Bacon Smoked Mac and Cheese Recipe

Combining four different cheeses with bold flavors, this Gluten Free Baked Smoked Mac and cheese recipe will have the entire family flocking to the table. It’ll be an instant love affair when you dive into the creamy, dreamy, incredibly savory depths of the ultimate comfort food, of Gluten Free Bacon Macaroni and Cheese.

Whether you’re looking for something to serve up alongside your salt and pepper wings or a cheesy main that everyone will love, this decadently thick and luscious baked mac and cheese with bacon will be the star of any meal. No judgment if you skip the plates and eat straight from the pan; it’s that good!

Jump to:

• Why you will love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations
• Storage - Smoked mac and cheese recipe
• Equipment
• Top Tips
• FAQs
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why you will love this recipe

• Balance of Flavors - Smoked paprika and bacon salt double up on the smoky flavor of the bacon while dried jalapenos add a little heat and dried shallots add delicate onion flavor. This cheesy mac is all about building layers of flavor. 
• Texture - The sauce is silky smooth, thick, and impossibly creamy. You’ll want to swim in this cheese sauce. 
• Easy Process - This bacon mac and cheese is simple to make. It begins with making a roux before adding your cream and melting in all of the cheeses. It gets baked just to make the top golden, brown, and delicious. 
• Make Ahead - You can make this mac and cheese casserole ahead of time and then pop it in the oven when ready to warm it through and brown the top. With all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season this is a great dish to make earlier in the day or even the night before and then bake when ready to serve for a dinner that everyone will adore.

Ingredients

• Gluten-Free Pasta - Keep it classic with elbow macaroni or use your favorite pasta shape. 
• Cheeses - Cheddar cheese and triple cheddar add bold, classic flavors, while mozzarella adds creaminess and that cheese pull. 
• Butter - This is the base of the roux while adding a little richness to the sauce. 
• Flour - Gluten-free 1 to 1 flour helps thicken the cheese sauce and stabilize it. Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to. 
• Heavy Cream - This gives the gluten-free bacon mac and cheese its incredible texture and luxurious flavor. 
• Cream Cheese - Adds a little tang to the sauce while also helping to stabilize it and add to the creamy texture. 
• OliveNation Smoked Sweet Paprika - Made from peppers that have been dried in a wood-burning oven, this adds another layer of smoky flavor that compliments the bacon. 
• OliveNation Dried Shallots - These give a mild, delicate onion flavor. 
• OliveNation Dried Jalapenos - There’s no need to chop fresh jalapenos when you reach for the jar of OliveNation dried jalapenos. That adds a little kick to this mac and cheese without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. 
• OliveNation Bacon Salt - Made with large flakes of salt, rendered bacon fat, and brown sugar, this bacon salt enhances the bacon flavor even more. Buy it for this recipe and then use it on everything else. It’s even delicious in baked goods!
• Black Pepper
• Fresh Parsley - Adds a little freshness and a pop of color at the end.
• Bacon - Bacon really does make everything better including this rich mac and cheese recipe. It adds smokiness and savory flavor as well as texture. 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 ℉.
• Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt.
• Sprinkle two tablespoons of flour over the melted butter and stir. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes until the mixture begins to smell a little nutty.
• Slowly pour in the heavy cream while continually stirring. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens.
• Once the sauce has thickened add in the shredded cheese a few handfuls at a time while stirring. Turn the heat to low.
• Add the cream cheese, shallots, paprika, pepper, salt, bacon, and diced jalapenos and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
• Fold in the pasta until fully coated. Spread the mac and cheese into a baking dish and top with additional shredded cheese, parsley, and bacon salt.
• Allow the macaroni and cheese to bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown on top and a little bubbly.

Variations

• Feel free to replace the combination of cheeses with your favorites. Make sure to keep a good melting cheese like mozzarella as part of the mix for the best texture.
• Love things spicy? Add a little additional of the dried jalapenos.

Storage - Smoked mac and cheese recipe

• This macaroni and cheese reheats well. Allow it to cool to room temperature and then tightly cover it with plastic wrap or foil. It will be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days.
• To reheat the macaroni and cheese place it in the oven on a lower setting. Let it cook until warmed through.

Equipment

• Large skillet
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Stirring spoon/whisk
• Casserole dish
• Cheese grater

Top Tips

• For the best texture, hand-grate your cheese. The cheese that is already grated has a coating on it to prevent it from sticking together in the bag and this will affect the final texture of your dish. It also doesn’t have as much flavor.
• For this four cheese mac and cheese recipe, let your heavy cream and cream cheese come to room temperature. You can even gently heat the heavy cream if desired. This will ensure that the sauce remains smooth and lump-free. Cold milk or cream can cause the roux to seize and create lumps.

FAQs

Can I make this 4 cheese mac and cheese recipe vegetarian?

Yes. It won’t have as much flavor but you can omit the bacon and bacon salt from the recipe to make it vegetarian.

Can I make this recipe with non-gluten-free pasta?

Yes. This same recipe can be made with regular elbow macaroni and all-purpose flour.

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