Creamy, dreamy macaroni and cheese made with two kinds of cheddar cheese and loaded with sour cream, chives, bacon, and green onions – just like your favorite potato skins.
A few months ago I was invited to participate in Mac and Cheese Mania.
Yes, you read that correctly. Mac and cheese. MANIA.
If you think I didn’t immediately sign up, then you don’t know me very well.
Unfortunately, I also promptly forgot about Mac and Cheese Mania until just a couple of weeks ago, when our hosts – Rachel and Brandy – were kind enough to email us a little reminder.
Suddenly, I found myself full of panic. What in the world would I make? What mac and cheese would be good enough for Mac and Cheese Mania?
In my panic, I turned to Boyfriend, looking for suggestions.
“Potato skin mac and cheese.” <– Perhaps the 5 most beautiful words to ever leave his lips. The man is a genius.
And so, this Potato Skin Mac and Cheese was born. Creamy and dreamy, this recipe uses two kinds of cheddar (a sharp white cheddar and a milder yellow cheddar cheese) in a cheese sauce flavored with chives, bacon, and a hint of sour cream. The whole cheesy shebang is loaded into individual ramekins (because who wants to share?) and topped with even more sharp white cheddar, crumbled bacon, and green onions. Just like your favorite potato skins.
Excuse me, I need to go shed some tears of joy.
As if mac and cheese pretending to be potato skins wasn’t enough, there is even more goodness involved in Mac and Cheese Mania! When you head over to Rachel or Brandy’s posts, you can link up your favorite mac and cheese recipe for a chance to win some great prizes, including Door to Door Organics Gift Cards, OXO Gift Baskets, Zak Designs Prize Pack, a year’s supply of Cabot cheese, a Vermont Creamery gift basket, and much more. Holy prizes, Batman! And no worries – you don’t have to be a blogger to link up and enter. (All giveaways open to US residents over the age of 18 only.)
Make sure to read after my Potato Skin Mac and Cheese recipe to see what all of the other bloggers cooked up for the event! There are dozens of great recipes here…I’m going to be dreaming of mac and cheese for weeks.
A special thank-you to our Mac and Cheese Mania sponsors, Door to Door Organics and OXO.
Potato Skin Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 egg
- heaping 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese + 3 tablespoons for topping
- 1 cup shredded mild yellow cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
- 6 ounces applewood smoked bacon cooked and crumbled
- Salt and pepper
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 4 8-ounce ramekins. Set aside.
- Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk, cooking for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Cook, still whisking, until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat to low.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg and the sour cream. Add in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture, whisking to combine. Add another 1/4 cup of the milk to the egg mixture, then pour the egg mixture back into the pot of the milk mixture. Whisk to combine, then add in the cheeses, chives, and half of the crumbled bacon. Mix to melt the cheese, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the cooked macaroni. Divide into the prepared ramekins. Top with the reserved white cheddar and bacon. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted, bacon is crisp, and the whole thing is bubbly and delicious.
- Serve immediately with chopped green onions.
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This is such a great idea – bet you could change it up with your favourite potato skin toppings too!
Absolutely! Something a little spicy? A little avocado? The sky’s the limit!
Oh. My. Lanta! I love baked mac and cheese! This brings me back to the days of late-night baked mac n cheese with my former roommates, when we’d make a ginormous casserole dish and have mac for daaaaays and days! I LOVE the idea of fully loading this recipe with sour cream, chives and bacon! You’re definitely on to something, my dear…and that something is fan freaking tastic.!! 😉
Late-night mac and cheese is the BEST mac and cheese. It’s a proven fact that I definitely didn’t just make up.
Love the bacon twist. Thanks for sharing!
Such a great idea! Yum yum yum, I can’t wait to try this!
Lol. When Rachel sent me the initial message, I didn’t even hesitate either. I mean, come on! Mac and cheese. Paleeeze. Absolutely love your dish. LOVE. This might be the only way I get my kids to eat potatoes.
Dude….you have a keeper right there. GENIUS! OMG this mac n cheese looks soooooo gooooood, whyyyy isn’t it in front of me RIGHT NOW??! aghhhhj
This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making again and again, and you know that’s a big deal for a food blogger. 😉
Don’t mind me – I’m just drying off my laptop screen from where I scooby doo licked it! YUM!
You can’t go wrong with potato skins and turning it into a mac and cheese! Brilliant!
Happy Mac and Cheese Day!
I laughed out loud when I read your comment! Next time my boyfriend asks why my computer screen is so filthy, I’ll just tell him it’s my blogger friends’ faults for making me scooby doo lick my screen from their gorgeous recipes. 😉
Ohhhh yum! This sounds absolutely incredible Stephie!! Freaking delicious. Funnily, I was searching for potatoes in the ingredients for ages before realizing that this is LIKE potato skin filling, not actually a recipe for mac n’cheese IN potato skins. Though, after some consideration I think I’ll be making your recipe and piling it into a potato. Just to, uh, gild the lily. Carbs plus carbs + 2 types of cheese + bacon + sour cream? Heaven! xx
YES. Do that. All the carbs! Be my hero.
Ohmigosh, I need this! Mac and cheese is my Kryptonite… and the bacon– ahhhhh! Well done, lady!
I seriously cannot say no to mac and cheese of any type. Kryptonite indeed!
I want to eat this every day. Starting today.
Thanks for helping us kick off Mac and Cheese Mania!!!
What a brilliant idea! This is the ultimate comfort food!
I love potato skins, I haven’t had them in forever! What a great idea for mac n’ cheese!
I totally forget about them! I definitely need to make them (or this) more often.
Sometimes those boys we keep around really do come in handy! stroke of mac and cheese genius!
It’s how he earns his keep. 😉
Yeah. I need to make this, like, yesterday. Your boyfriend is brilliant!
Now to not let it get to his head…. 😉
I love that you made these in individual ramekins. Genius!
Love when the boys have great ideas and inspiration. Definitely a keeper that one.
And this mac n cheese, also a keeper, but the bowl would empty. Yummy in my tummy.
Couldn’t agree more on both counts!
I definitely DO NOT want to share! Can I have both ramekins? 😉
This looks and sounds divine! You really can’t go wrong with a loaded mac and cheese!. I wish I can grab and devour that ramekin from my computer screen. 🙂
Oh my! This potato skin-mac and cheese was delicious – and so easy to make! Will have to try this for my family. Thanks so much!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Every day, I want to eat this. Today’s start.