Easy One-Pot Bacon Mac & Cheese

Camp Cooking: Recipe

Who doesn't love macaroni and cheese? Since I was a kid, I've loved this creamy, cheesy, soul-soothing concoction and I've tried my hand at a few different recipes over the years and the one I'm about to share is, hands down, my favorite!

Why? Because it's quick, easy, and can be cooked up in just one pot, making it perfect for camp cooking. 

Oh, wait. Did I mention it has a bacon in it? Bacon makes everything better and this might be a contributing factor to why my family and I love this recipe so much!

Click the image above for a PDF of the recipe that you can download. 

Ingredients

• 5 cups chicken broth or water 
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
• *1 cup grated sharp white cheddar 
• *1 cup grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese  
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated) 
• 4 oz. cream cheese 
• 1 lb. uncooked pasta (cellentani or cavatappi) 
• 1 tsp garlic salt 
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp onion powder

Directions

Add diced bacon to large pot and cook until crisp, then remove from pot and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.  

Discard excess bacon grease from the pot.  

Add pasta and broth (or water) to the pot and bring to a boil.  

Simmer vigorously for 5 minutes, stirring often. 

If not already done, grate the cheeses while the pasta cooks.  

After 5 minutes, cover pasta and simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until the pasta is al dente (soft but firm when chewed). 

If the broth (or water) cooks off too quickly, add a little more, 1 tbsp at a time as needed, to ensure the pasta has enough liquid to continue cooking.  

Most of the broth (or water) will be cooked off at this point and there should be a little extra liquid (a few tablespoons) in the pot (if not, add a little).  

Remove from heat (or turn the stove off) and add the cheeses and seasonings, stirring to combine. (Adjust seasonings to taste.)  

Crumble the bacon over the pasta and stir again to combine.  

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*These are my favorite cheeses to use, but you can use whatever cheeses you like, just make sure they will melt easily. 

Related Video & Products

Here's the video that shows me making the recipe above, starting at 14:20, and below are a few of the products that are part of our TrailRecon camp kitchen.