Baked Ravioli Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Three cheese ravioli is coated with heavenly cheese sauce, mixed with bits of crispy bacon, and baked to perfection.
5 from 3 votes
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This ravioli mac and cheese is THE ultimate comfort dinner. Three cheese ravioli is coated with heavenly cheese sauce, mixed with bits of crispy bacon, and baked to perfection. So much flavor and comfort packed into one tasty dish.

Baked Ravioli Mac and Cheese with Bacon in a white casserole dish with a spatula on top

Season of warm, comfort food is upon us. Are you as ready as I am?

My family is definitely ready. Hubs came home from work the other day and asked me to make a pasta dish. He has been doing great trying to eat healthy and he definitely misses pasta, especially one that is coated in cheese or some sort of cream sauce. For my husband, pasta makes the best comfort food. I actually always found mashed potatoes and gravy to be the best comfort food (and if it’s homemade demi-glace instead of gravy, then it is pure heaven).

Per hub’s request, I decided to throw some of his favorite things into one pasta dish. Pasta made with creamy cheese sauce and of course, bacon. Taking it to the next step, I substituted pasta for ravioli. Talk about taking mac and cheese to the next level!

Sometimes you just need to take a break from healthy eating and indulge in a comforting, cheesy, pasta dish. Did I mention cheesy? This cheese sauce is amazing. Believe me, you will want to swim in it! Use a spoon when tasting the sauce because you will want to take quite a few test tastes.

 

Baked Ravioli Mac and Cheese with Bacon in a white casserole dish with a box of stock in the background on a wood table

This mac and cheese is not lacking in flavor in any way. As a matter of fact, it is full of flavors from bacon, a combination of two cheeses, a little spice from using pepper jack cheese, and cooking ravioli in a chicken broth.

Did you know that you can add much more flavor to your rice, quinoa, and pasta dishes by cooking it in broth or stock? You should start using broth instead of water immediately if you haven’t tried it yet. It truly elevates the dishes to a new flavor level. 

I have one more tip for you before I let you go make your own ravioli mac and cheese. For best results in preparing this cheese sauce, I recommend using block cheese over already shredded cheese. Freshly grated cheese from the block melts better and results in a smoother, tastier sauce. Shredded cheese is usually mixed with corn starch and other ingredients to prevent sticking and it will be all added to the sauce with the cheese.

sprinking cheese over Ravioli Mac and Cheese with Bacon that is in a white casserole dish

Baked Ravioli Mac and Cheese with Bacon in a white casserole dish with a spatula on top

Baked Ravioli Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Three cheese ravioli is coated with heavenly cheese sauce, mixed with bits of crispy bacon, and baked to perfection.
5 from 3 votes
Print Rate
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 4-6 servings
Calories: 1139kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. raw bacon
  • 48 oz Chicken Broth to cook ravioli save some for the sauce
  • 30 oz. three cheese ravioli
  • 6 oz Chicken Broth saved from cooking ravioli for sauce
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 8 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese block
  • 6 oz. pepper jack cheese block
  • 2 oz. pepper jack cheese for topping
  • 2 Tbsp. flour +1 Tbsp. bacon grease from cooking bacon
  • Salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
  • Bring chicken broth to boil in a large pot and season with some salt. Add ravioli and cook until just done. Drain off broth but make sure to save some for the cheese sauce. Set ravioli aside.
  • Grate both cheeses and set aside. (If you'd prefer to save the broth you used to cook ravioli, you can save it in a glass jar with a lid, refrigerate it, and use it in sauces and gravies.)
  • Dice bacon into small pieces and cook in a medium pan, over medium heat, until fully cooked. You can use some of the bacon fat to make a roux for the cheese sauce. Discard remaining grease. Set aside cooked bacon pieces.
  • In a sauce pot, over medium heat, combine saved chicken broth and milk. Mix and bring to simmer.
  • Make a roux by mixing flour and bacon grease until it forms a paste. Mix the roux into the milk mixture.
  • Add both grated cheeses to the sauce pot while slowly stirring. Season with a little bit of salt but don’t overdo it because bacon will also add some saltiness to the dish. Keep slowly stirring until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
  • Mix ravioli, bacon, and cheese sauce until everything is evenly coated with sauce.
  • Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle some more cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 1139kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 73g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 206mg | Sodium: 1978mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 797IU | Calcium: 658mg | Iron: 16mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles or tag #willcookforsmiles!

spooning out Baked Ravioli Mac and Cheese with Bacon in a white casserole dish on wood table

Baked Ravioli Mac and Cheese with Bacon on a plate

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collage of 3 pictures first spooning ravioli out of white baking dish, second sprinkling cheese over ravioli, third is ravioli on a plate

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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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3 Comments

  1. Adela@Begincooking says:

    5 stars
    OMG I SEE HEAVEN WITH THIS RECIPE. BRINGS HAPPINESS TO MY SOUL

  2. Wilkins@TastyKitchenn says:

    5 stars
    I made this recipe last week as the recommendation of a friend who saw the recipe on your site. It was absolutely delicious – didn’t change a thing!

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