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Manchego Mac and Cheese with Bacon on a plate. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

Manchego Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Cracker Crumbs

This Manchego Mac and Cheese with bacon will make you so happy!  The creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  You get the traditional cheesy backdrop from the cheddar and then more depth and nuttiness from the manchego.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!  

Course Main Course, pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Bacon, casserole, cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Bacon
  • 10 oz Dry Fettuccine Pasta, broken in half
  • 6 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded (I used sharp white cheddar)
  • 2 oz Manchego Cheese, shredded
  • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
  • ¼ cup Milk (I used 1%)
  • 1 cup Water (use the pasta water after pasta cooks)
  • 18-20 Butter crackers, crushed (I used Ritz)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian Parsley, chopped

Instructions

Prep Ahead Steps

  1. Shred the manchego cheese and cheddar cheese

    Shredded Manchego and Cheddar on cutting board for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

  2. Chop the parsley. Crush the crackers. Dice the bacon.

    Knife cutting raw bacon for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

  3. Preheat a medium (about 8") frying pan. Add the diced bacon on medium heat. Stir so that the bacon doesn't burn. Render the fat and crip the bacon. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon leaving the fat behind and place on a plate to the side or store in the fridge if doing this in advance.

    Cooked bacon pieces in pan for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

  4. To the bacon fat still left in the pan, add a tablespoon of butter and melt it stirring it into the bacon fat. Add the cracker crumbs and the parsley and mix to coat with the fat. Stir and toast in the pan on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside or store in fridge until ready to top the mac and cheese.

    Cracker crumbs and parsley in pan for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

Cook your Bacon Mac and Cheese

  1. Boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Once the pasta water is boiling, add a splash of Olive Oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and stir so that it all is immersed in the water and doesn't stick it itself. Boil the pasta until al dente. Remove 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta. Leave the pasta in the strainer until the sauce is ready.

    Save 1 cup of pasta water to dish for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

  2. Make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch into the cold milk.

    Adding cornstarch to milk for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

  3. Using the same pot that you used for the pasta, add the reserved 1 cup of pasta water plus 1 bouillon cube or chicken/vegetable base. Heat to simmer and dissolve the bouillon. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and add the cooked bacon pieces. Continue to whisk while it heats through and starts to thicken (about 2-3 minutes).

    Adding cooked bacon bits to sauce for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

  4. Whisk in the shredded cheeses and stir until it is completely combined and smooth.

    Adding shredded cheese to sauce for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

  5. Add in the cooked pasta and mix to combine. Pour the pasta and cheese sauce into a baking dish that is either loaf size 10" x 5" x 3.5" or 9" x 9" x 2". Add the cracker crumbs on top.

    Pouring cracker crumbs over pasta for Bacon Mac and Cheese. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!

  6. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes just for the topping to get extra crispy.

    Bacon Mac and Cheese in baking dish. It has a creamy and cheesy sauce with a touch of smokiness from the bacon, coats each piece of pasta.  On top, crispy crunchy, indulgent bacon fat cracker crumbs!