Broccoli Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Potato Nugget Topping

12 Reviews

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Ready In: 1 hr 30 min

“I was feeling adventurous one day and wanted to try a non ooey and gooey kind of mac and cheese. This dish bakes up to be light and airy. Good way to add some veggies for the picky eaters in your family. You can also make it lower in fat by using skim milk and low fat cheeses. If you're feeling adventurous, there are many other things you could toss in here such as ham-diced and browned, left over sliced chicken, more potato nuggets or more bacon, spinach, or other veggies hanging out in the fridge that need to be used up.” - by Cookin' Care!

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Metric US

Original recipe yields 8 servings

Directions

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the broccoli and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
Whisk together the eggs, the remaining 1 teaspoon of butter, and milk in a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and adobo seasoning. Stir in 1 cup of Cheddar cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, the broccoli mixture and half of the potato nuggets. Place macaroni into the baking dish and pour the cheese mixture over the pasta, mixing well. Top with the remaining 1 cup of Cheddar cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, bacon, and potato nuggets. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (8 total)

Calories
544 cal
27%

Fat
23.5 g
36%

Carbs
53.8 g
17%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Reviews (12)

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DesertDryad

Feb. 22, 2010

"The Casserole That Ate Manhatten! Just made this, and felt the need to warn others - this makes a TON, and will not fit into a 9 X 13 pan without very careful heaping. I think the problem is that ther..." See moree's way too much pasta. Next time, I would half the amount of pasta, and keep the seasonings the same; the overabundance of pasta weakens the flavor when made as directed, resulting in a casserole that is surprisingly bland, considering the ingredients. I couldn't taste the adobo at all, and grabbed the salt shaker after my first bite, which I never do. All that pasta made it the broccoli, tater, bacon bites hard to find, too. May try this again with suggested changes, but not sure. If I do, I'll post again."

AmberMichelle143

Oct. 9, 2009

"This turned out amazing! I did change it up a little bit and mixed all of the ingredients together in a big bowl before putting it in the casserole dish, and then topped it with more cheese and the re..." See morest of the tater tots. And I think next time I might thaw out the tater tots all the way because some of them weren't completely done, but it has SO much flavor both my husband and I loved it!"

Danielle

Dec. 21, 2010

"I used rotelle pasta, way more than 6 strips of bacon and no adobo seasoning. I added a few of my favorite spices and continued with the recipe as stated. It turned out really tasty! I did let the tat..." See moreer tots thaw a bit while i was making the pasta and bacon and still they were a bit cold after 35 minutes in the oven. I'd suggest mixing everything in a bowl before adding it to the pan and then topping with tots and cheese again. I added some fresh cut scallions to the top for a bit of texture and taste. This recipe made plenty of food for 6 people and there are still left overs!!"

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