Dutch Oven Macaroni and Cheese With Bacon is a one-pot pasta meal that's easy to make and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. Made with elbow macaroni, bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, heavy cream, and Greek Yogurt, this is one easy dinner recipe you'll want on repeat in your house!
Easy Dutch Oven Macaroni and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food and is popular year round! Baked creamy mac n cheese makes wonderful leftovers too and reheats well.
Want more pasta recipes in your life? Check out my popular Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken or Taco Pasta Casserole recipe and my Bacon Penne Pasta Love Spaghetti Factory? Then you must try my Mizithra Cheese Brown Butter Pasta or the classic Meat Sauce Stuffed Shells which is sinfully delicious!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]🧀 What You'll Need For Best Dutch Oven Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients For Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese
- Elbow Macaroni or Macaroni Shells
- Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Shredded Mexican Cheese
- Chicken Stock
- Heavy Cream
- Bacon
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Paprika
- Garlic Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
- Cheese-its or Panko Bread Crumbs
- Optional: Red Onion
See full recipe card below for quantities
Equipment For Creamy Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
🧀 How To Make Easy Mac And Cheese
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a large Dutch Oven, bring the chicken stock and macaroni shells to a boil.
Step 2: While the pasta is boiling, chop the bacon into small pieces and simmer in a pan until crispy over medium heat. Set the bacon and the bacon grease aside. Don't throw away the grease! We will use it later on in this recipe.
Step 3: Add the bacon grease to the cooked pasta and mix until combined.
Step 4: Add the paprika, garlic salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the cooked pasta. Next add the heavy cream and mix until well combined.
Step 5: Add the shredded cheeses like the shredded cheddar cheese and the shredded Mexican cheese. Add a scoop of Greek yogurt and stir until combined. This makes a super creamy cheese sauce!
Step 6: Add the chopped bacon and top with crushed cheez-it's crackers or Panko bread crumbs.
Step 7: Bake at 350-degrees covered for 20-30-minutes or until the Mac and Cheese is golden brown.
Variations For Simple Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
- You can add parmasean cheese
- Monterey Jack
- Gruyere Cheese for extra cheesy goodness!
- Mustrard Powder for an extra kick!
- Dijon mustard will pump up the flavor
How To Store Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese?
One of the greatest things about owning a Dutch oven, is it works wonders for storeing the food you cooked it it and it will help maintain fresness. Simply keep any macaroni and cheese leftovers in the Dutch Oven and stash it in the fridge. Reheat at the same tempertature you cooked the mac and cheese at.
350-degrees for about thirty minutes. The best part is, you don't have to worry about the leftovers Mac and Cheese drying out!
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📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Macaroni and Cheese With Bacon | One Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or mac shells
- 32 ounces Chicken Stock
- 6-8 slices applewood smoked bacon chop into pieces
- 3 tablespoon bacon grease
- 2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 3 teaspoon paprika
- 1 ts[ cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
- 2 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees
- In a large Dutch Oven, bring the chicken stock and macaroni shells to a boil.
- While the pasta is boiling, chop the bacon into small pieces and simmer in a pan until crispy over medium heat. Set the bacon and the bacon grease aside. Don't throw away the grease! We will use it later on in this recipe.
- Add the bacon grease to the cooked pasta and mix until combined.
- Add the paprika, garlic salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the cooked pasta. Next add the heavy cream and mix until well combined.
- Add the shredded cheeses like the shredded cheddar cheese and the shredded Mexican cheese. Add a scoop of Greek yogurt and stir until combined. This makes a super creamy cheese sauce.
- Add the chopped bacon and top with crushed cheez-it's crackers or Panko bread crumbs.
- Bake at 350-degrees covered for 30-minutes or until the Mac and Cheese is golden brown.
Notes
Variations For Simple Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
- You can add parmasean cheese
- Monterey Jack
- Gruyere Cheese for extra cheesy goodness!
- Mustrard Powder for an extra kick!
- Dijon mustard will pump up the flavor