Bacon Brandy Mac and Cheese
This creamy bacon brandy mac and cheese, well, its serious! Its a mix of creamy cheese, crispy bacon, and a splash of brandy. Honestly how could you go wrong? It’s straightforward, speedy and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. You will love it, promise!
Do not forget to check out my Chefs Tips and Wine Pairings sections below!
This one is really, really good. I am totally serious.
It features a creamy, cheesy cavatappi (or any pasta you want) loaded with crispy bacon. This dish gets extra flavor from a hint of brandy. It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet you will want to show off for guests too!
Mixing sharp white cheddar with creamy Fontina creates a sauce that’s nothing short of amazing.
The recipe is super straightforward. You’ll cook some bacon until it’s perfectly crispy.
Then, use those drippings to build up flavors with shallots and spices. A splash of brandy adds a nice and juicy layer.
The cheese pulls everything together into a smooth and indulgent sauce. Oh yeah!
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Why this works
- Perfect Flavor Combo: The flavor combination of crispy bacon, with the velvety rich cheese sauce creates a smoky fusion. By adding a touch of brandy you’ve got flavors that are just simply irresistible.
- Texture Contrasts: The contrast in textures between the bacon pieces and the sauce coating each spiral of cavatappi pasta makes every bite an interesting chew! A sprinkling of herbs on top gives it a boost to a whole new level.
- Easy Yet Impressive: This recipe is simple to make but delivers big on flavor- really big!. It’s perfect for a relaxed weeknight dinner but you could easily serve this to guests – lucky guests!
- Fun to Customize: Love playing with flavors? This dish is your canvas. Swap out cheeses, mix in your favorite herbs, or even add a bit more brandy. It’s all about making it your new favorite.
- Ultimate Comfort Food: Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor, it’s comfort food that to the extreme!
- Simple Gourmet Techniques: Making a roux, deglazing with brandy, and achieving that perfect sauce consistency? These are chef moves that are totally doable at home. This recipe lets you show off a bit without breaking a sweat. If you want to learn a bit more about home chef techniques, check out these 12 tips!
How to make Bacon Brandy Mac and Cheese
Step 1: Prep and Cook the Ingredients
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook cavatappi pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Crisp the Bacon and Sauté Shallots: In a skillet, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove bacon, leaving the fat. Sauté minced shallots in the bacon fat until soft.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
- Create the Sauce Base: Add flour to the skillet with shallots, stirring to form a roux. Stir in fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Deglaze with brandy, then pour in half-and-half. Simmer until thickened.
- Melt the Cheese: Add shredded Fontina and Cheddar to the skillet, stirring until melted into a smooth, creamy sauce.
Step 3: Combine and Serve
- Mix and Garnish: Toss the cooked pasta and crispy bacon into the cheese sauce. Stir until the pasta is well coated. Garnish with fresh thyme and rosemary. Serve hot and enjoy the creamy, cheesy goodness.
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Take It to the Next Level
- Infuse the Cream: Before mixing it into the dish, infuse the half-and-half with herbs or garlic. Simply warm the cream gently with sprigs of thyme and a couple of garlic cloves. Let it soak for around 30 minutes, then strain before using. This will bring a unique flavor depth.
- Handmade Pasta: If you’re feeling adventurous, try homemade cavatappi or another pasta of your preference. Fresh pasta can really make this dish stand out!
- Add Some Crunch: Create a contrast in texture by topping the completed dish with a breadcrumb mixture. Toast panko breadcrumbs in some rendered bacon fat, then mix them with Parmesan and a dash of smoked paprika.
- Try Smoked Cheeses: Experiment with smoked cheeses like smoked gouda or smoked cheddar. You’ll really bring out, as opposed to bring home, the bacon!
- Include Vegetables: Mix in sautéed mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or spinach into the sauce for an extra layer of flavor and color.
