Description
Baked Bacon Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese brings comfort right to your dinner table, blending classic burger flavors with creamy pasta perfection. Cheesy, meaty, and totally satisfying, this dish turns ordinary weeknight meals into something seriously delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Starches and Base:
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
Liquids and Seasonings:
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 375°F and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook 8 oz elbow macaroni in salted water for exactly 8 minutes until tender. Drain completely.
- Sizzle 6 bacon slices in a skillet at medium heat for 7-8 minutes until crisp and golden. Pat dry with paper towels and crumble into small pieces.
- Brown 1 lb ground beef in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Break meat into tiny crumbles and drain excess fat.
- Melt ¼ cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in ¼ cup flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Slowly stream 1 cup milk and ½ cup heavy cream into the butter mixture, whisking until completely smooth.
- Season sauce with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp garlic powder. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Remove sauce from heat and fold in 2 cups cheddar and ½ cup parmesan cheese until melted and silky.
- Combine macaroni, ground beef, and cheese sauce in the prepared baking dish. Mix gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Sprinkle crumbled bacon and ¼ cup breadcrumbs across the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 22 minutes at 375°F until surface turns golden and edges bubble slightly.
- Rest casserole for 5 minutes. Garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Let the macaroni cook just until al dente to prevent a mushy texture in the final baked dish.
- Drain bacon and ground beef thoroughly to keep the mac and cheese from becoming greasy.
- Use freshly grated cheese for the smoothest, most creamy sauce that melts perfectly.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with cornstarch and use gluten-free breadcrumbs on top.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 605 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 660 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg