Jack Daniel's Smoky Mac and Cheese + Video

This Smoky Mac and Cheese recipe has peppered bacon, tons of cheese, plus Jack Daniels whiskey. This is the comfort food of your dreams!

Macaroni and cheese has to be the #1 comfort food. Not only that, it's a simple go-to dish. 

Plus, it's really easy to customize with extra ingredients. Have a little bit of leftover ham or Italian sausage in the fridge? Stir it into the cheese sauce for a boost of protein!

For the flavors of classic mac 'n cheese in a different form, make mac and cheese quesadillas. They're a fun twist for taco night! 

Or, go bite-sized finger food  with bacon mac and cheese bombs!

Smoky Mac and Cheese

Needless to say, I have a lot of unbelievable twists for the traditional macaroni and cheese recipe.

I am especially proud of this most recent creation - Jack Daniel's Smoky Mac and Cheese with Bacon.

Seriously, how can anything with bacon in it be a bad thing?!

This meal is ready to eat in just 30 minutes, and I know you are going to love it!

Dinner's ready! It's unlike any cheesy pasta you have ever eaten. 

Cooking with Jack Daniels Whiskey

Jack Daniels whiskey cooks down to leave the perfect smokiness, some maple, and a hint of woodsiness to recipes and to me that meant it would be perfect with bacon!!

After creating bbq sauce, pork chops, grill sauce, pulled pork, a surprising fudgy brownie and cocktail after cocktail with Jack Daniels, I knew I wanted to use it in the best comfort food ever.

Ingredients in mac and cheese with bacon

Oodles of ooey gooey cheese, 12 ounces of hickory smoked peppered bacon and a collection of spices that will wake up your taste buds and leave you completely satisfied makes this the best mac and cheese of your life.

Here are the primary ingredients in the dish. You can see a full ingredient list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Bacon- I use hickory smoked peppered bacon, but any variety will work. Obviously, one with a smoky flavor is what you want to look for.
  
  
• unsalted butter- If all you have on hand is salted butter, use it. But, don't add any extra salt to the dish. The salty bacon will add plenty on its own.
  
  
• Jack Daniels whiskey- If you're not a whiskey drinker but you have some beer on hand, that works too. It just doesn't have quite the kick that whiskey has.
  
  
• chicken broth (or stock)- In a pinch, go ahead and use vegetable stock
  
  
• all-purpose flour- If you need a gluten free option, any brand of gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour will be fine.
  
  
• milk- I use whole milk
  
  
• extra-sharp cheddar cheese- For this recipe, we use white cheddar
  
  
• smoked provolone cheese- Smoked cheese is definitely what you want to use to get the smoky flavor in the cheese sauce
  
  
• Asiago cheese- Yep, three kinds of cheese go into this dish. Cheesy to the max!
  
  
• elbow macaroni- This is the classic noodle shape, but feel free to use any small pasta shape that you like. Small shell pasta is a great substitute.

• Alcohol substitutions: You can substitute another liquid for the whiskey. Beer, bourbon or chicken broth would be best.

Watch the recipe video!

To see us make the dish from start to finish, check out the video at the top of this post.

Smoky Mac and Cheese Recipe Tips:

• Doubling the recipe: The recipe may be doubled. Simply use 2 times the ingredients and follow cooking directions. The sauce will thicken as it cools. If the sauce is too thick, add milk, 1/2 cup at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.

• Reheating instructions: Add leftover macaroni and cheese to a pot with milk. Heat until warmed through, adding 1/2 cup of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached.

• Freezing instructions: Allow the dish to come to room temperature before freezing. Place in a resealable plastic bag or container. 

If using a container, press a small piece of plastic wrap over the top to avoid freezer burn. If frozen, will keep for up to 6 months. 

To reheat, thaw pasta and follow reheating instructions.

Tools for Making Bacon Mac and Cheese:

• 8 Quart Pot- 
• 12" Skillet-
• Cheese Grater- As much as I love buying shredded cheese because I'm lazy, fresh grated cheese melts down so much better and creates a smoother soup.

Enjoy!

With love from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Yield: 4Author: Donna Elick

Jack Daniel's Smoky Mac and Cheese

This Smoky Mac and Cheese has crispy peppered bacon, tons of cheese, plus Jack Daniels whiskey. Make this comfort food recipe tonight!

Ingredients

• ½ tsp kosher salt + more for pasta water
• 12 oz hickory smoked peppered bacon, uncooked
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup Jack Daniel's Whiskey
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon New Mexico chili powder
• 1 tablespoon chili pepper paste
• ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups milk
• 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar (white), shredded
• 2 ounces smoked provolone cheese, shredded
• 2 ounces Asiago cheese, shredded
• 8 oz dry elbow pasta
• croutons (garnish)

Instructions

1. Bring an 8 quart covered pot filled with water to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, add a handful of salt and pasta. Reduce heat to medium high and cook uncovered to al dente (has a bite to it). Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile warm a large 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Using clean kitchen shears cut bacon into bite size pieces over the skillet and let them to fall into the pan. Stir occasionally as needed. Cook until crisp.
3. While the bacon is cooking, shred cheeses and prepare remaining ingredients. 
4. Once bacon is cooked through, remove bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings and discard the rest. Wipe the side of the skillet to avoid flame ups.
5. Pour reserved bacon drippings back into the skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once melted add flour and whisk to combine. Add spices, chili paste, Worcestershire, whiskey and chicken broth. Whisk to combine. Allow to come to a bubble for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally to help pick up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add milk. Whisk to combine. Bring back to a bubble and add cheeses.  Stir until cheese is melted and smooth.
6. Add pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Add bacon. Cook pasta in sauce for 5 minutes over medium heat until sauce thickens and the pasta has a chance to absorb some of the sauce.
7. Sprinkle with croutons, if desired.
8. Serve and enjoy!

DONNA'S NOTES

1. Recipe may be doubled. Simply use 2x the ingredients and follow cooking directions. Sauce will thicken as it cools. If sauce is too thick, add milk ½ cup at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
2. Reheat instructions: Add pasta to pot with milk. Heat until warmed through, adding ½ cup of milk at a time until desired constancy is reached.
3. Freezing instructions: Allow pasta to come to room temperature. Place in resealable plastic bag or container. If using a container press a small piece of plastic wrap over top to avoid freezer burn. Will keep for up to 6 months. To reheat, that pasta and follow reheat instructions.
4. Alcohol substitutions: You can substitute another liquid for the whiskey. Beer, bourbon or chicken broth would be best.

http://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2014/02/jack-daniels-bacon-mac-and-cheese-recipe.html

Recipe developed by Donna Elick The Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2014 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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