +1 1/4c. of milk instead of 2c. of milk; 12 oz. of macaroni instead of 8 oz; 3c. of shredded mexican blend cheese in the sauce and 1c. of mild chedder for the top instead of 3c. of chedder total; and 1/2 a large onion rather than a whole onion; 3 slices of bacon instead of 2. VERY good recipe.
this was excellent. my boyfriend went back for thirds and his friend had seconds. it makes the perfect amount, and the leftovers are great too! i made a few minor changes. im a vegetarian so i didnt use bacon at all. i sauteed onions and garlic in a little olive oil. for the cheese i added a little extra cheddar and also some mozzarella/provolone shredded cheese i had. i topped it with more cheese, then i crushed up some ritz crackers and multigrain club crackers and covered the top with those, and then put a layer of shredded parmesean over that. nice and crunchy! the roux is really easy. if you're having trouble, use a wisk and add the milk by half cups. just wait for it to thicken, it will. will make again and again! *EDIT* finally got the perfect cheese blend. It's sharp cheddar, colby, and provolone in the sauce, and shredded parm on top. mmmmm!
As is, just as a lot of other reviewers said, this is a bland recipe. Even using sharp cheddar, I thought it was a bit blah. I added several more cloves of fresh garlic, lots of cajun spice, red onions, some lemon & pepper and that took care of the spiciness needed. I also sprinkled some crumbled blue cheese (a little, depending on your taste) on top-- it added a nice bit of texture & flavor. For the flour taste, I used about 1/4 cup corn starch disolved in a half a cup of cold water. Use a little more if it's not thick enough. The cheese thickened almost instantly-- I really didn't have to stir for long at all. Also, to get a veggie serving, and some color I added frozen peas & corn to the mix before baking, and if you're not a big bacon fan, substitute tuna. This is a great base for a home made macaroni. If you're looking for the really intense flavor of the "box" style mac & cheese, this isn't it. It is mellow, even with the spices, but it's got a home baked creaminess that you can't get with a mix. Just add what you like and taste it before baking. Go a little wild; you don't have to stick strictly to a recipe like this one.
This recipe is great! The bacon and onion add just a little kick that keeps it from being plain old mac and cheese. I made it using an 8 oz block of Cabot extra sharp cheddar that I shredded myself. Definitely a keeper in my book!
Delicious!!!My son loved and and wants me to make it again...He told me to put it as 5 stars....
I used the recipe for the cheese sauce to try to replicate my husbands grandmothers recipe. I added half a packet of the powdered cheese sauce from the packaged mac n cheese in the store to this recipes cheese sauce. His grandmother used that and it actually tasted good. I used sharp cheddar cheese, as well, and layered everything in the casserole. Then I carmelized onions, added whole peeled tomatoes and tomato sauce and let that simmer while the mac n cheese cooked in the oven. Served with the tomato sauce on top and it was delicious- what a great comfort food!
Wow! This mac and cheese was really good! It is not your traditional mac and cheese but it is amazing! I didn't think this lacked flavor at all like some others said. I used only half of an onion, a little extra garlic and about 6 slices of bacon. I also used a blend of different cheeses. This was VERY good! My hubby and I both loved it!!
I absolutely loved this. It is so creamy and rich. I may add a little more bacon next time. Also a great recipe to replace lobster for the bacon.
Yummmy! added a few things...browned 3/4pound of hamburger(omit the bacon) and seasoned with 1 tsp of taco seasoning (from this website), I added this to the cheese sauce along with and extra 1/4cup of parmesan cheese. Oh ,I did increase the garlic to 3 cloves and the pasta was 12ounce of whole wheat. Verrry chessy...lots of sauce. Both my children ate their entire dinner.... THAT never happens. Thanx for the recipe.
This was an amazing recipe, though I added more cheese than it called for and it was just barely enough to cover the pasta (perhaps i just cooked too much pasta? I'm not very precise about these things). I also added ground beef as well as the bacon. Loved it!
When making the roux you can also substitute the butter with bacon fat. I save my bacon drippings in a mason jar in the freezer and use it all the time when cooking. It works great in this dish since we are adding bacon anyway.
