This Hairy Bikers Macaroni Cheese With Bacon is a rich and crispy recipe, which is made with mature cheddar and smoked bacon lardons. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe, ready in about 1 hour.

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Hairy Bikers Macaroni Cheese With Bacon Ingredients

100g/3½oz butter, plus extra for greasing
100g/3½oz plain flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1.2 litres/2 pints full-fat milk
75ml/2½fl oz double cream
1 bay leaf
400g/14oz mature cheddar, grated
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
500g/1lb 2oz dried macaroni
100g/3½oz smoked bacon lardons or smoked pancetta cubes
60g/2¼oz white breadcrumbs
50g/1¾oz Parmesan, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Hairy Bikers Macaroni Cheese With Bacon

Prep the oven and make the sauce: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and grease a 35x20cm/14x8in ovenproof dish. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the plain flour and cook for 1 minute to make a roux. Add the mustard.
Create the béchamel: Take the pan off the heat and gradually whisk in the milk and cream until smooth. Add the bay leaf. Return the pan to the heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens.
Add the cheese: Take the pan off the heat again, remove the bay leaf, and add the grated cheddar. Stir until the cheese has completely melted. Season with lots of black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Cook the pasta and bacon: Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and stir in the macaroni. Cook for 10 minutes, or until al dente, then drain well. While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon lardons in a separate frying pan until crisp.
Combine and bake: Stir the cooked macaroni and the crispy bacon into the cheese sauce. Pour the mixture into the prepared ovenproof dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the grated Parmesan and scatter the mixture evenly over the top.
Bake until golden: Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the topping is golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling. Serve immediately.

Hairy Bikers Macaroni Cheese With Bacon Recipe

Recipe Tips

How to get a smooth cheese sauce? The key is to add the milk and cream gradually to the roux (the butter and flour mixture), whisking constantly off the heat to prevent any lumps from forming.
Can I use different cheeses? Absolutely. While mature cheddar is classic, a mix of Gruyère for nuttiness or Red Leicester for colour would also be delicious.
Why use breadcrumbs on top? The breadcrumb and Parmesan topping creates a wonderfully crispy, crunchy crust that contrasts beautifully with the creamy pasta underneath.
Can I prepare the bacon differently? For extra crispy bacon, you can cook the lardons until they are very well done. You can also chop up streaky bacon rashers if you can’t find lardons.

What To Serve With Macaroni Cheese

This rich and hearty dish is a meal in itself, but it pairs wonderfully with:

A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette dressing
Steamed green beans or broccoli
Garlic bread

How To Store Macaroni Cheese

Refrigerate: Let the macaroni cheese cool completely, then cover it and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the baked macaroni cheese. Let it cool, then wrap the dish well or transfer to freezer-safe portions. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven until piping hot.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes. You can assemble the entire dish, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for up to a day before baking. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time if cooking from chilled.
Can I make this vegetarian? To make it vegetarian, simply omit the bacon. For a smoky flavour, you could add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the cheese sauce.
My sauce is lumpy, what happened? This usually happens if the liquid is added to the roux too quickly or while the pan is too hot. Whisking vigorously and adding the milk gradually while the pan is off the heat is the best way to ensure a smooth sauce.

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Hairy Bikers Macaroni Cheese With Bacon Recipe

Course: DinnerCuisine: British

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

700

kcal

The ultimate comfort food: a rich, creamy macaroni cheese with crispy bacon and a crunchy Parmesan and breadcrumb topping.

Ingredients

100g butter
100g plain flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1.2 litres full-fat milk
75ml double cream
1 bay leaf
400g mature cheddar, grated
Pinch of nutmeg
500g macaroni
100g smoked bacon lardons
60g white breadcrumbs
50g Parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Grease an ovenproof dish.
Make a roux with butter and flour. Add mustard. Off the heat, gradually whisk in milk and cream. Add bay leaf.
Return to heat, stirring, until it boils and thickens. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf, and stir in the cheddar. Season.
Cook macaroni until al dente; drain.
Fry the bacon until crisp.
Stir the macaroni and bacon into the cheese sauce. Pour into the prepared dish.
Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan; sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling.