Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb of pasta shells (or elbow macaroni, ditali, penne, or other short pasta)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz smoked gouda, shredded
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp white pepper
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/4 cup reserved bacon grease (from cooking bacon)
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- When pasta is done, drain it, reserving 1 C of pasta water.
- Return pasta to pot and add butter, cream cheese and pasta water.
- Heat over medium low heat until cream cheese has melted.
- Add shredded gouda cheese and spices along with milk and heavy cream. Cook, stirring often over low heat until sauce thickens. If needed, you can add more milk to desired consistency.
- In a sauté pan, cook bacon until crispy then remove from pan, reserving 1/4 C bacon grease.
- Chop bacon up into small pieces.
- Using an oven safe 4 qt container, add bacon grease and rub sides to coat.
- Transfer mac and cheese to container and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and garnish with chopped bacon.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: entrée
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cup
- Calories: 393
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 514.6 mg
- Fat: 23.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.7 g
- Protein: 13.5 g
- Cholesterol: 67 mg