Sharing my family’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish, Four Cheese and Bacon Mac and Cheese.

The side dishes truly make a Thanksgiving meal special. My family’s favorite dish is macaroni and cheese, and I had to make sure that this is no everyday mac and cheese on Thanksgiving. So here it is – Four Cheese and Bacon Mac and Cheese.

Four Cheese and Bacon Mac and Cheese Ingredients:

• 1 pound package of macaroni
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup + 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup colby cheese
• 1/2 cup jack cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 8 strips of bacon
• 2 T butter
• 2 T flour
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Four Cheese and Bacon Mac and Cheese Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In this recipe, you will be working on multiple components simultaneously. Begin by boiling your macaroni in a large pot and cooking your bacon in a pan. To make your cheese sauce, create a roux by combining 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of flour over a low heat. Turn the heat up and slowly add in the 2 cups of milk while whisking until it comes to a boil and thickens. Reduce the heat and add a cup of shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup shredded colby cheese, 1/2 cup shredded jack cheese, and 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese. Reserve 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese for the top.

Once your bacon is finished cooking, crumble it into bite-sized pieces. Now here’s the truly indulgent part. Are you ready? In a small sauce pan, combine 1 cup of panko bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat. Over a low heat, toast the bread crumbs until they begin to brown. This will add a nice crunch to the top of your mac and cheese.

Now it’s time to assemble the mac and cheese! In a large casserole dish, combine the cooked macaroni, crumbled bacon, and cheese sauce. Top with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and the panko bread crumbs.

Bake the mac and cheese for 10 minutes covered with aluminum foil, remove the foil, and bake an additional 5 minutes until all of the cheese has melted on the top. This recipe makes 8 servings as a side dish.

What is your favorite holiday side dish?

Pin this Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe image below!

[tasty-recipe id=”27554″]