This post may contain affiliate links.
Read our legal disclaimer, cookies policy & privacy policy.
This mac and cheese with bacon recipe is the ultimate comforting meal for four! It features a crispy cauliflower and bacon crumb topping and a soft and creamy pasta, full of flavour. Easy to make and delicious to eat!
Making it the perfect go-to meal for when you need something comforting, on a lazy kind of day. And today just so happens to be National Lazy Day. What a happy coincidence.
Wholesome homemade dinner, here we come!
The nights aren’t getting any warmer just yet. This means that now is the perfect time to indulge in some warming cosy carbs.
When I think of comfort, I think of baked items and also pasta. Hence why we’ve got a combination of both in today’s recipe. There is nothing quite like throwing in a pasta bake in the oven and it emerging with incredible savoury aromas, melty cheese and all the warmth anyone ever needed.
The ingredients for this post were kindly gifted by Countdown Supermarkets, to showcase the great value of Countdown Brand products.
All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible for The Culinary Letter to provide free content, comforting recipes and culinary inspiration!
How this Mac and Cheese Recipe came to life…
I’m all for making delicious, simple and affordable meals. So when Countdown proposed that I create a family meal suitable for four, under $20, all while using only Countdown brand products, I was happy to be obliged!
And it was a rather delightful experience. I had so many different ideas swirling around in my head. But the one thing I couldn’t stay away from was mac and cheese.
Mac and cheese, is one of the ultimate comfort foods, with all the good stuff packed into it. Pasta, cheese, carbs and warmth… what more could one ask for?
Which is why I knew, I had to make a baked mac and cheese recipe. And coming across the cauliflower rice now available in the freezer section, became the perfect opportunity for me to create a little bit of a twist on your typical mac and cheese.
Mac and Cheese with Bacon Cauli Crumb Ingredients
Macaroni
The pasta puzzle piece brings this delicious dish together.
Butter
Used as the starting point of the sauce for your mac and cheese! Plus the extra added creaminess and flavour it offers is quite incomparable. Heat it until just bubbling, before going in with the onions, leek and spices. Be careful to keep watch as it can start to brown rather quickly in a hot pan.
Brown Onion and Leek
Packs your mac and cheese full of hearty vegetables and extra flavour. Both onion and leek can absorb flavour and deliver a great addition to the outcome. As well as giving it a bit of texture and depth, it also lightens it up ever so slightly for contrast, so it’s not all heavy.
- Saute together until softened and starting to turn transparent before you go in with the flavourings.
Smoked Paprika and Garlic Powder
Provide great flavour and a touch of spice to this dish. These dried flavourings are a simple way to pack this dish full of flavour and a touch of colour.
Related: 10 Essential Kitchen Spices – uses, tips, flavour profiles and recipes.
Flour
Plain flour helps to thicken the sauce as it cooks out. It combines with the butter to create a roux before the milk is added and it creates a lovely sauce.
Sprinkle it over your buttery leek and onions and let it cook for a few minutes so it can mix in.
Milk
To create the best kind of smooth creamy sauce, bubbling away in the background and coating the macaroni. I recommend going for whole milk, for the ultimate indulgence and to get the richness, that mac and cheese is known for.
- When adding it to the mix, of buttery leeks make sure to stir it in to help it incorporate and prevent lumps from forming. Then you’ll be able to ensure it thickens nicely to the most desirable consistency.
Cheddar Cheese
For the rich cheesy element! Use grated cheese to melt into the bubbling sauce before coating the macaroni and also as an extra cheesy bonus on the top. For the best kind of golden crispy topping.
Fresh Breadcrumbs
Which you can make from the crusts of that bread loaf, you may never eat. Makes a great way to reduce food wastage and is something you probably already have around in your pantry. You may also use any stale bread you happen to have.
- TIP: use a grater to break up the crusts into fine breadcrumbs.
Shoulder Bacon
Remove the rind before cooking and chop it roughly before it gets cooked as a nice salty savoury element in the topping.
Italian Herb
Adding a herbaceous addition to the crumb and giving the cauliflower a chance to shine.
Adding it to the cauliflower gives it some time to release its aromatics and infuse flavour.
Cauliflower Rice
A great discovery in the frozen vegetable section of the supermarket. It’s just cauliflower that has been finely chopped and then snap-frozen.
In this recipe, it’s used to create the crunchy crumb which tops the mac and cheese. And can soak up all of the flavours from the bacon and herbs as an interesting twist.
Mesclun Salad
The best way to eat and serve this mac and cheese with bacon cauli crumb is with some greens! A side dish to help lighten the meal and get your intake of five plus a day.
I opted for this mesclun salad which features some herbs and gave it a bit of seasoning with salt and pepper. You are more than welcome to swap this out for your favourite side of greens!
Tips:
- When cooking the macaroni pasta, make sure to boil up enough water for the pasta to comfortably move around in. That way it can expand and cook just right.
- You’ll also want to generously salt your water, to give it a bit of flavour and to ensure it doesn’t stick together in clumps.
- Don’t forget to reserve some of that cooking liquid to add to the mix later on! It’s what helps make this pasta bake so good and creamy.
Mac and Cheese with Bacon Cauli Crumb
Ingredients
- 400 g Dried Macaroni Pasta
- 50 g Butter
- 1 medium (130g approx.) Brown Onion finely diced
- 1 medium (300g approx.) Leek finely sliced
- ½ tsp (2g) Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp (10g) Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp (20g) Flour
- 3 cups (750ml) Milk
- ½ tsp (3g) Salt
- ½ tsp (3g) Pepper
- 1 cup (100g) + ½ cup (50g) Cheddar Cheese grated
Bacon Cauli Crumb
- 1 cup (48g) Fresh Bread crumbs from 2 crusts of a bread loaf
- 200 g Shoulder Bacon rind removed and roughly chopped
- 2 tsp (2g) Italian Herb
- 400 g Cauliflower Rice
To Serve
- 130 g Mesclun Salad or you favourite side of greens
Instructions
- Preheat oven to Fan Bake 180°C
- Cook the macaroni, according to the package instructions. Reserve 2 ½ cups of the cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, bring a large frypan to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the butter and heat until it begins to bubble. Saute the brown onion and leek in the butter for a few minutes before adding in the paprika and garlic powder.
- Cook until the onion and leek have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, before stirring in the milk, salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until the mixture, begins to bubble and thicken.
- Turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese, cooked macaroni and the reserved cooking liquid.
- Transfer to a large baking dish.
Bacon Cauli Crumb
- Bring a medium fry pan to high heat and saute the bacon, for 2 minutes or until it begins to colour. Add in the Italian herbs and cauliflower. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until the cauliflower, has heated through.
- Stir in the breadcrumbs and then remove from the heat.
- Spread evenly over the macaroni and top with ½ cup of cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve immediately with Mesclun salad or your favourite side of greens.
If you make this cosy mac and cheese with bacon cauli crumb recipe, tag @theculinaryletter on Instagram and #theculinaryletter, I’d love to see your amazing creations!
Don’t forget to also pin this recipe for future reference and follow me on Pinterest while you’re at it!
More Savoury Recipes:
Until next time, stay curious!
Stay connected!