I'm giving this 5 stars because the cheese sauce was fantastic! I'm anxious to try it on broccoli. I left out the bacon, onion, and garlic and used elbow macaroni instead of penne. This was going to be the beginning of my search for a good mac and cheese recipe, but my search has ended before it really began :) This is neither a typical baked mac and cheese nor the cheesy Kraft kind... it's somewhere in between. I absolutely love that this recipe does not use processed cheese, and it does not need it, in my opinion. If anyone is getting a flour taste, you're not cooking the roux long enough. It needs a full two minutes on medium low heat before you start adding the milk. And you need to really nurse the cheese mixture a bit... constantly stir it and *gradually* add the milk and then the cheese for best results. I went ahead and mixed all 3 cups of cheese into the cheese sauce and didn't bother adding any to the top. I baked the whole thing for 25-30 minutes. It tasted even better the next day. Thanks for the recipe!
I also thought this was really bland. If I ever decided to make it again, I would definitely add more cheese and maybe use a different type of cheese. It was a lot of work and a lot of dishes for mediocre macaroni!
This Recipe is Great! I'm a very experimental cook, and this recipe was a great starting point. It's extremely yummy as is but I've also modified the recipe in with great success. Definitely make sure the flour is fully cooked. Some suggestions: Doubled the pasta (this makes a drier version, but still tasty), added more bacon. (for the bacon I usually prepare a special breakfast for myself and a group of friends earlier in the week and then just snag some of the crisper slices to make this recipe) Only 2 cups of cheddar, but added 8 oz of cream cheese to the sauce (after the milk and b4 the cheddar) Added broccoli to the veggies. I've also tried adding a can of well drained tuna. This recipe tastes great as leftovers as well :) Thanks Abbey for posting this recipe :)
This was awesome. I only changed it a little - I used 2 cups cheddar and 1 cup mozzarella. I sprinkled the top with italian breadcrumbs before baking.
We call this fancy mac and cheese. The kids wont touch it. I love it. I don't like the onion in it, so we leave it out now. I also use a combo of cheeses, cream cheese, colby, jack and cheedar. I've made it with and without the bacon and I perfer without.
I've tried a few different mac & cheese recipes and none have turned out just right. This one did, though! My husband, who much prefers the boxed version of this food, actually took two helpings. I already loved the taste, but seeing him go back for more when he usually won't even touch homemade mac & cheese really sold me on this recipe! My changes: I added 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard, thanks to a reviewer's suggestion, and that turned the dish from really good to wonderful! I also only had two cups of cheddar so I added a cup of mixed american and mozzarella. Fantastic!!
I used more bacon prob 5 slices and also tried it with chunks of ham ( at different times ). Less onion probably 1/2 big one. 2-3 cloves of garlic. Awesome recipe !! I have been looking for a great mac and cheese and this is it. The white sauce ( which I was scared of making ) was so easy to make as long as you continue to stir with a wisk you wont get any lumps. Last time I made this, there was one little bit left over for lunch the next day and we had a fight over who would get it ! Really really mmm mmm good ! Thanks.
Both my boyfriend and I were excited to try this dish but were sorely disappointed. It just tasted like flour/extremely bland. Perhaps I did something wrong but I followed the recipe exactly except used vegan bacon bits because I'm vegetarian. I did not care for it.
This was a great recipe and fairly easy too. My husband loved the onions and the bacon, and I could hardly keep myself from eating it out of the dish before it baked. I doubled it as some of the other reviewers suggested and am glad I did- it would have been enough for two, but now I have it to look forward to as leftovers! Definitely not for those on a diet, but so rich that you can be satisfied with a smaller portion.
This is a really good recipe…it turned out perfect except that when I served it (right from the oven) 5 minutes later it dried up and became a bit stiff… needs a bit of tweaking but otherwise a great success…I found the qty too little so I doubled the entire recipe and was perfect for two... a keeper. Thanks!
I made this recipe for my work. Everyone loved it. It tastes wonderful and traveled well. This was my first time making macaroni and cheese that wasn't from a box and it was great.
My husband loved it, but my kids took one bite and turned their noses up to it.
This is the recipe I use for mac and cheese; however, I add a can of chopped tomatoes and chilies and a little less milk.
Great Mac and Cheese recipe even though I made it healthier -- turkey bacon, low fat cheese, corn pasta and skim milk. I added some peas and dry mustard to add some kick.
the only change that i made to this was the noodles, other than that followed it to a T and we still didnt like it. the bacon added a nice flavor but i wont be making this again.
