Three Cheese Skillet Bacon Mac and Cheese
ShareFlavorful three cheese macaroni and cheese with salty bacon, cooked and served from in oven safe skillet.
So it’s Monday and we’re back to the daily grind. We all made it through spring vacation – no sickness and not a single visit to the ER. Not that I really expected either to happen but you know it’s always possible. We finished off the week with a dental visit for me and my oldest. What says Saturday fun like getting your teeth cleaned? Uhm… yeah. At least I like our dental hygienist. There was also super delicious pizza had, a bunch of instagramming and a visit with my parents. Obviously the last part was my kids favorite!
A warm sunny day meant lots of fun running around outside. We did a swap of goods too. I’ve been cleaning out our house to give them stuff for their church yard sale and I got a few things from them including a small butcher block kitchen cart. I’m really excited to pick out a color and paint it. I’m thinking a distressed turquoise look, like this and maybe a dark stain for the top. I have to admit I’m a little scared at botching it but I figure I can always sand it down and try again. Maybe I’ll start with something smaller first to make sure I can get the look I want. If you have any brilliant and easy tips (besides not doing or it or having someone else do it) I’m all ears!
You’re probably way more interested in this recipe though…
I’ve been seriously dying to share this recipe with you. It’s over the top delicious and is beyond easy. And let’s not forget that there is bacon which is basically an essential food group. That, sprinkles, chocolate and apples… and maybe cheese. Just not necessarily together or in that order of priority. Because we all know which would come first in my book but beyond that is anyone’s guess.
This is an adapted recipe from Jessica. Same concept, but different cheeses, slightly different quantities and of course the ever important addition of bacon. The one most essential thing I must tell you about this recipe, besides how clearly delicious it is and that you must make it this week… be absolutely 100% sure that the skillet you use to make this in is oven safe. If you aren’t sure, check the manufacturer’s website for your particular pan prior to making this or any other oven recipe with it.
Be prepared to want to dive in head first to this dish. Grab a fork and dig in. Forget the plate. We enjoyed our portions, after photographing of course. But then while making milk chocolate pudding, I kept finding myself somehow with a fork full of pasta. I can’t explain it. It’s like I had zero control over my hand. Fork, pasta, mouth – repeat. Ahhhhmazing. Make it. Eat it. Love it.
Ready for more bacon loving recipes? Try these:
- Bacon wrapped meatloaf
- Cheesy hasselback potatoes with bacon
- Slow cooker loaded potato soup
- Bacon and barbecue chicken pizza
- BLC salad
- Twice baked potatoes with cheese and bacon
- Spicy barbecue chicken salad
Three Cheese Skillet Bacon Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb mini rigatoni pasta
- 4 slices thick cut bacon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 Tb unsalted butter
- 1/4 C all purpose flour
- 2 C milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dry Mustard
- 4 oz Havarti cheese shredded
- 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/3 C Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 tsp Parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Boil water in a large saucepan, cooking pasta according to box directions.
- Cook bacon to desired crispness in a medium skillet over medium heat. Drain and chop.
- Heat a 12-inch oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add butter and garlic, cooking for 30 seconds. Add flour, whisking until smooth. Add milk, salt, pepper and dry mustard. Stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes or until warm. Add shredded extra sharp and Havarti cheese, whisking until smooth and creamy. Drain pasta, add to skillet with bacon. Gently stir to coat.
- In a small bowl combine Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley. Sprinkle over pasta. Bake for 25-30 minutes or lightly golden. Serve immediately.
Notes
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I would have zero control around this pasta too. And since I’m carb loading this week…hmm…! ;)
Then you should absolutely carb load with this ;)
Is it bad that I want this for breakfast? Holy yum.
There is nothing wrong with that! I’d be right there with you.
Skillet dishes are the best, especially when bacon and cheese are involved ;) Good luck with the cart, I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’d love to do something similar with a few pieces in our house, but am so nervous about screwing it up!
Fingers tightly crossed that I don’t botch it lol. ;)
Love this Rachel!! I love how easy it is and I love how creamy and delicious is looks!! Plus, the bacon does not hurt! Good lick with the cart!! Hope it works for you!
