Jack Daniels Mac and Cheese is the comfort food of your dreams! Tender pasta, peppered bacon, tons of cheese, and of course, Jack Daniels whiskey. Now you can drink your whiskey and eat it too!!
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!
Jack Daniels 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?! Plus, this boozy mac and cheese recipe makes the most sensational and scrumptious game day food!
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 smoky, woody flavor to recipes and to me that means it pairs perfectly with bacon!!
After creating Jack Daniels barbecue sauce, pork chops, pulled pork, and a surprising fudgy brownie, I knew I wanted to use it in the best comfort food ever.
Whiskey Mac and Cheese Ingredients and Substitutions
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 bacon adds plenty of salt 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. Or of course, any other brand of whiskey or bourbon works too.
- 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, but half and half will make the mac and cheese even creamier. You could also use 2% milk as a substitute.
- 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, and our recipe for homemade cavatelli pasta works well too.

Watch the video in this post to see us make Jack Daniels mac and cheese from start to finish.
Storing and Freezing Mac and Cheese
- 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.
Kitchen Tools You'll Need
- 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: 4

Jack Daniels Mac and Cheese + Video
Jack Daniels Mac and Cheese has peppered bacon, tons of cheese, plus Jack Daniels whiskey. This is the comfort food of your dreams!
Prep time: 5 Min Cook time: 17 Min Total time: 22 Min
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more for pasta water
- 12 ounces hickory smoked peppered bacon, uncooked
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Whiskey
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon New Mexico chili powder
- 1 tablespoon chili pepper paste
- 1/2 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 ounces dry elbow pasta
- croutons (garnish)
Instructions
- 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 for 10 minutes, or to al dente (has a bite to it). Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, 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, about 8 minutes.
- While the bacon is cooking, shred cheeses and prepare remaining ingredients.
- 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.
- Pour reserved bacon drippings back into the skillet over medium heat and add butter. When the butter melts, add flour and whisk to combine. Add spices, chili paste, Worcestershire, whiskey and chicken broth. Whisk to combine. Allow mixture 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.
- 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.
- Sprinkle with croutons, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
DONNA'S NOTES
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Alcohol substitutions: You can substitute another liquid for the whiskey. Beer, bourbon or chicken broth would be best.
Post originally published February 2014, last updated December 2020
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Loving everything about this dish! Definitely one I need to make asap. Thanks for helping us kick off our event!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely everything about this recipe screams my name! LOVING the addition of whiskey...yum! Thank you so much for helping us kick off this event. It's so early in the morning and all I want to eat is mac and cheese...haha :)
ReplyDeleteJack Daniels + Bacon?!? Sign me up. This looks and sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteOhhhh yeah! Y to the U to the M... YUM!
ReplyDeleteI adore cooking with alcohol ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think you should be my new best friend :-) Seriously fabulous recipe!
Happy Mac and Cheese Mania Day!
Jack Daniels?! Whaaaat! Love it!
ReplyDeleteA cup of whiskey in mac 'n cheese? That sounds like a dream come true...especially with the bacon.
ReplyDeleteMac n' Cheese and JD .... how could it get any better!?! Looks amazing - will definitely be trying soon!
ReplyDeleteNow this is one amazing mac! Love the combo of JD and bacon!
ReplyDeleteWOW! This is a must try! :)
ReplyDeleteYou are a total genius. This is absolutely divine.
ReplyDeleteCan't go wrong with a little JD or bacon! Yum!
ReplyDeleteI always cook with JD....once in a while I even add it to the food
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to step this comfort food recipe & enjoy on one of our cold Canada days.
ReplyDeleteGourmet Granny
My mouth is watering, I must make this!!
ReplyDeleteNot good we made this tonight doubling the recipe 2 cups of whiskey is just way to much we could not even eat it next time we will leave the whiskey out nasty
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear this recipe did not turn out for you. I would love to have you try it again with 1 cup of whiskey. Let me know how it goes. We love it. We only use 1 cup for a double batch.
DeleteOriginal recipe says 1/2 cup JD, so doubling it would only be 1 CUP not 2!
DeleteThis didn't work out for us as well. Needed a very large batch, usedan 32 Oz of pasta and 2 cups of whiskey. Everyone said the whisky was too much. Have it in the freezer to use in chili and goulash. WI'll try again with half as much alcohol.
Delete2 cups of whiskey would definitely be too much..yep, probably why if you double it should have only been 1 cup.
DeleteWow these look sooo good!...Thanks for sharing this...
