Smoked Mac N’ Cheese
Who doesn’t love mac n’ cheese? Kids live off of it and adults fantasize about eating mass quantities of it while wearing baggy sweatpants and binge-watching TV with nobody around to judge them. It is hard to make a lousy mac, but every now and then you taste a mac n’ cheese that really hits the spot. All that you’ve fantasized about becomes reality. This Smoked Mac N’ Cheese with Bacon and Corn is that reality. Plus, you get all the smokey goodness without even using a smoker! Delicious smoked cheeses, black pepper bacon, a hint of spices, and surprise morsels of sweet corn will delight both the child and adult in you.
Drooling yet?
Let’s dive into a smokey, cheesy wonderland.
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The Legend: Smoked Mac N’ Cheese with Bacon and Corn
I have to give a shout-out to a little restaurant for changing my mac n’ cheese world forever! That One Spot Burgers in Ocoee, FL is a place you should visit if you’ll be in the Orlando area. Not only are their burgers amazing, but when I first tried their Gourmet Mac with bacon and corn, I knew I had landed on a new level of mac. I no longer live in Florida, but I like making my mac with bacon and corn just like at That One Spot Burgers. It always takes me back to my husband and mine’s dates there!
Next time you have to bring a dish to a get-together, volunteer the mac n’ cheese and bring this. You will never be made to bring anything else other than this dish and that’s good news for you because this is simple to make. People will always request this! Kids eat it, adults will love it, and dogs will enjoy the noodles the kids accidentally drop on the floor. You can’t lose.
Heavenly Ingredients
Smoked cheeses, pepper bacon, corn…these are the game changers in this mac that set this apart from other macs you could make. In addition, I like to use a little spice that’s not common in macs, but not too much where it overpowers the other flavors.
- Smoked Cheese: I buy mine from Aldi. For this recipe, I use an 8 oz. smoked white cheddar and an 8 oz. smoked gouda. If you rather use another smoked cheese to pair with the cheddar like a harvarti, then go for it. Aldi has some amazing foods and I am always surprised by the quality. These smoked cheeses, for instance, have a superb smokey flavor! It will permeate your mac and make a truly delicious dish. The smokey flavor sets the base for this mac!
- Mild Cheddar: I use about 4 oz. of a normal yellow mild cheddar in addition. Substitute this with almost any cheese you might have in your fridge like Colby, for instance.
- Bacon: Yes, bacon. I don’t really need to say more but I will for the sake of hitting the desired word count for this blog post. I highly recommend using thick-cut, black-peppered bacon. I don’t add any black pepper to the mac because this bacon will add so much more flavor than regular bacon. Just please promise me you’ll buy thick-cut bacon! I just pop it in the oven on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven). Then give it a rough chop and set it aside for the recipe. Try to keep bacon snatchers away so you have bacon left for the mac.
- Corn: I have an unhealthy appetite for corn in general. I could add it to most foods and be happy, but it is a star of the show for this mac. Everyone always asks, “Oh there’s corn in this?” because you don’t see that often or ever. Trust me, the sweetness of the corn in bites of cheesy, salty mac n’ cheese creates a flavor combo to die for!
- Spices: Garlic, Paprika, Nutmeg, Creole seasoning. Just a tad to emphasize the smokey cheeses and take this mac beyond expectations.
- Milk: Sure, you can be extra fancy and use a combination of equal parts milk and half and half. Personally, I only ever have whole milk on hand and that’s how I make it and it’s always delicious. So whole milk is what the recipe calls for.
- Butter: Nobody dieting here today!
- Flour: To make a roux.
- Panko: To make a yummy, crunchy topping! I mix a little bacon in the topping as well to give everyone a glimpse of what’s inside before digging in.
- Noodles: Your choice but regular elbow noodles make sense. Use cavatappi if you feel really fancy.
How to Make Smoked Mac N’ Cheese with Bacon and Corn
Like any good mac, it is pretty simple. Just prep your ingredients, boil your noodles, and make a cheese sauce.
Prep:
First, bake your bacon (425 for 20-30 minutes) and set aside after giving it a rough chop. Then grate your cheeses and set aside in a large bowl. I like to combine my spices and seasonings into a little cup just for convenience also. Drain the corn and set aside. Boil your noodles but drain them when they are less than al dente! Like 2 minutes less than the cooking directions, so they will finish cooking in the oven without getting mushy. Drain the noodles and toss them with a tbsp of olive oil to keep them from sticking together, and set them aside as well. Measure out your milk, flour, and set your butter out near the stove if you want. Lastly, combine the topping ingredients if you want a head start on that too.
Make Magic:
Yes, combing all the ingredients! I love making cheese sauce…it’s fun for me. If you have a large non-stick pot, I recommend that so the cheese won’t stick to everything. First, melt your butter over medium-high heat, then sprinkled in the flour and whisk it for a minute. Turn the heat to medium and slowly drizzle in the milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Dump your cup of seasonings into the pot. Then continue stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened, maybe 10 minutes or less. Once thickened, turn that heat down low and start adding handfuls of cheese and mixing it in, then add more handfuls until all the cheese has melted into the sauce. Next, add your noodles. Then mix in the bacon and corn.
Spread the mac into a 13×9 pan and sprinkle the topping on top. Bake it, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes at 350 until the topping has browned to a crunchy golden color. If your oven reaches the 30-minute mark and the topping isn’t brown enough for you, just switch it on to broil and watch it closely until it reaches the desired golden color. Rest the mac before eating so you don’t destroy your mouth on the cheese lava.
Extra:
Serve this with your favorite BBQ sauce! Drizzle it on or put it on the side so you can dip forkfuls of mac into the BBQ.
A Favorite Forever
This recipe has become one of my babies, along with my Cuban Beans recipe, that I’ll cherish forever. It was birthed during an adventurous time of my life in Florida shared with my best friend and husband. I serve it with friends and family now and make good memories surrounding it. I hope you can do the same and enjoy Smoked Mac N’ Cheese with Bacon and Corn.
Smoked Mac N' Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta
- 8 oz Butter
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 4 Cups Whole Milk can use a combination of whole milk and half and half
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 2 tsp Cajun/Creole Spice blend
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 8 oz Smoked White Cheddar grated
- 8 oz Smoked Gouda grated
- 4 oz Mild Cheddar grated
- 1 lb Black Pepper Thick-Cut Bacon cooked and rough chopped
- 1 15 oz Can of Sweet Corn drained
Topping
- 3/4 cup Panko
- 4 Tbsp Butter melted
- 1/4 tsp Cajun/Creole Spice blend
- 2-3 strips Chopped Bacon
Instructions
- Cook the pasta and drain it before it reaches al dente (2 minutes before cooking time advised on the package). Toss it with oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other and set it aside.
- Melt butter over Medium-High heat and sprinkle the flour in. Whisk it continuously for 1 minute. Turn the heat down to Medium-Low. Slowly drizzle in the milk and whisk constantly to avoid lumps.
- Stir the mixture until it has started to thicken (maybe 10 minutes). Add the spices and seasonings. Then add the cheese handfuls at a time until it is all incorporated and melted.
- Take the pot off of the heat and add in the drained corn and chopped bacon. Dump it into a 13x9 baking dish.
- Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the mac n' cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Broil for an additional few minutes if you want a more golden topping. Enjoy!
