Jenn's Four Cheese Bacon and Garlic Macaroni
Notes: To make 3/4 of the recipe use these amounts - 12 oz. macaroni noodles (I just eyeball 3/4 pkg.) 6 TBL. butter 1 cup of each of the cheeses 8 oz. of Velveeta (or 1 cup if you buy the shredded) 12 oz. half and half 2 eggs beaten 2 tsp. garlic 2/3 cup sour cream (optional) 2.5 qt. casserole dish
Notes: To make 3/4 of the recipe use these amounts - 12 oz. macaroni noodles (I just eyeball 3/4 pkg.) 6 TBL. butter 1 cup of each of the cheeses 8 oz. of Velveeta (or 1 cup if you buy the shredded) 12 oz. half and half 2 eggs beaten 2 tsp. garlic 2/3 cup sour cream (optional) 2.5 qt. casserole dish
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 package (16 oz) macaroni noodles
- 9 tablespoon butter
- 1.5 cups mild cheddar cheese shredded
- 1.5 cups muenster cheese shredded (i just tear up muenster slices)
- 1.5 cups colby jack cheese shredded
- 12 oz. velveeta cheese cubed or shredded
- 1 pint half and half
- 8-10 slices bacon chopped and cooked to a crisp
- 3 tsp garlic minced
- bread crumbs to taste
- 2/3 cup sour cream if desired
- Carbohydrate 6.12468024500523 g
- Cholesterol 180.176212471412 mg
- Fat 48.2439571172438 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 22.0332646216145 g
- Saturated Fat 30.0743362201454 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (203g)
- Sodium 508.219962458054 mg
- Sugar 6.12468024500523 g
- Trans Fat 2.93438499980686 g
- Calories 541 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook Pasta. Drain well and return to cooking pot. In a small sauce pan over medium heat melt 8 Tbl. butter; stir into macaroni.
- Combine shredded cheeses and mix well.
- Add half and half to noodles and 1.5 cups of cheese mixture, cubed velveeta and eggs to macaroni. Mix well.
- Add crumbled bacon and garlic and mix well.
- Transfer to a lightly greased 9x13 pan or a 2.5 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
- Combine last TBL. of butter (melted) with bread crumbs and spread over top.
- Bake in preheated oven at 350F for approx. 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges.
Golden breadcrumbs shatter over bubbling edges of sharp cheddar, melted muenster, colby jack, and smooth Velveeta. Heavy cream, eggs, and rich dairy create a dense starch matrix that behaves predictably under cold storage. High fat content from cheddar, muenster, colby jack, butter, and bacon prevents the sauce from breaking during freezing, provided you cool the casserole entirely before wrapping. Assemble this dish up to forty-eight hours ahead in a standard 9x13 glass baking pan or a 2.5-quart ceramic dish. Cover the unbaked dish tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw the frozen macaroni in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours prior to baking to ensure even heat penetration. Bake the thawed casserole at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately forty-five minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Leftportions reheat successfully in individual portions at medium power in the microwave with an added splash of half and half to restore moisture lost during initial storage. Velveeta contains emulsifiers that stabilize the cheese sauce against oil separation, making it far more reliable for freezing than aged cheddars alone. Muenster melts smoothly due to its high moisture content, supplementing the sharper cheddar without causing graininess in the sauce base. Minced garlic loses potency during prolonged freezing, so increase the fresh garlic by half a teaspoon if assembling the dish more than a week in advance.