WOW! This was really good! I used about 6 slices of bacon, removed from the pot when browned and then I used about 2 tsps of the bacon drippings to saute the chopped onions and garlic for a little extra flavour. After removing the onions and garlic I used the same pot to make the sauce. When adding the milk i added only about 1/4 cup at a time while constantly whisking to ensure that it would be smooth. Before adding the cheese i removed the milk from the direct heat and allowed it to cool for a moment so that it wouldn't be grainy. Best mac n cheese my family has ever had! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is a pretty good mac and cheese recipe. I added mustard and lots of pepper.
This tasted like onion and noodles! VERY VERY VERY bland. I followed the recipe except for only used half an onion and did not use bacon. It tasted like it should have been a hash brown casserole instead of mac and cheese.
We add a can of quartered artichokes and use about half the cheese but this is great! Hubby asks for it every other week!
This is a staple in our house, I never really liked mac and cheese until I tried this recipe. I add a little dijon mustard and a dash of Worcestershire sauce to the roux for a little extra flavor, and I omit the bacon. Great recipe.
I followed the recipe exactly yet it was not creamy. The flavor was okay but we all wanted more sauce! I'll keep looking!
Great change to the basic dish! I also used 1/2 onion and a variety of cheeses and increased the bacon.
I really liked this recipe...I did make some changes tho, you do have to WAIT a while, let the milk almost boil! I also added a diced fresh tomato and some green chilis to give it a little extra zest and ommitted the bacon.
I followed this recipe exactly and it was very good! I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the great recipe!
The first thing my husband said was "Im never going back to Kraft Macaroni again"!! It really was that delicious. I read ahead to the other comments before preparing myself and the only modifications I made was I added a 1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder, and Salt and Pepper. Otherwise i followed the directions. Just remember to be patient making the sauce and it will turn out great. I will definitely be sharing this recipe with others and it will be a staple at our table from now on.
very delicious!a little dry if you rewarm it but add a little milk
For lack of a better word, this recipie was very interessting. The onion, garlic, and bacon was different, pretty good actually. I wouldn't always make it this way...but it's worth a try. I made it according to the recipie measurments for myself and my boyfriend, and we have enough leftovers to last a week. I also added extra milk at the advice of the others, and it did not dry out. I added cracker crumbs to the topping as well as cheese...overall, pretty good.
Everyone Loved this. However, I added more bacon and used cheddar and mozzarella and provalone cheeses (I am not a big cheese person )it is so easy as well (which really calls for a lot of will power,LOL)
I used cubed ham instead of the bacon and added sun dried tomatoes. Excellent!!
We followed the recipe exactly, except we used whole wheat ingredients. It was good! If I were to make it again, I would probably add a bit more spice, as it was rather bland, but my kids ate it, which was a huge compliment!!
Made this for my girlfriend added chili powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper it was amazing and she loved it
I used jalapeno bacon which gave it a nice flavor. I probably will add some cayenne next time. Great base recipe to embellish as you please!
Leave out the onions, use pancetta instead of bacon and use a mix of cheddar, gruyere and asiago for the cheese. To make it a real winner throw some panko breadcrumbs mixed with a little more cheese on top at the end and pop under the broiler, until browned, for a delicious crunchy texture and even more flavor. My 13 year old daughter and her friends will demolish a whole platter in minutes. If you're getting a floury taste - work on your roux. This should be pure creamy, cheesy goodness.
I made this to see if my 23 mo old would like it...I didn't have any bacon on hand and I used baby shells rather than penne pasta. I used only half an onion and minced before sauteing with the garlic...This was a little too dry for our taste and had too much onion flavor. I think next time I will reduce the onion and add sour cream or cream cheese to the sauce...will probably add a pinch of cayenne too.
I made sure to avoid the "raw flour" taste by thoroughly cooking the roux, and cutting the amount of flour to 2 tbsp. I used a sharp cheddar and threw in some jack and colby to boot...The bacon and garlic flavors are fine, but we much preferred the dish the second time around when I left out the onion. I will definitely use this recipe again, it is much more versatile than my old stove-top method!
Good flavor, but my sauce turned out a little grainy. I'm going to keep trying to find an awesome mac and cheese recipe.
