Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese – Leftovers Recipe

I’ve been on a clean out the refrigerator binge the last couple of days. I had little bits of leftovers from various dinners and it all had to get eaten. We had smorgasbord for dinner on Sunday and it just about did the trick but I was left with some twisty pasta. It was time for a new leftovers recipe

What to do, what to do?

MAC AND CHEESE!!!!!

But I didn’t want just a boring, basic mac and cheese so I looked around my freezer and I found….

BACON!

Everything is better with bacon – especially mac and cheese. I also didn’t have enough of any one cheese so it became a real “little of this, little of that” meal. And it was very, very good.

Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Serves 4 – 6

6 cups cooked pasta – elbows, spirals, penne – whatever you have leftover
1/2 pound bacon
4 cups shredded cheese – mix of cheddar and monteray jack
3 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1TBS dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 TBS dry sherry (optional)
2 cups cooked broccoli (or carrots or cauliflower or whatever you might have leftover)
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°
Spray an 8 x 8″ baking dish with cooking spray
Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the mustard and salt. Slowly add the milk and stir until it starts to thicken.
Add 3 cups of cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the broccoli.
In a large bowl add the pasta, the cheese/broccoli sauce and 3/4 of the bacon
Stir together.
Add half to the baking dish, add the rest of the cheese and top with the remaining pasta mixture.

Sprinkle with the panko an remaining bacon.
Cook in the preheated oven for about an hour until bubbly.
Let rest for 10 minutes then serve.

Do I even have to tell you this was good? It was even better the second night. That’s what I love about making extra pasta anytime you cook some. It leaves you with extra and you then are left with the beginnings of a great leftovers recipe.

Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese

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• Author: Patty @brokenteepee.com
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 - 6 1x
• Category: Main Dish

Ingredients

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• 6 cups cooked pasta – elbows, spirals, penne – whatever you have leftover
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 4 cups shredded cheese – mix of cheddar and monteray jack
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1TBS dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 TBS dry sherry (optional)
• 2 cups cooked broccoli (or carrots or cauliflower or whatever you might have leftover)
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Spray an 8 x 8″ baking dish with cooking spray
3. Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp.
4. Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the mustard and salt. Slowly add the milk and stir until it starts to thicken.
5. Add 3 cups of cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the broccoli.
6. In a large bowl add the pasta, the cheese/broccoli sauce and 3/4 of the bacon
7. Stir together.
8. Add half to the baking dish, add the rest of the cheese and top with the remaining pasta mixture.
9. Sprinkle with the panko an remaining bacon.
10. Cook in the preheated oven for about an hour until bubbly.
11. Let rest for 10 minutes then serve.