Air Fryer Mac and Cheese with Bacon

I made this air fryer mac 'n' cheese to go with my leftover smoked pot roast! It is now the only way I'm making mac 'n' cheese. This makes about 4 servings and it was so good!

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 465 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ¼ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 2 ½ cups elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon crumbled cooked bacon
• ¼ grated Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat an air fryer to 390 degrees F (195 degrees C).

Step 2

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until almost firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Drain.

Step 3

Meanwhile, melt bacon grease in a small cast iron skillet that fits in your air fryer over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir flour into the hot bacon grease until golden brown, making a roux. Slowly whisk in milk and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in bacon and Italian herbs. Mix in Cheddar, Parmesan, Colby-Monterey Jack, and ricotta cheeses, and season with salt and pepper. Stir until cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.

Step 5

Fold pasta into the cheese sauce and top with bread crumbs. Spritz with olive oil and pat down to minimize fly-away crumbs.

Step 6

Air-fry until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling up at the edge of the skillet, about 15 minutes.