bacon mac & cheese

Soul Hole Bacon Mac & Cheese

Soul Hole's Award-Winning Mac N' Cheese This heavy-duty comfort dish was a medalist in the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula's 2010 Great Mac N' Cheese Bakeoff. It was on the appetizer menu at the wonderful but alas, closed, Soul Hole restaurant in Traverse City. But you can still make this incredible bacon mac & cheese at home.

Get all four award-winning mac & cheese recipes.

Ingredients

Bacon Mac & Cheese
  • 1 pound macaroni, boiled and drained
  • ½ pound smoked cheddar
  • ½ pound cream cheese
  • ½ pound unsalted butter
  • 1  pound applewood-smoked bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
  • 1  cup rendered bacon fat
  • 2  cups heavy cream
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup granulated garlic 
Cheese Sauce
  • 1 cup cream cheese
  • 1 cup Vermont cheddar
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Splash of Louisiana Hot Sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Batter
  • Flour for dredging
  • 1 cup Schreiber Batter Mix (or use any tempura type batter and add Creole seasoning, salt and pepper to taste)
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 duck egg (or 2 chicken eggs)
  • Frying oil
  • 1 small bag crushed Cheetos

Directions

Combine all ingredients in Bacon Mac & Cheese section. Mix well distributing all ingredients evenly. Add mixture to an oiled pan and chill overnight. Add all ingredients for the cheese sauce to a thick-gage pot and heat slowly until all ingredients are melted. In a heavy skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees. Cut the mac into 2½-inch cubes and set aside. Dredge the mac cubes in straight up flour and then into the pre-mixed batter. Fry mac until golden brown, top with warm cheese sauce and crushed Cheetos.

Photo(s) by Todd Zawistowski