Meat Lover’s Mac and Cheese is an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
This homemade macaroni and cheese is loaded with ground beef, bacon and pepperoni.
Printable Recipe Card with a Full List of Ingredients and Instructions is Located at the Bottom of the Post.
Be sure to read through the entire post so that you don’t miss out on any important tips and tricks!
I started by boiling my macaroni and then draining it just before it was fully cooked since it would continue cooking in the sauce later on.
While the pasta was cooking I browned some ground beef in a large frying pan along with some diced bacon.
When the meat was fully cooked I tossed in some diced pepperoni and green peppers and continued frying for a few minutes before removing the pan from the heat.
Then it was time for the sauce. I started by melting some butter in a large pot and then stirring in some flour to form a paste.
I cooked the paste for a couple minutes before adding in the cream and whisking until smooth.
At this point I seasoned the sauce and added the meat and peppers mixture to the sauce pot.
I kept aside some of the meat mixture to sprinkle on top of the mac and cheese later.
I added some water to the sauce and then stirred in the macaroni.
Once the macaroni was well coated I dumped in some grated cheddar cheese and stirred until it was all melted.
Once I had spooned the macaroni into individual bowls I sprinkled them with the meat mixture that I had kept out of the sauce.
This macaroni and cheese has a super thick, creamy sauce and is bursting with cheddar flavour.
I used a medium cheddar cheese but if you are after an even stronger flavour you could use an old cheddar.
I personally find plain mac and cheese a little boring so I love all the added flavours and texture from the three different meats and the peppers.
Try this Meat Lover’s Mac and Cheese the next time you are in need of any easy dinner recipe!
If you are looking for more easy dinner recipes check out Loaded Potato and Meatloaf Casserole, Chicken Bruschetta Casserole with Everything Bagels, Shepherd’s Pie Sliders and Cajun Chicken and Biscuits Casserole.
⇒ Click Here And Follow Me On Pinterest ⇐
Meat Lover's Mac and Cheese
Homemade macaroni and cheese loaded with ground beef, bacon and pepperoni.
Ingredients
- 2 cups macaroni
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 3/4 cup pepperoni, diced
- 1 cup green peppers, diced
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups 18% cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3 tsp roasted garlic puree
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 cups medium cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Bring large pot of water to a boil and then add in macaroni.
- Cook for 5 minutes before draining and rinsing with cold water. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan on medium-high, cook the ground beef and bacon with a dab of butter or margarine. Stir often.
- Once the beef and bacon are fully cooked, add in the pepperoni and green peppers. Continue cooking for about three minutes before removing from heat.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the flour to the melted butter and stir well to form a paste. Continue cooking for two minutes.
- Slowly pour the cream into the flour mixture while whisking. Continue whisking until no lumps remain.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic.
- Pour about 3/4 of the meat mixture into the sauce and set the remaining 1/4 aside.
- Add the water to the sauce. Stir well.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the sauce to cook for five minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the macaroni to the sauce and and stir until completely coated.
- Add the grated cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.
- Spoon into bowls and sprinkle the remaining meat mixture on top.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1765Total Fat: 146gSaturated Fat: 83gTrans Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 51gCholesterol: 484mgSodium: 2073mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 71g
This post contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Hi! My name is Erin and I have been here since 2016 sharing simple family friendly recipes that can be prepared by any home cook. Get ready to whip up delicious meals in no time!