Thank you!
Now that’s comfort food!
Pasta perfection…this looks incredible -bacon makes everything better ;)
It truly does. Bacon is the best. :)
Love all of the cheesiness, and the bacon, and the fact that it can be made in a skillet!
Did you mean “heaven in a skillet?”
Yes. Total typo on my part ;)
WHAT. Three cheese and bacon??? This will be the end of me. And what a tasty end it will be!
Three cheese AND bacon….it seriously doesn’t get much better!
ummmm YES TO ALL OF THIS!
I love that this is all done in one skillet. Comfort food with very little clean up. Brilliant!
I dont know if we have told you this before but… We can eat Mac n cheese all day everyday!!! Its our favorite dish!! We need to try this version with bacon!! Looks amazing!!!
My mom makes a mean mac & cheese just like this. But shhh…. yours sounds better. :) Comfort food at its finest, my friend!
Be still my heart. Okay, NOW, can you pass the biggest fork EVER?? k. thanks!
You forgot one important essential food group… BBQ sauce. Totally counts ;) And of course bacon, IN this mac and cheese. it looks INcredible!
I know I know… bbq is totally on the list too, obviously! ;)
Give me a piping hot skillet of this and no one gets hurt!! You are killin’ me, SMALLS!!
Mmm mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods, and throw in bacon and I’m in total heaven! This sounds so delicious. Pinned!
I really really really love mac n cheese.
I will definitely be diving head first into this!
This dish would get demolished in my house in ten seconds flat and I live alone! BTW, I have that same bar cart and what I did was, stain the top and paint the bottom white. It’s classic but it looks pretty.
haha! I wouldn’t blame you one bit for devouring it alone :)
I have wood distressing tips! I’m actually gonna do a tutorial soon on some picture frames, but here’s the basic jist- paint it a dark color first (dark brown maybe) Then take a wax candle and rub it on all the edges or spots that you want to look “worn” THEN- paint it your turquoise color, once it’s dry- the paint will come right off where you put the wax with sandpaper. Does that make sense? Maybe I should have emailed you. Also this mac & cheese looks amazing. :)
I’ve seen that tip. I also saw a recommendation to stain the whole thing, paint and sand. So I guess either method will really give the same result in the end – dark showing through with worn paint on top.
I’ve had my eye on this post ever since it first showed up on my Bloglovin’ feed. I’ve proclaimed the new four food groups to be cheese, bacon, sugar, and liquor. You’ve covered half of them in one recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
Is it weird that this has kind of melted my heart?
I would not be able to keep my fork out of this pasta. It looks incredible!
Yum! this looks fab! Did someone say bacon? As far as the cart goes… whatever you do make sure you buy pre-stain. It’s what you put on to prevent the stain from clumping. Very thin layers of stain. Practice on a few scrap pieces of wood before doing it on the butcher block and you’ll be ok… remember, I have a DIY blog so stain and I are kind of besties! :)
I wish there were a spray on stain – that’d be SO much easier. One example I saw suggested that if you’re painting over it and then distressing, it doesn’t matter if you do a bad job on the stain since it’ll just be covered up. Thoughts?
Oh yum! This looks absolutely delicious, it would be gone in a flash at my house ;)
You can never go wrong adding bacon to mac and cheese. It looks delicious!
I think I want this for a midnight snack.
that looks so comfy cozy. I’d love a bowl full, the sofa, and a movie. I need a lounge day and this mac and cheese would be perfect for it..
Hoooly moly does this dish sound incredible! Comfort food x100!
I love mac and cheese. and with bacon? oh my, how have i never tried this before! Doing it asap!
Very good! Made it for dinner tonight and it was delish!!!!!!!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! :)
This recipe is amazing and so delicious! Thank you for sharing it. I made it for dinner tonight and we ate it all! One thing I did differently because I don’t have a skillet that goes in the oven… I just mixed it all in the pot and then baked it in a casserole dish. Still came out great!
So glad you enjoyed it!