This is an adaptation made by an old co-worker of mine. It was originally chicken, bacon, ranch mac ‘n’ cheese, but they didn’t like the chicken part, and then tweaked it further from there.
Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini pasta
- 8 oz pack of bacon
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cup (6 ounces) shredded Italian blend
- Mostly mozzarella and provolone or similar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cup (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Jack cheese
Directions
- Cook the bacon as you would. Mince the bacon once cooled.
- Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.
- Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add milk slowly and while stirring with a whisk.
- Simmer 2-3 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°.
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt.
- Gradually add Italian cheese blend in batches, stirring until cheese melts between each.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked noodles, cream sauce, and minced bacon.
- Mix in half of the shredded Colby-Jack cheese
- Preheat broiler.
- Butter or grease a large baking dish.
- Spoon noodle mixture into baking dish and top with remaining Colby-Jack
- Broil 3-5 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.
