Cheers to this Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe!
If you like Loaded French Fries, you will love this Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe!
Macaroni and Cheese is the greatest! I am more partial to baked macaroni and cheese but I can dig stove stop macaroni and cheese as well. When I was younger and little tike in college, Macaroni and Cheese was my saving grace. If you are in college or went to college and lived in the dorm, then you are nodding your head right about now. Macaroni and Cheese, Ramen Noodles, Pop Tarts, Hot Pockets, Pizza Rolls, cereal, and Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches were the bestest! You know something, reading this blog post out loud to myself, I now know how I gained the “Freshman 15”. Yet and still it was the time of my life. Ahhh the beautiful bliss of eating whatever I wanted with not a care of gaining weight in the world. Until, reality sat in and I realized that although my appetite didn’t decrease, my metabolism did. I didn’t realize that I gained so much weight until I looked at a phot of myself when I went to a party once and I was like, “Okay, let’s chill with the crappy food”. I still didn’t chill with the crappy food but I did move my body a little bit more.
Anyway, back to this Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese. If there is one thing that is really difficult for me to resist when I go to sport bars, that is Loaded or Dumpster French Fries. I love French Fries that has a bunch of stuff on them. I will take them with chili, cheese, jalapeno, gravy, cheese curds, bacon, and whatever else makes sense to put on French Fries. It is all awesome! If I really had my way, I would eat loaded French Fries, a fat Burger, and a milkshake and not gain a pound. I like food y’all and if I am super hungry, your girl can eat! I am talking I can really throw down the gauntlet on eating food and have no shame about it. I think that is why I made this Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese, because I have no shame. I have no shame in making easy and delicious meals that will make your toes curl and your eyes cross eyed. That is what life is about. Of course, these types of dishes need to be taken in moderation, but you can still enjoy them. Now, if you are a college student and want to eat something more than noodles with powdered cheese flavoring, you can definitely make this dish. You may not be able to bake it but you can definitely enjoy it stove top style. In freshman year of college, we didn’t have kitchenettes but we did have one little kitchen area on each floor where there was a small stove. If you don’t have that luxury of making this dish on campus, you can have your parents (let’s be real, your mom) make this Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe and put it in small containers for you to enjoy. If you share it with your friends, you will be the big man or woman on campus.
Enjoy!
Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
If you like Loaded French Fries, you will love this all-star and super easy recipe of Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Filled with bacon, jalapeno, chives, and diced tomatoes!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Elbow Macaroni Pasta
- 4 tbsp. butter
- ½ c. flour
- 4 c. milk
- 2 oz. cream cheese
- 16 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded and divided
- 8 oz. White Cheddar Cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. dry mustard
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 lb. Bacon, cooked and diced
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
- ½ c. chives, chopped
- 6 oz. diced tomatoes and chilles, drained
- ½ c. panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cook macaroni until cooked al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Once you’ve drained the pasta and have the pasta water set to the side, place the pasta back into the pot or a bowl with the water and set aside.
- In a large pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle in ½ cup of flour. The mixture will look lumpy. Very slowly, pour in the milk 1 cup at a time stirring out the lumps, making a creamy mixture. Continue to pour in the milk and stir at the same time on medium heat. Allow to come to a slight simmer, 2-3 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly.
- Next, add the salt, pepper, dry mustard, garlic powder, and Worcestershire Sauce; add the cream cheese, half of the shredded cheddar cheese and white cheddar cheese. Stir until smooth, creamy, and the cheeses have completely melted.
- Next, add the macaroni and stir until evenly distributed. Finally, add the jalapeno, chives, bacon, and drained diced tomatoes. Stir until evenly distributed. In a 9X13 casserole dish, pour half of the macaroni mixture into the dish, sprinkle with half of the left over cheeses in the middle, pour the rest of the macaroni mixture on top, sprinkle with any left over cheese and the panko bread crumbs. Bake in a preheated oven on 350 Degrees for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cook and serve!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Side Dish
Leave a Reply