Packed with tangy, cheesy flavor, Bacon Pimento Mac & Cheese has everything you crave from a satisfying dinner—and more. This family favorite is ultra creamy, studded with pieces of savory bacon, and topped with a Cheez-It crunch. Pimentos and smoked paprika add a kick of Southwest flavor that you'll savor until the very last bite.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat bacon pimento mac & cheese
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with pimento mac & cheese
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
- 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- An ooey-gooey texture and cheesy, peppery flavor give this classic recipe a fun, flavorful upgrade—plus, there's plenty of bacon!
- This easy weeknight meal is done in under an hour and is also a great recipe for gameday or the Super Bowl.
- Cooking the cheese sauce in the bacon grease adds so much savory flavor to this dish.
Say bye-bye to freezer-burned noodles and ditch those little blue boxes that don't fill you up. If you love the flavor of pimento cheese and crave hearty, real food, you won't be able to get enough of this delicious, homemade bacon and pimento mac and cheese.
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Stir in cooked protein before baking to make it a full meal. Try it with ground beef, cubed ham, shredded chicken, or leftover pulled pork.
- Swap the Cheez-Its for whatever cheesy chip you've got in the pantry, like Doritos or Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles.
- You can use any small macaroni shape that you (or the kids) prefer.
- The hot sauce doesn't make this mac and cheese too spicy. However, you can add more to kick up the heat or add a dash of cayenne.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Saute onion in the bacon grease and butter. Add flour and whisk.
Slowly pour in the evaporated milk. Whisk constantly and season.
Add the cream cheese, pimentos, bacon, and shredded cheese.
Stir noodles into the cheese sauce and pour it into the casserole dish.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
I can't stress this enough—shred the cheese fresh from a block. It melts so much better, improving the appearance, taste, and texture!
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat bacon pimento mac & cheese
You can store leftover bacon pimento mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for three or four days. Just be sure to let it cool down first.
Reheat leftovers in a 350-degree F oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also use the microwave to warm individual portions.
Mac and cheese reheats well, but be aware that the Cheez-It topping might get a little softer as it sits. To fix this, I just crush a handful of Cheez-Its overtop after reheating, and voila!
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
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Marye's Tip o' the day
Whisk the milk constantly after adding it to the pan to ensure a super smooth roux (fat, flour, milk combination). This is the basis of any homemade cream sauce, so getting it right is key!
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Don't overcook your pasta. It'll continue to soften just a little bit in the oven, so undercooking it by a minute or so ('til al dente) is fine.
- You can usually find pimentos in the jarred section, near olives and pickles. Some grocery stores keep them near/in the fresh olive bar.
- Start your bacon in the largest skillet you have. You'll make the cheese sauce in the same pan and don't want it to spill out.
- Double-check the can before dumping it in: you want to use evaporated milk, NOT sweetened condensed milk.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Nope! They're actually one of the most mild peppers. Think of them as a zesty, sweeter red pepper.
No. Sometimes, a casserole recipe will use a cover, but most mac and cheese recipes don't. We want the top of the cheese to melt and turn golden brown—it won't do that if it's covered.
I don't recommend it. Cheese-based sauces can break after freezing and thawing, and the noodles tend to get mushy.
Yep. For a gluten-free bacon pimento mac and cheese, use your favorite type of GF noodles, like brown rice noodles.
However, note that you must also use gluten-free flour when making the roux/cheese sauce. You can use slightly less than a ½ cup of GF flour since it already contains thickening agents that all-purpose flour doesn't.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
Prep this dish a day or two ahead, store it covered in the refrigerator, and pop it in the oven when you're ready to eat. Simply leave the Cheez-It topping off until just before baking. (Be sure to let the baking dish warm up at room temperature while your oven preheats.)
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with pimento mac & cheese
Collard Greens are tangy, tender, and smoky—the perfect pairing for a rich and gooey mac and cheese. Plus, they're made in the
A Southern staple, Fried Apples are buttery, tender, and a little sweet. They're so easy to make and taste better than the ones from Cracker Barrel.
Bakery-Style Soft Sugar Cookies hit the spot when you're craving something sweet. They're large, chewy, and taste just like the cookies you enjoyed growing up.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
Here are some fun ways to enjoy leftover bacon pimento mac and cheese on day two... or three!
- Mac and Cheese Balls—Form cold mac and cheese into balls. Roll each in egg and breadcrumbs. Fry 'til golden for an irresistible app.
- Sloppy Mac Casserole—Spread cooked Sloppy Joe meat in a casserole dish, add leftover mac and cheese, and pour cornbread batter on top. Bake 'til the cornbread is done.
- Mac and Cheese Quesadillas—Sandwich mac and cheese, beans, and your favorite taco toppings between tortillas. Pan-fry and enjoy with guacamole or salsa.
📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
I love pimento cheese. In fact, I've been know to stir a couple of spoonfuls of my homemade version right into this casserole for extra flavor.
If you love macaroni and cheese then you owe it to yourself to give this recipe a try. It's one of my favorites - and I'm pretty particular about mac & cheese!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Bacon Pimento Mac and Cheese
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 6 slices bacon
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 4 ounces diced pimentos
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
- ¾ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided use
- 1 pound macaroni, cooked and drained
- ⅓ cup crushed Cheez It crackers
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 °F.
- Grease a 13×9 inch casserole dish or spray with non-stick spray.
- Add the bacon to a heavy skillet over medium heat.
- Cook until crispy.
- Remove bacon from pan, leaving bacon grease, and set aside.
- Add ¼ cup butter to the bacon grease in the skillet and whisk until melted.
- Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes, until clumpy.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick, about 3 minutes.
- Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper, smoked paprika and hot sauce.
- Stir in the cubed cream cheese until it melts.
- ,Add the pimentos and bacon.
- Stir in 1 ½ cups cheddar and ½ cup Monterey Jack.
- Stir the mixture all together until smooth.
- Add to the pasta and stir until well combined.
- Add mixture to the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the top of the casserole with crushed Cheezits and the remaining ¼ cup cheddar and ¼ cup Jack.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
Notes
-
- Don't overcook your pasta. It'll continue to soften just a little bit in the oven, so undercooking it by a minute or so ('til al dente) is fine.
- Start your bacon in the largest skillet you have. You'll make the cheese sauce in the same pan and don't want it to spill out.
- Double-check the can before dumping it in: you want to use evaporated milk, NOT sweetened condensed milk.
- Whisk the milk constantly after adding it to the pan
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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