I’m so excited to share this delicious new recipe with y’all today! My little boy’s most favorite thing in the whole world in macaroni and cheese. He would eat it three meals a day if we’d let him. When brainstorming about this recipe I knew I wanted to make it hearty enough for a meal, so I added the chicken. And well, I added the bacon, because… well, I just love bacon.
You could certainly add some blanched veggies like carrots or peas if you’d like too, but I kept it simple for those little ones out there who are anti-veggie. The truth is, this Mac and Cheese Soup is perfect for kids, but it’s dang delicious too, so you adults will like it also. It’s perfect for a cool fall evening and is certainly a new hit at our house!
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked to crispy then crumbled
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni in salted water according to the package directions, drain well and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the half and half and broth, whisking constantly. Stir in the cheddar cheese soup, ground mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Once thickened, whisk in the cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted. Add in the cooked chicken, chopped bacon, and cooked macaroni. Stir until combined and cook until heated through. Feel free to add more broth, half and half, or even some leftover pasta water if the soup gets too thick. Serve immediately.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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What can be used instead of cheddar soup? I’m in Aus and we don’t have that here
Hmmm… do you happen to have cream of chicken?
We do but it’s not very nice tasting
In that case, I think you could just omit this ingredient from the recipe entirely.
Can this be made in the crockpot? If so what would I do differently?
I’m just not sure the sauce would hold up to the slow, moist heat of a slow cooker.
Just made this! Thank you for posting and I am happy I came across this recipe. Very yummy!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Has anyone tried this in a crockpot? Attending an event, where soups must be served 3 hours after arriving… The would be a hit! What adjustments would you make?
Slow cookers vary so much, I’d be very cautious about it scorching.
This looks fantastic! I know it would be a hit in my house. Do you have any ideas for a substitute for the cheddar cheese soup that would work? We are gluten free and it’s easy enough to substitute for the noodles and flour, but I’m stuck on the soup….Thanks!
Hi was just wondering what is half and half
From Wikipedia: “Half and half (known as “half cream” in the United Kingdom) almost always refers to a light cream typically used in coffee. The name refers to the liquid’s content of half milk and half cream. Its butterfat content is 12.5%.” Hope that helps!
My daughter who is 8 months pregnant is craving all kinds of soups, will be making this for her when I head to Tampa to be with them.
I hope y’all will enjoy it!
This looks amazing! Is the consistency more mac & cheese than soup? I would love it just as mac & cheese.
It’s not watery soup. It’s kind of thick and hearty.
Yes sir, this one is a keeper! I can’t wait to make it for my boys.
Thanks Stacey.
I hope you’ll enjoy!
Looks yummy… if you say bacon and cheese in the same sentence my g’kids will eat it !! I used to put cooked & pureed (creamed ) cauliflower in theirs…lol….with the cheese and bacon, they never even noticed it.
I can’t wait to make this…so creamy looking
Thanks
Enjoy!
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try this. You can’t go wrong with chicken, bacon, AND mac & cheese! *pinned*
Thanks, Stephanie!