Read below for a super fast and easy weeknight dinner idea, our cheesy pasta with bacon and peas!

I think pretty much all parents are always looking for easy weeknight dinners. Even if it’s summer, the kids might be out of school, but us parents are still hard at work. So, we still need simple meal options on weeknights! Regardless of wether you work and commute, work from home, or stay home with children, weeknight dinners just aren’t easy to get on the table. Time is a precious commodity and we have better things to do than while away what little free time we have during the week in the kitchen.

So, when I say I have a great week night dinner recipe for you I mean it. This Cheesy Pasta with Bacon and Peas was a hit with all of us, kids and parents alike, and it’s truly fast enough to throw together on a busy week night!

Cheesy Pasta with Bacon and Peas

We all know that both pasta and cheese tend to be a hit with kids. So ,why not turn up the volume a notch? I recently made this dish with a delicious, easy cheese sauce and used the bacon and peas I had on hand to add to it. And now that I know it’s been well received, my creative juices are flowing! Other than this Cheesy Pasta with Bacon and Peas version, I now have visions of adding other veggies such as broccoli and carrots.

For more grown up flavor, I’m thinking of a version that includes onion and mushroom would hit the spot. And for more protein, grilled chicken would be a cinch to include. But for now, I’ll just take this creamy deliciousness that I whipped up with a glass of crisp white wine! I love it when a meal works just as well for the kids as it does for us ‘rents!

Easy Cheesy Pasta with Bacon and Peas Recipe

Ingredients:

1 12oz box of your favorite pasta shape
2 cups of milk
1 tbsp. butter
8 ounces Velveeta cubed (1/2 a standard size box)
16 ounces of shredded cheese, I used sharp cheddar
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
5 pieces of cooked and chopped bacon (for week night ease, I usually make bacon on Sunday morning and then save what I need cooked in the fridge for later. Otherwise you can cook while you are making the pasta.)
1 cup of frozen peas

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.
2. Over medium heat, add the milk and butter and stir until melted.
3. Next remove from heat and add the cubed Velveeta and stir until melted. Then add the shredded cheese, garlic salt and pepper and stir until melted.
4. Add the chopped bacon and peas and mix in.
5. Serve warm and enjoy!

If you have any variation ideas for this meal, I would love to hear them! I can’t wait to try it again in a new way for my family! That’s what’s so great about the base of this dish. There are so many different ways you can take it! 

Yield: 6

Easy Cheesy Pasta with Bacon and Peas

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This easy cheesy pasta with bacon and peas recipe make for a fast and easy weeknight dinner that kids and their parents will love!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 12oz box of your favorite pasta shape
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 8 ounces Velveeta cubed (1/2 a standard size box)
• 16 ounces of shredded cheese, I used sharp cheddar
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 5 pieces of cooked and chopped bacon (for week night ease, I usually make bacon on Sunday morning and then save what I need cooked in the fridge for later. Otherwise you can cook while you are making the pasta.)
• 1 cup of frozen peas

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.
2. Over medium heat, add the milk and butter and stir until melted.
3. Next remove from heat and add the cubed Velveeta and stir until melted. Then add the shredded cheese, garlic salt and pepper and stir until melted.
4. Add the chopped bacon and peas and mix in.
5. Serve warm and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 644Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 1422mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 35g

More Easy Dinner Inspiration

You may also like:

• one pot beef dinner
• baked ravioli
• meatball casserole

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