Name: 4 CHEESE + BACON Mac & Cheese (Perfect for Thanksgiving!)
Prep time: 00:20
Cook time: 00:40
Total time: 01:06
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 15-16

Thanksgiving is this week, and whether you are celebrating with family or alone, you will want this Thanksgiving Mac & Cheese Recipe! Hands down one of my best dishes on Bobby Boyd Living… might as well start calling me Chef Boyd-ardee. 👨‍🍳

Previously I made a low-carb mac and cheese with cauliflower. While that was an AMAZING dish, perfect for those on a keto diet or watching their carb intake, but… Sometimes you need the real deal.

For those of you who are ready to step up your mac game… this is the recipe you want before you head into a food coma. 😴

The combination of 5 cheese variants, milk, butter, and the tenderly cooked macaroni makes this recipe insanely delicious. The best part is the crunchy topping made with bacon and panko breadcrumbs…

4 CHEESE + BACON Mac & Cheese (Perfect for Thanksgiving!)

SERVING

prep time

00:20

COOK TIME

00:40

INGREDIENTS

15-16

TOTAL TIME

01:06

EQUIPMENT

Oven
Large deep pot
Large non-stick skillet
Wooden spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Strainer
Bowls

INGREDIENTS

For the Pasta:

2 cups of Elbow macaroni
Salt to taste

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For the Creamy Sauce:

3 tablespoons of Butter
3 tablespoons of Flour
3 cups of Milk
1 cup of American cheese, shredded
1 cup of Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup of Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded
Ground black pepper to taste

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For the Topping:

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For the Topping:

Bacon, chopped
2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of Chopped garlic
2 tablespoons of Chili flakes
Parsley to garnish, optional

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INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 F.
Pour some water into a large deep pot and place on high heat. Add in some salt and leave it to boil.
For the Topping – Turn the bacon into the skillet, stir and cook for up to 5 minutes on medium heat. It will produce enough fat to cook itself in, so you don’t need to add any oil. As it continues to sizzle and brown, add in the garlic, chili flakes, and breadcrumbs, stir and let it cook for 2 more minutes before letting it down from the heat. Transfer it into a bowl and set aside.
Melt your butter in the skillet on high heat. Once it’s melted, add in the flour and stir to combine both ingredients into a thick, smooth paste. Turn the heat down to medium; add the milk, stir and leave it to boil and thicken for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, transfer the uncooked elbow macaroni into the pot of boiling water from step-1. Cover it up and let it cook for 5 minutes.
Once the milk has thickened nicely, add in all 5 cheese variants and stir until they all melt into the milk and form a thick, creamy, and gooey sauce. This should take up to 5-7 minutes.
After the macaroni has cooked for 5 minutes, set it down from the heat and strain out the hot water. Run cold water through it to wash off excess starch.
Pour the cooked macaroni into the creamy cheese sauce and stir to fold it in. Sprinkle in black pepper to taste and stir some more to distribute the flavor. Let it down from the heat.
Spread the topping evenly atop the mac & cheese. Place your yummy looking dish in the oven to bake for 6 minutes. Once it is done, serve immediately.

For those of you who are ready to step up your mac game… this is the recipe you want before you head into a food coma. 😴