Love the concept of making it from scratch, but this recipe lacked flavor! Needs ALOT more spices, seasoning, and more liquid. Mine came out dry and tasteless.
This was good but I found the onion took over the dish...It was a bit pasty over all the bacon is a great addition
It may be a bit time consuming, but it's well worth it! Even re-heated, it's fabulous.
Loved this bake - added more flavour with the onions, garlic and bacon than just plain old macaroni cheese. As others have done, I cooked everything in one pan at the same time. Compliments to the chef from the girls at work, too!!! Very enjoyable!
This is a great alternative to the stuff in the box!!! Everyone loves it!!!
This is a good basic recipe. Instead of bacon, I used some diced ham. I love onions, so I browned and slow cooked a large vidalia until it was translucent and added that to the garlic. On the top I sprinkled some italian bread crumbs, a tiny bit of old bay (i don't exactly know why, it just struck me as I looked through my cabinet..lol) and it turned out really good. I used a combination of shredded provolone, swiss lorraine and a tiny bit of american cheese. It was different, but good. The white american cheese, which I normally think is flavorless and do not ever buy, made it really creamy and assisted the other stronger flavors. Try it, you might like it..lol.
I thought this was a nice recipe. I enjoyed the bacon and onion flavors because it made the usual mac and cheese so different. I did add bread crumbs on the top with the extra cheese, and that made a nice crust. I think I used too much pasta, but it was still great and I will make this again. Thanks!
Sometimes you can't improve on a classic comfort food. Macaroni and cheese lovers love just that - the extras in this recipe are great but change the satisfaction index of this comfort food.
This is a great recipe. I used this one everytime I make mac and cheese. It's so easy and the cheese sauce is always the same consistency. I don't put the onions, garlic, or bacon in. Instead I put turkey hotdogs and prosciutto. Yummy!
Yummy Yummy. Been looking for a baked mac and cheese recipe. Finally found it. Made it for Thanksgiving. Great reviews. Definitly a keeper.
Way too much cheese, and it seems like it would be a really great recipe, it just didn't turn out for me. I'm not a fan.
I followed the recipe exactly, I always do the first time and if I want changes I do it the second time. I will make this again but I will omit the onions they just didn't seem to belong. I will however keep the bacon, beacon belongs everywhere :-). Next time I will only use two TBS flour to my 2TBS butter and 2 cups of whole milk and a big pinch of nutmeg. Now after writing this I realize that I have just reverted back to my old recipe with the addition of bacon, hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
I changed the recipe by using Gruyere cheese and diced ham in place of cheddar and bacon. Everyone loved it!
Very good recipe. I substituted turkey bacon for regular bacon and added 2 cups cheddar cheese and 1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar. Tasted great!
Very tasty, the flavor of onions, garlic & bacon are well worth the extra effort. I split the cheese between cheddar & Monterey Jack vs. all cheddar, yum!
This recipe was not bad but it was a little bland. After reading some of the other reviews, I too will definitely add a little something to flavor it up.
It was ok. i cooked the onion and garlic in the bacon grease, which may of made the mac'n'cheese too greasy. I also added a bit more cheese, that could of made it greasy also. Not as creamy as I would of liked it.
This is a very easy dish to make. I changed a few things(lactose intolerant) I used Goat Cheddar Cheese, Earth Balance in place of butter, lactose free milk and gluten free macaroni noodles. I also doubled the bacon.It turned out to be a very tasty dish. I have not had macaroni and cheese in years, but thought i would try this with my changes and very happy i did.My husband who can have dairy enjoyed it also. Thank you very much for the recipe, will be making this again
This was good my husband liked it. I think the garlic added tons of flavor.
Edible, but not really enjoyable. I think I'll stick to my tried and true recipe. I love bacon, onion, & garlic, so I thought this would be delightful...BIG DISAPPOINTMENT :O( Btw: If you're having trouble with the roux, use a whisk or fork; that'll make it smooth.
This was good. It's not the cheesiest, it's more like a casserole, and quite heavy for a meal. Still in small portions its good.
I am usually not very fond of baked mac n cheese, but my husband loves it. Finally, I have found a recipe that was easy to make and delicious! I will definitely make it again. To make it even easier, I used real bacon bits. I added more than the equivalent of two bacon strips.
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