Bacon Pesto Mac and Cheese Bake
This rich baked macaroni and cheese works equally as well as a weeknight entrée or a holiday meal side dish.
Servings Prep Time
8servings 10minutes
Cook Time
45minutes
Servings Prep Time
8servings 10minutes
Cook Time
45minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 2 1/2- or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer pasta back to pot; cover and keep warm off heat.
  3. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. After it is cool enough to handle, crumble the bacon.
  4. Place the reserved bacon grease, butter, and minced garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until butter is melted. Whisk flour into butter mixture, and continue whisking until flour starts to turn golden brown, about 1 minute. Slowly add milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper to the saucepan, whisking until there are no lumps. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium.
  5. Stir grated Cheddar cheese into the cream mixture, stirring until the cheese is melted. Add pesto and half of the crumbled bacon; stir. Transfer the mixture to pot with cooked pasta and stir to combine. Pour the pasta mixture into prepared baking dish.
  6. Mix panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a bowl. Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and cheese.
  7. Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and just starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Top with remaining half of bacon.
  8. Preheat the oven’s broiler. Place baking dish under broiler until browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil.