Homemade mac and cheese is one of those things that I will never say no to, but then when you go and put bacon in it… I’m helpless! But I like to keep everything in balance, so I added some broccoli florets to this one pot bacon mac and cheese so I could have all of my food groups in one delicious bowl. 😋 This mac and cheese is absolute meal perfection!
Evaporated Milk Cheese Sauce Magic
I first tried this evaporated milk cheese sauce method a few weeks ago when making the skillet macaroni and cheese recipe from Daniel Shumski’s book, Will It Skillet? This super fast, easy, and absolutely fool-proof method of creating a smooth and silky cheese sauce is my new favorite. So this time, I swapped out the butter for bacon fat, changed up the seasoning, and added broccoli and crumbled bacon. The result was fantastic. But do I really need to even say that? BACON.
If you’re looking for a mac and cheese recipe that uses a traditional roux-based sauce, be sure to check out my Extra Cheesy Homemade Mac and Cheese recipe.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes:
- Miracle Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Pesto Mac with Spinach
- Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
- Green Chile Mac and Cheese
One Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. frozen broccoli florets ($1.05)
- 4 oz. bacon ($1.43)
- 8 oz. medium cheddar ($2.50)
- 1/2 lb. pasta ($0.50)
- 1 cup evaporated milk ($1.19)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients before beginning because the process goes quickly once it’s begun. Thaw the broccoli florets and chop them into small bite-sized pieces. Slice the bacon into small pieces. Shred the cheddar cheese.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil 7-10 minutes, or until al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander and set it aside.
- Return the pot to the stove, add the bacon, and cook over medium to medium-low heat until the bacon is brown and crispy (about 5 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pot, leaving the grease behind.
- Add the evaporated milk, smoked paprika, Dijon, hot sauce, and salt to the pot with the bacon grease. Stir to combine and allow it to heat through (it should heat quickly as the pot will be very hot from cooking the bacon).
- Once the evaporated milk is hot, turn the heat to low and begin whisking in the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time, waiting until the cheese is fully melted before adding the next handful. Once all of the cheese has been melted into the sauce, taste the cheese sauce and adjust the salt or hot sauce if desired. If the sauce becomes too thick, simply stir in one to two tablespoons of the remaining evaporated milk in the can.
- Return the cooked pasta, crispy bacon (crumble into smaller pieces if desired), and chopped broccoli to the pot with the cheese sauce. Stir to combine. Serve immediately.
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Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese – Step by Step Photos
Prepare the ingredients for the mac and cheese before you begin, because the process goes quickly once started. Thaw and chop 1/2 lb. frozen broccoli florets into small bite-sized pieces. Next time I’ll even chop them a bit smaller than in the photo above.
Shred 8oz. medium cheddar cheese.
Slice 4 oz. bacon into small strips. I generally only use a small amount of bacon in a recipe (enough to give flavor, but not enough to make the recipe super expensive). So, if I buy a 12oz. package like this, I’ll divide it into three sections, use one, and freeze the other two for later.
Cook 1/2 lb. pasta according to the package directions, then drain it in a colander and set it aside (this is a one pound bag, so I used half of it).
Return the pot to the stove, turn the heat down to medium or medium-low, add the bacon, and sauté it until it is brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces from the pot, leaving the bacon grease behind.
To the bacon grease add 1 cup evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp hot sauce, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to combine and dissolve the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Allow the evaporated milk to heat through. It should heat very quickly as there isn’t much in the pot and the pot should be rather hot from cooking the bacon.
Once the evaporated milk is very hot, turn the heat down to low and begin to whisk in the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time. Make sure the cheese is fully melted in before adding the next handful. If the sauce gets too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the remaining evaporated milk from the can (there should be about 1/2 cup left in the can).
Once all the cheddar is melted into the sauce, you can taste it and adjust the salt or hot sauce to your liking.
Finally, return the cooked and drained pasta, crispy bacon, and chopped broccoli to the pot with the cheese sauce. You may want to crumble the bacon a little further before adding it back in.
Stir until everything is coated in cheesy bacony goodness!!
And that’s it. The most delicious One Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese EVER.
YUM!!! Thank you, Beth!! This was scrumptious! I can see mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions also working, if you’re trying to clean out your fridge. I added extra hot sauce because I like the heat, but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter.
Doubled your recipe (three teenagers in the house) and used up the last of cheddar, and a Mexican cheese mix. Awesome recipe! I usually add bacon to home made mac and cheese but this recipe and cheese sauce was awesome. No left overs!
I would love to use this method, but I don’t eat meat. Do you have suggestion on how to make it without the bacon? Would using a couple TB of butter instead of the bacon grease work out ok?
Butter would work perfectly. I don’t eat pork, but I do miss the smokiness of bacon. That’s when I became addicted to smoked paprika! That’s how I’ll be making this!
Yes, you can use 2 Tbsp butter in place of the bacon grease. :)
My mouth is watering right now!!! :-)
This recipie rocks. I doubled the recipe, used turkey bacon, low fat evaporated milk and whole wheat pasta. Made it in my instantpot. First I sautéed the turkey then I added the broccoli, paprika, Dijon, pasta and 4 cups of water. Cooked on high pressure for 6 minutes. Did a quick release and added the evaporated milk and cheese. YUM!!
Just perfect, you rock, thank you!
This was so good! I used beer mustard instead of dijon because that’s what I had on hand, but it still turned out great. Will definitely be adding this to my list of staple recipes.
You weren’t kidding about portion control. I ate way too much of this, but that sauce is just irresistible. I was cheap and didn’t bother buying hot sauce or a jar of mustard (because I hate both), so I used ground mustard (that I had from something else) and chili powder in their place, and it was amazing, also it was so quick and easy. New comfort food favorite for sure.
Beth,
Do you think this would freeze well?
I have a feeling that the cheese sauce wouldn’t hold up to freezing, unfortunately.
Is it possible to use regular whole milk? I always have milk on hand and I always try to find ways to use when I’m cooking.
Nope, for this one you have to use the evaporated milk or else the sauce won’t come together correctly.
Can confirm. I tried this without reading this far in the comments :/ Sauce flailed.
PS – I love the new design in general, but I’m sad that it makes it harder to read the comments!
What exactly makes the comments harder to read? I might be able to change a setting and make it easier. :)
Beth, when you click on “older comments” it scoots you back to the top of the recipe, so you have to scroll down every time. :)
Oh wow!! I didn’t realize that. Thank you so much for pointing it out! :) I’ll get my tech guys on it.
Oh my! This looks SO yummy! That sauce looks so smooth and velvety and PERFECT!
Definitely adding this to my arsenal of must-try-meals…maybe I’ll even add a little chicken for good measure :)
I’ve been making Mac and cheese with evaporated milk for years- it is just so fantastic! I prefer this way over a roux based cheese sauce, and when it cools, it gets “sticky”, so you can easily flatten it out in a pan, slice it, bread it, and have baked Mac and cheese bites.
Ooooooh… you may have just changed my life!
This looks SO good! I am definitely making this week, I already have the bacon and broccoli in the freezer! :D
Just made this tonight – with bacon, frozen spinach and mushrooms. So. Damn. Awesome.
How does this compare (not counting bacon and broccoli) to your Miracle Mac and Cheese???
I like this method WAY better. The older “miracle mac” method gets a bit grainy as it cools and this one doesn’t. :) It’s way more forgiving and creamy.