- Add a Bit of Brightness: Consider finishing off with a splash of lemon juice or a sprinkle of lemon zest for a fresh lemony flavor. Remember acids are our good friends: Acids in cooking
Chefs tips
- Grate Your Cheese Fresh: Freshly Grated cheese melts more smoothly than packaged cheese.
- Slowly Cook Your Bacon: Gradually cook your bacon in the pan. This technique helps in rendering more fat, resulting in crispier bacon. Additionally the rendered bacon fat adds a nice bacon smoke flavor when sautéing shallots.
- Save Pasta Water: Before draining your pasta set aside a cup of the pasta water. This water is ideal for adjusting the thickness of your cheese sauce if necessary. It also aids in making the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Layer Your Seasoning: Deepen the flavor by seasoning your dish at stages. A pinch of salt in the pasta water, for example. Then seasoning the sauce as you go and a final adjustment before serving can significantly improve the taste.
Gently Incorporate Cheese into Sauce: When adding cheese to your sauce, do so over heat. Be sure to add it gradually. This method prevents the sauce from splitting or becoming gritty.
- Deglaze with Brandy: Take your time with deglazing, let the brandy simmer and slightly reduce while scraping up all those bits from the pan.
- Rest: Let the pasta sit for a minute or two after mixing it with the sauce before serving. This resting time helps the pasta soak up the sauce making the flavors richer.
- When garnishing make sure to use thyme and rosemary not just for decoration, but also to enhance the taste. Chop the herbs finely. Sprinkle them over the dish before serving to release their fragrant oils and add a fresh touch to the creamy pasta.
- In case your sauce thickens to much when cooled or reheated feel free to thin it out with some reserved pasta water or extra half and half. The aim is to achieve a sauce that coats the pasta evenly.
- To add some texture variation try toasting breadcrumbs in butter and sprinkling them over the dish before serving.
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Key Ingredients
- Bacon: Bacon!! Slowly cook the bacon to get the crispiness and flavor that that you love. Then, you can use the rendered fat in the sauce. It’s the secret to that extra depth in every bite.
- Brandy: Helps to infuse the sauce with a touch of sweetness and complexity. As it simmers away, the alcohol evaporates leaving an amazing flavor pairs perfectly with the creamy cheese and savory bacon.
- Shallots: Sautéing shallots in the bacon fat makes them tender and slightly sweet. They mix beautifully with the cheese and bacon, adding just enough flavor without stealing the show.
- Cheeses (Fontina and Sharp White Cheddar): Fontina cheese perfectly creamy and white cheddar adds a tang with a hint of sharpness When combined together we get that ooey gooey, bursting with flavor, perfection!
- Half-and-Half: This is your go-to for a creamy sauce base. It’s rich enough to give you that luxurious, silky texture without being as heavy as full cream. It keeps things indulgent but still light enough that you’ll want seconds!
- Cavatappi Pasta: This is a curly pasta. And we like curly pasta, you know why? Because it is perfect for holding onto every bit of that cheesy sauce. It’s sturdy and holds up great with all the rich, creamy goodness and tasty extras like bacon, making sure you get a delicious bite every time.
Wine Pairings
Let’s just go over the top with our indulgent Bacon Brandy Mac and Cheese with a touch of wine sophistication. Lets explore some wine pairings!
The ideal wine selection can transform a meal into a something even better then just the meal itself. Our Mac and Cheese has a deep richness. We are going to aim to pair it with a wine that enhances its flavors without being too dominant. Whether it’s the velvety tones of a Chardonnay or the refreshing lively notes of a Sauvignon Blanc. Each wine mentioned here is carefully selected to pair with the sauce, savory bacon and intense cheeses.
Whether you prefer reds, whites or something in between there’s a pairing that works, promise! So pour yourself a glass. Lets explore some options!
- A medium Chardonnay with oak undertones. Its buttery hints perfectly complement the cheese and creamy sauce.
- For a contrast to the meals richness, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc works wonders. Its lively acidity and citrusy notes will recharge your taste buds!
