Bacon Cheese Baked Ziti
This weekend got cold here in Michigan. Go find your winter coat cold. Some places it snowed cold. So cold. I don’t think I’m quite ready for winter yet. I need a rebirth of summer…back to beach days, splashpad days, long evenings, flip-flops, grilling, sunshine, and ice cream cones.
But I don’t think that is coming anytime soon, so you’ll just find me hunkered down sipping peanut butter hot chocolate and eating this bacon cheese baked ziti until spring.
This recipe was inspired by the Macaroni Casserole in the 100 Days of Real Food cookbook (affiliate link). I love that cookbook and most of the recipes in it, but this time I didn’t have exactly all the ingredients, so this baked ziti just kind of evolved. And what an evolution of ooey-gooey baked goodness it was.
But this baked ziti also has a secret. It’s secret is orange, soft, and packed with yummy nutrients. Can you guess what it is? If you guessed sweet potato you would be right! The sweet potato blends right in and adds a thickness and sweetness to this dish. It’s also a great way to fool your kids into eating their vegetables.
Bacon Cheese Baked Ziti
A delicious baked ziti casserole with bacon, cheese, and secret ingredient mashed sweet potato!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup dry penne pasta, cooked according to directions
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 Teaspoon flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups bacon cheese or cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 medium sweet potato, purreed in food process with a touch of milk until smooth
- 4-6 pieces of bacon crumbles, saving half a slice for topping
- 2 Tablespoons panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. In a small saucepan melt butter. Stir in onion and garlic to melted butter and brown for a few moments. Add in flour, whisking well. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add milk. Heat milk to a boil and hold 1 minute. Reduce heat and simmer milk until it begins to thicken, approximately 5 minutes, whisking throughout. Turn off heat. Add yogurt and spices to milk. Stir in cheese and sweet potato puree until well blended and melted. Add cheese sauce and crumbled bacon to cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well coated. Pour into 8x8 pan or pie plate. Top with breadcrumbs and bacon crumbles. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Hope you get a chance to make this Bacon Cheese Baked Ziti. We still had some of our fancy bacon cheese left from our trip to Shipshewana so I used that in this recipe, but cheddar would be amazing as well.  Just add more bacon if you’re so inclined. 😉
[tweetthis]Bacon Cheese Baked Ziti–This is comfort food with a healthy twist! #yum #letseat[/tweetthis]
I must say the fall colors have exploded here in Michigan! It may be cold, but it sure is pretty! We took a cold, walk yesterday–all bundled up, of course– the trees were so pretty and striking and it felt good to be out in the crisp air.
So go for a walk in the cool fall air and then come inside and warm up with this bacon cheese baked ziti.
What’s the weather like in your neck of the woods?
What’s your favorite type of food to make when it’s cold?Â
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Yum! Looks delicious…and I love the addition of the sweet potato! Shipshewana is in my neck of the woods, so to speak. Fun place, isn’t it? Stay warm with the cool weather settling in now!
Yes! My dad grew up near there and now it’s almost exactly in between where my mom and dad live and where we live so we meet upin Shipshe fairly often (at least 4 times a year). We get delicious specialty cheese there and stock up on meat at Yoder’s Meat Market.
Looks awesome!
Thank you!!
We are JUST getting Fall type weather here in California…if mid 70’s count as Fall weather! This dish looks perfect to warm everyone up after a cold day!
Thanks girl! Today we are back in the high 60s so I’m looking forward to a nice walk and playground time with the little! The cold will be here for good soon enough!
I love recipes that sneak in vegetables. Baked Ziti? Bacon? Bring it on.
Right on! It paired nicely with a salad for a dinner and I felt good knowing there were extra veggies inside too. 🙂
The colors on the trees are so beautiful. The ziti looks pretty good, but I’m afraid it would take a lot of changing to make it vegan 🙂
Yes…definitely NOT vegan friendly. Although I did run across a adobe pepper pasta on The Pioneer Woman site the other day that sounded delightful! I’m sure there must be a yummy way to combine that spicy with the sweet potatoes. Hmmm…next recipe idea?
I love making baked ziti for get-togethers and this one looks so great! Yes, cold snap here in Chicago as well. Although today it’s back up to 70.
Yeah, we are warming back up to almost 70 thank goodness! Not quite ready for that much cold!
This looks like a serious boyfriend pleaser!
Indeed! Bacon makes most everyone happier. 😉
So you know I don’t eat bacon but my boys love it! Looks good for them
I feel like bacon is a male love language. 😉 Hope they enjoy!
This looks absolutely delicious! I’ll definitely be sharing this recipe with my husband, and pushing to add this to our meal plan very soon.
All right! I’m sure this is perfect for baby growing. 🙂
This sounds delicious! And perfect for the cooler weather coming!
You had me at bacon. I may have to make this one!
I was just thinking that I wanted to try to make a mac n cheese with sweet potatoes the other day!! I will definitely be trying this!!
Let me know if you do! The sweet potatoe puree is so easy to add to it!
My kids would love this recipe!
Mmm this sounds great!! I haven’t had baked ziti in a looong time, but I love the idea of adding sweet potato. I’m definitely going to try this out, thanks for sharing the recipe!
Yummy!! This recipe looks delicious! 🙂 Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This sounds really yummy! Bacon! I love how you incorporate the sweet potato into it to add depth to the flavor and healthy nutrients. Yum!
Looks great! I don’t eat much cheese but I know my hubby (and kids) would love this.
This looks great on a cold day!
Thank you! It is warm and comforting on a cold day.