Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

I wasn't sure this was going to be as tasty as it was, but we enjoyed it for a veggie-enriched mac and cheese. I subbed sharp cheddar for American cheese for more taste, added some hot pepper sauce, and increased the bacon, because bacon makes everything better. Next time I will consider adding some diced red pepper for a bit more flavor and for some color. That said, it was easy to make (especially if you cook the broccoli in with the pasta), quick, and tasty.

I've been looking for a creamy Mac n cheese recipe for a while, and this didn't disappoint. I made it straight without the broccoli or bacon, and the flavor and texture were wonderful. My cheddar had some horseradish in it, that made for a nice extra kick. I might cut back the salt just a tad next time. Otherwise, delicious and simple. I look forward to making it with the broc n bacon.

I really enjoyed this recipe. The flavors are fantastic, and (With some modifications) I have easy access to all of the ingredients. I've made this recipe once before using the American Cheese, and consequently it had that plastic-y flavor which I do not enjoy. Tonight I decided to use straight medium cheese. No Sharp. No American. It tasted quite fantastic.

Made this for dinner because I wanted mac and cheese but not all the calories. Not very good. Almost no cheese flavor. In fact, almost no flavor except for the little bit of bacon. Update: Much much better left over! I was going to throw out the leftovers, and I'm glad I didn't. Having a nice lunch. The standing time must have made all the difference. Still not really cheesy but the flavors are better melded a day and a half later.

Well, I think this has potential but is definately missing something. I used red bell peppers both for color and flavor instead of green onion and I didn't have any american cheese so used mozzarella and cheddar. I wanted the sauce to be more creamy and it needed more flavor. I will try sauteed onions and garlic with garlic powder as well as onion powder next time and go from there.

Excellent recipe! I just made this winner last night, and I can't wait to have some leftovers later this week; definitely a keeper. My husband who usually hates mac & cheese (I know, he must be an alien) even loved this recipe! I disagree with other reviewers about "easy" since it is a few steps and lots of pots, but in the end, I thought it was worth it! A few changes: 1) used bow tie pasta for preference; 2) used Havarti cheese in lieu of American cheese; 3) Added 1 tsp each of onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper and added a dash of salt to taste; 4) used (4) 12-oz slices of bacon & 5) omitted the green onions. Also, I usually don't go for using the 2% milk (I just use what we have on hand 1% or skim), but I ended up having a bit of 2% milk and used it in this recipe, which I think was the reason the cheese sauce was as tasty as it came out to be on this one. Would recommend following directlions exactly for the milk base. Will be making this again - enjoy!

Quick, inexpensive, easy, and delicious!

Very easy and delicious!

This recipe suprised me as to how easy it was and also how much food it made. The sauce was fabulous and it was gone as quickly as it was prepared. Will definitely cook this on a regular basis and perhaps add some chicken to it.

Quite yummy and super fast. Hubby and I tag-teamed on this and from start to finish (including eating) was less than 45 minutes.

This sounded so good - perfect for a rainy Seattle spring evening. And I thought my 8 year old would like it too as she is a mac and cheese connoisseur. I either didn't let the sauce thicken enough or perhaps the broccoli had some residual water (I boiled it rather than steamed it) but the sauce was quite thin. Liked the bacon though - bought two slices of regular bacon from Whole Foods rather than buying a whole package of center cut bacon.

I love to cook healthy meals with fresh ingredients and have always shied away from any recipe that uses processed cheese (I'm from Vermont and will only use farm-fresh cheese) but with three pre-teen kids who have recently decided to hate everything I cook I was at my wits end and decided to try this. I am so glad I did. Wow! I followed the recipe almost to a "T" with the only exceptions: I used 2 oz. of Velveeta instead of American cheese and 1/4 tsp of garlic salt instead of 1/2 tsp. of regular salt. I also added 1 cup of baby spinach at the end for a few more vitamins. Not only was this a fresh and flavorful meal but with three kids who play sports and two parents that work, this was a super easy meal to prepare and will definitely join our weekly rotation! Next week we'll throw in some chicken, or peas, or asparagus...the possibilities are endless!!! Thanks CL!!!

We really liked it, We would probably do it with Peas instead of broccoli next time (personal preference), add a little more bacon for flavor/salt, and pepper. We used a sharp american and a sharp cheddar, which i think helped with the boldness of flavor.

This was OK.. but I dont' think I would make it again. Flavors were somewhat bland. Followed recipe except used Velvetta instead of American cheese.

My husband and I really loved this recipe! I love the ease of a one-dish recipe such as this. The dish comes together quite quickly and the cheese sauce is delicious.

Mac and cheese in general is not my favorite, but this is an exception. My husband loved it, said so with the first bite and it is my favorite as well. Definitely a keeper. To keep the fats down more, I used turkey bacon. Really yummy!