- If you’re a fan of red, a light to bodied Pinot Noir is perfect. The wines acidity and red fruit flavors blend with the core flavors of bacon in the our dish.
- Pairing our dish with a Barbera, known for its acidity and soft tannins, can be a winning combination. The cherry and plum notes of Barbera add an interesting layer of flavor to the meal.
- Consider trying Viognier for a twist. Its floral aromas, peachy tones and balanced acidity, create a balance between the creamy sauce and herbal elements.
- To cleanse your palate between bites, a for sparkling wine or Champagne is awesome! The effervescence and crispness of these choices cut through the richness of the cheese sauce.
Faq’s
Absolutely! While cavatappi is great at grabbing onto the sauce, you can easily swap it for fusilli, penne, or rigatoni. Go for pasta shapes with little nooks and crannies that hold onto that creamy, cheesy goodness.
What if I don’t have brandy? No brandy? Not a problem. White wine or apple cider vinegar make great substitutes. They have a nice acidity to balance the dish’s richness.
Sure you can definitely. Feel free to try out Gruyère, mozzarella or smoked gouda for a twist. Each cheese brings its flavor to the dish.
Absolutely! Follow all the steps as usual let it cool down then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy it gently reheat it on the stove. Add some milk if needed to adjust the sauce consistency.
To prevent the cheese, from clumping slowly sprinkle it into your mixture while stirring constantly over heat. This is going to make sure the cheese melts smoothly it helps prevent any graininess.
When it comes to reheating leftovers, warm up the pasta on the stove with a bit of milk or water. This method keeps the sauce creamy. Ensures that everything heats up evenly.
Equipment Needed
- Large Pot: Choose a big one to give pasta plenty of room to cook evenly.
- Large Skillet or Frying Pan: You’ll need this to get your bacon nice and crispy and to sauté those shallots. A deeper pan is handy, especially when you’re making the sauce, to keep everything in without spills.
- Strainer or Colander: Needed to drain the cooked pasta. Ensure it’s large enough for the pasta amount.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: It’s (obviously!!) important to measure for amounts of flour half and half, brandy and cheeses.
- Wooden Spoon or Heatproof Spatula: Ideal for stirring ingredients in the skillet, especially for roux and melting cheese.
- Cheese Grater: Necessary if using block cheese for better melt than pre-shredded varieties.
- Cutting Board and Knife: For chopping bacon (if not pre-chopped), mincing shallot, and finely chopping herbs for garnish.
- Mixing Bowl (Optional): Handy for holding cooked pasta or mixed cheeses before adding to the sauce, though you can manage without it if kitchen space is limited.
Bacon Brandy Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 10 Slices of bacon, chopped
- 1 Large shallot, minced
- 3 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp Fresh thyme, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 1/2 tsp Teaspoons sea salt, fine grain
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Smoked paprika
- 3 cup Half-and-half
- 1/2 cup Brandy, PLEASE check the note below when adding brandy
- 1 cup Shredded Fontina cheese
- 2 cup Shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
- 1 lb Cavatappi pasta
- Garnish A mix of fresh thyme and rosemary, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the cavatappi pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
- Add the minced shallot to the skillet and sauté in the bacon fat until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the shallot, stirring for about 1 minute until the flour is fully incorporated. This will help thicken the sauce later.
- Stir in the fresh thyme, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and smoked paprika, cooking for another minute to release the flavors.
- Pour in the brandy, stirring to lift any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Allow the brandy to reduce slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the half-and-half while stirring continuously. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it thicken slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded Fontina and sharp white Cheddar cheeses to the skillet, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta and the crispy bacon to the sauce, tossing until the pasta is evenly coated and the bacon is distributed throughout.
- Transfer the pasta to serving dishes and garnish with the additional chopped fresh thyme and rosemary. Serve immediately, enjoying the rich and creamy flavors complemented by the depth of the brandy and the smokiness of the bacon.