Bacon Mac & Cheese Recipe

My family loves mac and cheese. While not exactly a traditional holiday dish, it is our tradition and a staple at every holiday meal. The ooey-goey cheesiness is as much a part of the holidays as the turkey. This year, I’ve decided to take our family macaroni and cheese recipe to the next level by creating bacon mac and cheese. I knew it was going to be a hit because—cheese and bacon! What more could my family ask for? And I was right, this Bacon Mac & Cheese recipe will definitely be on our Thanksgiving dinner table.

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Kraft Heinz.

I’m starting to think about how Thanksgiving will look this year, and like everything else, it will be different. I don’t expect our traditional big family gathering, but we will still celebrate as a family of five with lots of food. Since it will be different, I thought it would be fun to add a different twist to our traditional dishes. For example, bacon in our mac and cheese, a smoked turkey instead of baked, etc. I’m still working on the menu, but little twists here and there on our favorites is the plan.

I am also working on creating printable games, coloring pages and puzzles to keep our kids entertained. Maybe even a scavenger hunt to get everyone running outside around before the big meal.

#ShareTheHolidaySweepstakes

While we are making plans for how we will celebrate the holidays this year, wouldn’t it be fun to win gift cards to Walmart to help pay for holiday fun? I think so! Throughout the #ShareTheHolidaySweepstakes you can enter for a chance to win one of the daily prizes of $100 Walmart gift cards or you could win the grand prize trip to visit loved ones (a $2,500 value).

Plus as a special gift from Walmart, everyone who enters will receive a link to download a free digital cookbook of holiday favorites (including this recipe!). Maybe we can all find new twists on traditional meals to make this Thanksgiving special.

Bacon Mac & Cheese Recipe

There are countless ways to make mac and cheese, and I have tried a bunch of them. But I always seem to come back to our family recipe. It’s a super cheesy, easy mac and cheese, two wins in my book. Allow me to introduce you to my favorite easy recipe for mac and cheese plus the new twist – bacon!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves 8, 1 cup servings.

Ingredients

• 6 slices OSCAR MAYER Naturally Hardwood Smoked Bacon
• 1 box (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
• 1 bag (16 ounces) KRAFT Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line baking sheet with foil. Place a cooling rack on baking sheet and lay bacon strips across the cooling rack to cook. This method gets the bacon extra crispy.
3. Bake for 20 minutes until brown and crispy.
4. While bacon is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
5. Add elbow macaroni and cook for 9-12 minutes until soft.
6. Strain water and immediately add cheese, butter and milk to the hot noodles. Stir until well combined.
7. When bacon is done, chop into bits and mix three-fourths of bacon bits into mac and cheese.
8. Sprinkle remaining bits on top of mac and cheese as garnish to serve.

KRAFT HEINZ products are always part of our holiday meals and by using these familiar brands in our recipes it keeps comfort foods and our traditions alive.

You can find all the ingredients you need for this recipe, including the KRAFT Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese and OSCAR MAYER Naturally Hardwood Smoked Bacon at Walmart. Have you used Walmart’s grocery pickup service for your groceries yet? It is a super convenient way to get everything you need at Walmart prices without having to leave the comfort of your car. It makes shopping for the holidays easy, allowing you to avoid crowds and get back home quickly.