Best Mac And Cheese With Peas And Bacon Recipes

EASY MAC 'N CHEESE WITH BACON AND PEAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Prepare Dinner as directed on package. Stir in peas.
• Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with bacon.
• Bake 15 min. or until heated through.

BACON AND PEA MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish or eight 12-ounce ramekins.
• For the bechamel: Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until just crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the 3 1/2 cups milk, the parsley, peppercorns, crushed red pepper, bay leaf and nutmeg in another medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
• When the bacon is crisp, remove it with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving 6 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the saucepan. If you have less than 6 tablespoons, make up the difference with the butter and heat over medium heat until melted. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture is doughy and smells a bit nutty, about 1 minute.
• Strain in the warm milk about a half cup at a time into the flour mixture and cook, whisking to incorporate after each addition. The bechamel should be smooth and velvety. If it's chunky or too thick, whisk in some more milk.
• For the mac 'n' cheese: Remove the bechamel from the heat and add all of the cheeses; whisk to combine. Fold in half of the bacon. Next, fold in the macaroni, then the peas. Transfer to the prepared baking dish or ramekins. If using ramekins, place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining bacon pieces, the melted butter and a pinch each of salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the mac 'n' cheese and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the crust is browned on top, 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the baking vessel).
• Let rest for 10 minutes then serve.

MAC AND CHEESE WITH PEAS AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil on the stove top. Cook macaroni until al dente, following package directions.
• While the pasta cooks, melt butter in large microwavable mixing bowl. When pasta is done, drain and pour into the bowl, mixing to coat with butter.
• Stir in heavy cream and cheeses. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste. (I used about 6 turns of the pepper mill, 6 shakes of Italian seasoning, and just a pinch of salt.) Stir thoroughly. Add frozen peas and stir again.
• In frying pan over low to medium heat, cook two pieces of bacon. As the bacon gets close to being crisped, add the garlic cloves and cook until they are clear. Drain bacon and garlic on paper towels.
• Pour the macaroni mixture into an 8x8 baking pan. Break the bacon into bits. Sprinkle the bacon and garlic over the top of the macaroni mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is crispy.

MAC AND CHEESE AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When you have 1 minute of cook time left, pour in the frozen peas. Drain and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large high-sided 10-inch saute pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk. Reduce to low heat, bring to a simmer and cook until it becomes a thin gravy, about 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and break up until smooth. Add the white pepper and ground mustard. Remove from the heat, add the bourbon if using and whisk to combine until fully incorporated. Stir in the Cheddar and American cheeses and cook until all the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed.
• Add the cooked pasta and peas to the cheese sauce and stir to thoroughly combine. Taste again and salt and pepper as needed before serving.