Take comfort food to the next level with this easy and cozy Bacon Cheddar Bow Ties pasta recipe with warm noodles in a creamy, bacon-infused cheese sauce with bits of freshly cooked and crumbled bacon. A childhood favorite, grown-up style!
Bacon Cheddar Bow Ties
This Bacon Cheddar Bow Ties pasta is a total easy weeknight dinner that reminds me of grown-up style mac and cheese. Of course, with all this cheesy goodness, bacon, and warm noodles, the whole family will gobble it up, no problem.
Bacon Cheddar Bow Ties pasta features warm noodles in a homemade, gooey, creamy cheese sauce infused with bacon flavor, and even more crumbly bacon stirred in and sprinkled on top. It takes about 30 minutes to make, so it's quick, easy, and a guaranteed hit for the whole family.
Do I Have to Use Bow Tie Pasta?
Nope! You can use whatever pasta you have on hand, just make sure it's the right amount in weight (16 ounces).
Variations on Bacon Cheddar Bow Ties Pasta
A pasta dish like this is so versatile and so easy to personalize to your own taste preferences. Here are some ideas.
- Protein: You can add some additional protein here to bulk up the meal such as cooked chicken, ham, or sausage.
- Beans: I love adding beans to pasta dishes for extra fiber and protein. Any kind of beans will work, but my favorites to use for our family are black beans, red kidney beans, pinto beans, or great northern white beans.
- Spice: Add some red pepper flakes or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce, such as Tabasco to give it an extra kick.
- Veggies: Any extra veggies you have from the week will also do wonders in this pasta. Since the sauce is so cheesy, the kids won't even mind. Some of my favorites to add in are shredded carrots (sauteed until soft), broccoli, cauliflower, or zucchini.
- Cheese: With the recipe being called bacon CHEDDAR bow ties, it obviously calls for cheddar. But you can get creative with the cheese. If you stick with cheddar, you can use mild or sharp, yellow or white, or smoked or traditional. Other cheeses that would work in this pasta are smoked gouda (my favorite!), mozzarella, or Monterey or Colby Jack.
What to Serve with Bacon Cheddar Bow Ties
If you're using this recipe as your main dish, I like to pair it with a piece of crusty bread (even better if it's buttery and garlicky) and a fresh green salad or coleslaw.
If you're making it as a side dish, it goes well with any protein, including steak, chicken, pork chops, pork loin, or sausage. Then I'd just add a vegetable like a fresh salad, oven roasted asparagus, or sauteed green beans, and you've got a full meal!
More Super Easy Pasta Recipes You'll Love
- Easy Creamy Cheesy Sausage Pasta - a super simple creamy tomato pasta with Italian cheese and melty mozzarella cheese.
- Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs - this recipe is cooked completely in the slow cooker, from the meatballs to the sauce. Including the spaghetti noodles!
- Ground Beef Stroganoff - creamy classic! This quick stovetop pasta features a creamy mushroom sauce with ground beef that's hearty and satisfying.
- American Goulash - a fantastic quick and easy weeknight dinner with noodles in a tomato sauce with ground beef.
- Taco Stuffed Shells - creamy taco-seasoned filling with taco sauce on top. Top with all of your favorite toppings for a fun and tasty family dinner.
Bacon Cheddar Bow Ties Video
Bacon Cheddar Bow Ties Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces bow tie pasta
- 1 pound bacon chopped
- ½ cup flour
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 3½ cups milk
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar shredded
Instructions
- Cook pasta to package instructions. Drain. Set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, brown bacon in a large pot until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel, leaving drippings in the pot.
- Stir in flour, onion powder, ground mustard, and white pepper. Allow to heat through for about 2 minutes.
- Add milk, about ¼ cup at a time, stirring between each addition.
- Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat until sauce thickens.
- When mixture is hot and thick, begin stirring in cheese, in small increments until all cheese is combined.
- Pour cooked pasta and half the bacon into the cheese sauce and stir well to combine.
- Sprinkle the remaining bacon on top. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use freshly grated cheese to make sure it melts smoothly for a perfectly creamy sauce.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer Directions: Allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to freezer dish or bag. Freeze for up to 3-6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then heat on in a pot on the stove, adding a little more cheese if necessary.
Nutrition
UPDATE INFO: This recipe was originally published in January 2017. It was updated with new tips and video and republished in August 2023.
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Traci says
Delicious, comforting, and easy! Will make this on repeat. Thank you for sharing!!
Beth says
YUM! This stuff is so good. It was ready fast, and how can you argue with bacon AND cheese? You can't. You can't argue with it.
Dannii says
The bacon and cheddar combination in this was incredible. I will definitely be making this again.
Lima Ekram says
A lot of the sauce in the pasta dishes that I have tried dont make much of a difference to the flavor of the soup. This was just perfect! The details in the recipe was particularly helpful as it really helped me get make some great pasta the first time.
Ashley says
This is truly "grown up mac and cheese"!!! Ever since I tasted it i haven't stopped craving more of it.