Macaroni Cheese with Bacon
A white sauce, a block of cheese, and no jar required.
Serves 4 45 min 36g proteinKid-friendly
PorkPastaBakeAmericanBudget
Plan it this weekIngredients
- Macaroni400 g
- Bacon rashers200 g
- Milk700 ml
- Butter50 g
- Plain flour50 g
- Grated tasty cheese200 g
- Brown onion100 g
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C and cook the macaroni 2 minutes short of al dente. Drain.
- Cook the chopped bacon and diced onion in a dry saucepan until the bacon crisps, then set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk.
- Cook until thickened, then stir in three quarters of the cheese and season well.
- Fold through the pasta and bacon, tip into a dish, top with the remaining cheese, and bake for 20 minutes.
Cooking for a different diet?
Swaps that keep this dish what it is. The prices on this page are for the recipe as written.
Pescatarian
Macaroni Cheese
- Leave out the Bacon rashers
Soften the onion in the butter for 5 minutes before stirring in the flour.
Vegetarian
Macaroni Cheese
- Leave out the Bacon rashers
Soften the onion in the butter for 5 minutes before stirring in the flour.
Gluten-free
Gluten-Free Macaroni Cheese with Bacon
- 400 g Gluten-free macaroni instead of Macaroni
- 50 g Gluten-free plain flour instead of Plain flour
Cook the gluten-free macaroni 3 minutes short of its packet time, as it softens further in the oven.
Swaps are suggestions — check labels if you are cooking for an allergy.
What it costs, and where to buy it
Shops to compare
List price at each shop
Missing items
These totals leave part of the list out, so a lower one isn't a cheaper shop.
Sainsbury'sBest choice· £1.97 of food
£6.09
68% spare
No price at Sainsbury's for:
- Grated tasty cheese
Morrisons· £2.01 of food · £0.04 more
£6.69
70% spare
No price at Morrisons for:
- Grated tasty cheese
Tesco· £3.01 of food · £1.04 more
£7.79
61% spare
No price at Tesco for:
- Grated tasty cheese
Aldi UK· £3.36 of food · £1.39 more
£7.33
54% spare
No price at Aldi UK for:
- Grated tasty cheese
Asda· £1.48 of food
£5.80
74% spare
No price at Asda for:
- Macaroni
- Grated tasty cheese
£0.49a serve
from £0.49 a serve at Sainsbury's · 6 of 7 ingredients priced
About £1.97 of ingredients used for 4 serves.
£7.18 across 4 shops · 6 of 7 items priced · £1.79 more for bigger packs, 74% spare for later
Sainsbury'sBest choice£1.97
missing 1 item
you'll pay £6.09 · 68% of it spare
Morrisons£2.01
missing 1 item · £0.04 more
you'll pay £6.69 · 70% of it spare
Tesco£3.01
missing 1 item · £1.04 more
you'll pay £7.79 · 61% of it spare
Aldi UK£3.36
missing 1 item · £1.39 more
you'll pay £7.33 · 54% of it spare
Asda£1.48
missing 2 items
you'll pay £5.80 · 74% of it spare
Buy at Tesco£1.89
Macaroni
£1.19/kg
need 400 gTesco Standard 1 kg£1.19closest match
Tesco£1.19/kg£1.19·Aldi UK£0.69·Sainsbury's£1.38/kg£0.69·Morrisons£0.72·AsdaN/A·
OcadoN/A
Plain flour
£0.47/kg
need 50 gStandard 1.5 kg£0.70closest match
Tesco£0.47/kg£0.70·Sainsbury's£0.90/kg£0.45·Morrisons£0.53·Aldi UK£0.70·Asda£0.47/kg£0.70·OcadoN/A
Buy at Aldi UK£3.50
Milk
£0.73/L
need 700 mlCowbelle Whole Milk 3.6% Fat 2.27 L£1.65closest match
Aldi UK£0.73/L£1.65·Tesco£0.73/L£1.65·Sainsbury's£0.73/L£1.65·Asda£0.73/L£1.65·Morrisons£1.65·OcadoN/A
Butter
£7.40/kg
need 50 gCowbelle British Salted Butter 250 g£1.85closest match
Aldi UK£7.40/kg£1.85·Sainsbury's£7.50/kg£1.50·Asda£7.50/kg£1.50·Tesco£7.40/kg£1.85·Morrisons£1.85·OcadoN/A
Buy at Sainsbury's£0.80
Brown onion
£0.80/kg
need 100 gSainsbury's Onions 1 kg£0.80closest match
Sainsbury's£0.80/kg£0.80·Tesco£0.95/kg£0.11·Aldi UK£0.95·Asda~£1.68/kg£0.95·Morrisons£0.95·OcadoN/A
Buy at Morrisons£0.99
Bacon rashers
£0.99
need 200 gMorrisons Savers Cooking Bacon 500 gclosest match
Morrisons£0.99·Sainsbury's£2.00/kg£1.00·Asda£2.00/kg£1.00·Aldi UK£4.97/kg£1.49·Tesco£7.63/kg£2.29·OcadoN/A
Not priced
- Grated tasty cheese · 200 g