Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›Prime 16›Mac & Cheese Recipe

Mac & Cheese Recipe

Inspired by Prime 16
Time30m
Serves4

Applewood bacon

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Pasta

Bacon Topping

Method

Cooking Pasta

  1. 1

    Boil Pasta

    In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add 1 tsp of salt to the boiling water.

  2. 2

    Cook Macaroni

    Add 2 cups of elbow macaroni to the boiling water and cook for 7-8 minutes until al dente. Stir occasionally.

  3. 3

    Drain Pasta

    Once cooked, drain the macaroni in a colander and set aside.

Making Cheese Sauce

  1. 4

    Melt Butter

    In the same pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.

  2. 5

    Create Roux

    Once melted, add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the butter and whisk continuously for about 1 minute.

  3. 6

    Add Milk

    Gradually pour in 2 cups of milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens.

  4. 7

    Add Cheeses

    Lower the heat and stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and 4 oz of cream cheese until melted and smooth.

  5. 8

    Season Sauce

    Add 1 tsp of ground black pepper and 1 tsp of garlic powder. Stir until well combined.

Combining Ingredients

  1. 9

    Combine Pasta and Sauce

    Add the drained macaroni back into the pot with the cheese sauce. Stir until all the pasta is well coated with the sauce.

Preparing Bacon Topping

  1. 10

    Cook Bacon

    In a skillet over medium heat, cook 6 slices of applewood bacon until crispy, about 5-7 minutes.

  2. 11

    Chop Bacon

    Remove bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Once cool, chop into small pieces.

Serving

  1. 12

    Garnish and Serve

    Serve the mac and cheese in bowls and top with the chopped bacon. Enjoy your delicious mac & cheese!

More from Prime 16