Recipe Background
A hearty, Southern-style mac and cheese perfect for potlucks, featuring creamy cheese, crispy bacon, and a golden breadcrumb crust.
Mmm, mmm, mmm, no restaurant anywhere can ever come close to the deliciousness that comes from those good 'ole Southern-style church potlucks. All the aunties and grammies bring their rich and hearty top-secret family recipes to the table, providing us with dishes that are always quite heavenly. Well, now you can compete in the contest for best dish of the day with Church Potluck Mac & Cheese! First things first, you can never ever go wrong with tender noodles swimming in a sea of creamy, melty, buttery cheese topped with a crispy, cheesy breadcrumb crust. And to step up your game a little, we added a bit of salty, crispy bacon that will make everyone's tastebuds sing. Step aside Sister Suzie, this Church Potluck Mac & Cheese is about to dominate (in the most loving way) at the next gathering!
Ingredients
- 1 pound large elbow macaroni uncooked
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- 6 thick-cut bacon slices cooked and crumbled, divided
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 large eggs well beaten
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Generously butter a 13x9-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large stockpot to a boil over high heat.
- Stir the pasta and 1 tablespoon of the salt into the water and return it to a boil.
- Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but still firm, about 6 minutes.
- Set aside 2 cups of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.
- Return the pasta to the pot, transfer it from the heat, and cover to keep warm.
- In a bowl, toss the breadcrumbs, the parmesan cheese, and 1/2 of the cooked bacon together.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, the pepper, the mustard, and the remaining salt together.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and the buttermilk, undisturbed, until it is barely steaming but not boiling, about 4-5 minutes.
- In a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and cook, whisking often, until the mixture is smooth, thick, golden, and has a toasted aroma, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture, bring it to a boil over high heat, and cook, stirring often, until it thickens to a creamy texture, about 3 minutes.
- Stir the cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese into the sauce mixture and transfer from the heat.
- Stir the eggs into the cheese mixture until a smooth sauce forms.
- Uncover the cooked pasta and stir.
- Stir the cheese sauce and the remaining bacon into the pasta until the noodles are coated.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle it with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake the pasta mixture until it is firm, puffed up, and lightly browned, about 35-40 minutes.
- Serve.
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