ReplyDeleteSimon
the person that said they doubled the recipe and used two cups of whiskey should have read the recipe right it only calls for a half a cup in the recipe for 4 servings
ReplyDeleteYeah.. what a moron. And he put it in writing.
DeleteWas your comment really necessary? Have you never made a mistake? This site is for recipes, not sarcasm.
DeleteYeah, the comment was necessary. What a moron.
DeleteThey said they used 32 oz of pasta - which is 4 times the recipe. Which is 2 cups of JD. Perhaps you were a little hasty in calling them the moron?
DeleteIf you are gonna add more Jack than what the recipe calls for... Boil it first cool it then add to sauce mix
DeleteI can`t wait to try all of them
ReplyDeleteWill definitely try this but will add some sweetcorn and maybe broccoli. And cover with cheese and put in the oven for 20 mins to get a nice crust on top. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly! I'm adding a little chopped spinach and garlic with cheese and bread crumbs on top in the oven for a few... it happens TONIGHT! What better way to spend a dark winter night in Alaska? Oh, I know... a side of steamed asparugus and the meal paired with a nice dark beer...yummy!
DeleteI am taking this to a party- what size dish will the original recipe fit into? A 9x9, etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
This sounds so good. I'm going to make this today and put it on my smoker for a little while. Can't wait to share the results.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make this today. I'm going to smoke it on my smoker. Can't wait to share the results.
ReplyDeleteHow was it
DeleteWant to try this, but will leave out the whiskey, as no one in my home likes alcoholic beverages.
ReplyDeleteThe alchol cooks out. You wont get drunk because you used whiskey to cook with. Its for the flavor. Leaving it out will defeat the whole purpose.
DeleteHi Donna
ReplyDeleteCan you taste the whiskey in this recipe.
sounds like an awesome compliment with barbecue
ReplyDeletesounds like an awesome compliment with barbecue
ReplyDeleteI made it. It was alright. Needs to be cheesier
ReplyDeleteOk so the verdict is in..... Its alright. We both had two servings. It wasnt quite what I was expecting. The color was different then the video. Jaime doesnt think it has enough kick. For me it there was plenty of kick in the after taste. I was expecting a more Velveeta Shells and Cheese look and taste.
ReplyDeleteJust when I thought Mac and Cheese could not get any better
ReplyDeleteMade with gluten free macaroni or penne (I used quinoa based by Ancient Grains) and King Arthur's Gluten free flour blend - came out beautifully and I could eat it without getting sick! There you go for those that REALLY want Mac & Cheese but need to be G Free!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a tasty recipe idea. I am making it for my hubs this weekend. He's going to love it!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
DeleteHave everything to try to make this but can't find chili pepper paste in any of my local stores. Anyone know what I can substitute?
ReplyDeleteMade a batch 4x the size but only doubled the whiskey, still too strong. Not sure if I will actually serve it at my party. Also, not nearly as cheesy as I thought it would be, more saucy and much darker than the pic. Oh well live and learn, but I may have wasted some expensive ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI made a double batch with 1 cup of whiskey. It was way too strong. Next time I make, I'll use the 1/2 cup of whiskey and 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth.
ReplyDeleteNot a Whiskey fan but will substitute with beer.
ReplyDeleteGoing to definitely make this. However, curious if it is spicy. My lil Man not a fan of Spicy!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely delicious! A favorite of my family!
ReplyDeleteThis is a 4 Star win in the Mac n Cheese department! I have made this 9 times and each time it is fantastic! My clients love it and at farmers market it sells out every time. I converted the quantity to accommodate 3 lbs of large elbow pasta which fits in a large chafing pan..
ReplyDeleteThis sounds Divine! What a great side dish to serve when the Super Bowl rolls around.
ReplyDeleteI have never used the Chili Pepper Paste as we're not into much of the Hot & Spicy dishes so was wondering what you used or what would you suggest when it comes to the chili pepper paste?
Bacon just makes everything better!! Loved the flavor it added and made it more of a meal.
ReplyDelete❤️❤️
Tiffany
Phlanx's Marketing Specialist
Do you need to cook the pasta separately before you put it in the broth?
ReplyDeleteYes....it states that in the recipe.
DeleteWhat is chili pepper paste? Is that the same as Siracha?
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe! I made it according to your recipe and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI want to bring this camping, but would like to make it the day before and smoke it the next day. Will this work?
ReplyDeleteCan this be done with a crockpot?
ReplyDeletelove this one, thanks for sharing with us, will definitely gonna try this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing This Smoky Mac and Cheese , seems so delicious. Always eager to make something new . Thanks or sharing this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this one
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this recipe , surely gonna try this one .
ReplyDelete