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Boxed mac and cheese is a classic. It’s quick, creamy, gooey, and appetizing, and while it’s great on its own, this dish can always benefit from a twist when you’re feeling particularly fancy. The gourmet ingredient in mind — bacon bits. These gorgeously fatty little bundles add a crunchy lift to the bland mac, perfectly complementing the soft noodles. Flavor-wise, the pork product guarantees a smokiness and saltiness that’s unparalleled.
Before grabbing any old bacon bits, opt for the most delicious choice: Grab a pack, cook the strips, then crumble or chop them to your desired size. Larger pieces provide a heartier feel, allowing you to pick up a piece of bacon separately from a noodle for a distinct bite. In contrast, a fine crumble offers a delicate texture with more flavor, coating the noodles with a dusting of savoriness.
There are many ways to cook your bacon strips for success. You can fold your bacon to achieve the best ratio of chewy-to-crispy bites, or you can follow Snoop Dogg’s tip for making the crispiest, curliest bacon possible. Both methods help create crunchy pieces (from top to bottom), perfect for topping cheesy noodles.
Alternatives to pork bacon for your mac and cheese
If you want to eliminate the extra work of cooking raw bacon, you can always purchase pre-made bacon bits or pieces — we like the ones from Oscar Mayer — which are often shelf-stable. Just keep in mind that this type will deliver the same flavor, but texturally, it will be soggier than a freshly made slice. For those who don’t eat pork products, consider swapping in cooked, crumbled turkey bacon. This poultry-focused variety packs just as much salty taste and savory crunch as the traditional version.
If you’re looking to avoid meat, you can still achieve a delicious, savory crunch in your mac and cheese! For a quick addition, imitation bacon pieces (often labeled as “Bac’n”), made from soy flour, canola oil, and flavoring agents, can work in a pinch, though they might sometimes lack a truly robust, smoky flavor. However, for a more pronounced meaty taste, or for those who are vegetarian, plant-based bacon brands are a great option. Often, they taste much closer to the “real deal” than the manufactured “Bac’n” bits, and many even feature realistic fatty and lean marbling, creating a texture similar to pork bacon that’s ideal for crumbling over a steaming bowl of your favorite boxed macaroni and cheese.
