BBQ Bacon Mac and Cheese

You'll Need The Following

• 1 pound of pasta


• 4 tablespoons of butter


• 1 onion, diced


• 1/4 cup of hot sauce


• 1/3 cup of all purpose flour


• 1 tablespoon of paprika


• 12oz of evaporated milk


• 3 cups of Half and Half


• 8oz of sharp cheddar cheese


• 8oz of colby jack cheese


• 8oz of mozzarella cheese


• 8oz of parmesan cheese


• 2 pounds of bacon

Cooking Instructions

1. Cook your pasta; I do it by adding enough water to cover the pasta, a dash of salt, bringing the water to a boil and then letting it simmer for 10 minutes. But however you get it to cooked is good! Once it's cooked drain it and set it aside.


2. While the pasta is cooking start cooking the bacon. Again however you would normally do this is fine, we have an air fryer so we just toss ours in there at 350 for like 5-ish minutes or until it's generally crispy then set it aside to cool for later.


3. Chop up the onion and throw it in the skillet with the butter. Once the butter is melted add the hot sauce, flour, and paprika and stir until the whole thing has the consistency of mashed potatoes.


4. Add the Half and Half and keep mixing until it's incorporated, then add the cheddar and colby jack and keep mixing until it becomes a thick, gooey sauce.


5. Add the sauce to the pasta and mix well, then preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray or however else you'd normally non-stick a pan and pour in half the pasta.


6. Chop up your bacon and add half on top, along with the shredded mozzarella. Add the other half of the pasta, the other half of the bacon, and top off with the shredded parmesan.


7. Bake for 35 minutes, then allow to cool for at least 20 so it's not overly soupy.

This was seriously good, the flavors stand out and the heat is present but not overwhelming as it's tempered by all the dairy. And of course bacon makes everything better! It's a little finicky for my tastes though, so this one will probably be reserved as a party dish instead of our normal staples ^{^}