Jalapeno bacon mac and cheese recipe. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite meals to make.
Nothing is better on a cold day than a bowl of creamy mac and cheese.
Jalapeno popper mac and cheese has all the flavors of spicy poppers. Yet made into a gooey mac and cheese dish.
All in all, this three cheese mac and cheese is becoming one of my favorite pastas to make.
Why You’ll Love Jalapeno Bacon Mac & Cheese
- Jalapeno bacon mac and cheese only takes 25 minutes in the oven.
- Crispy Panko bread crumbs make this baked jalapeno mac and cheese gooey in the middle and crispy on the top.
- This three cheese mac and cheese dish is versatile and can be made with your choice of block cheese.
Jalapeno Bacon Mac & Cheese Recipe
Creamy jalapeno popper mac is made with six key ingredients: Jalapenos, bacon, cream cheese, Colby jack cheese, pepper jack cheese, and elbow noodles.
Ingredients
To elevate the flavor I added a few extras….
Here is what you need.
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk
- Elbow Noodles
- Jalapenos
- Bacon
- Cream Cheese
- Colby Jack Cheese
- Pepper Jack Cheese
- Ground Mustard
- Smoked Paprika
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Olive Oil
Butter: Butter is needed to make the roux for this jalapeno bacon mac.
Flour: Equal parts flour and butter are used to make a creamy roux for this baked mac and cheese dish.
Milk: You can use full fat milk or reduced fat milk in this recipe.
Elbow noodles: Shell noodles or elbow noodles are the perfect pasta to use in this jalapeno cheddar mac.
Jalapenos: You may use fresh jalapenos or frozen jalapenos in this recipe.
Bacon. Smokey apple wood thick cut bacon is my favorite bacon to use in this jalapeno mac.
Cream Cheese. This dish wouldn’t be complete without cream cheese. It is the base of jalapeno poppers and makes this mac creamy.
Colby Jack Cheese. Use a handheld cheese grater to shred block cheese. Already shredded cheeses don’t melt as well.
Pepper Jack cheese. Pepper jack cheese adds a spicy kick to this baked mac.
Ground Mustard. Ground mustard enhances the flavor of mac and cheese and is always used in my mac and cheese recipes.
Smoked Paprika. Panko bread crumbs toasted in a pan with a small amount of smoked paprika makes the crispiest mac and cheese topping.
Black Pepper & Salt. I love to use my salt and pepper grinders. They disperse the perfect amount of seasoning!
Panko bread crumbs. Panko bread crumbs are the secret to the crispy mac and cheese topping.
Olive Oil. A small amount of olive oil is needed to coat the pan and toast Panko bread crumbs.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook bacon, shred cheese, dice jalapenos, & boil noodles.
- Wearing gloves, slice jalapenos, remove seeds and membranes and dice jalapenos into small uniform pieces.
- With a cheese grater shred block pepper jack cheese and block Colby jack cheese.
- Add water to a pot and once water is rapidly boiling. Add in noodles and cook until al dente. Noodles will finish cooking in the oven. Drain noodles, rinse, and toss with olive oil and set aside.
Make a roux and add milk and three cheeses.
- Make a roux with butter and flour and cook on med high heat. Stir in diced jalapenos and milk and cook until bubbling.
- Add cubed cream cheese and heat on med heat until cheese is melted. Stir in heavy whipping cream and half of shredded cheeses and stir until melted. Add crumbled bacon and noodles and stir until combined.
Pour mac in a pan & bake. Toast Panko bread crumbs.
- Spray baking dish with pam non stick cooking spray. Pour jalapeno popper mac and cheese into prepared baking dish.
- While mac and cheese is cooking heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add Panko bread crumbs and season with smoked paprika. Toast bread crumbs until slightly browned. Last 5 minutes of cook time top mac and cheese with bread crumbs and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
More Jalapeno Bacon Recipes to Try
Jalapeno popper cheese ball is a fun appetizer to lay out for game day.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a party without baked jalapeno poppers!
Jalapeno Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe
Jalapeno bacon mac and cheese has all the flavors found in jalapeno poppers. Yet is made into a creamy baked pasta everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow noodles
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 jalapenos, diced, or 1 cup diced jalapenos
- 8 bacon, slices
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz block Colby jack cheese, shredded
- 8 oz block pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cook bacon your preferred way, until crispy. Set aside to cool and crumble once cooled.
- Boil noodles and cook until al dente. (About 6-7 minutes) When done drain, rinse, and toss noodles with olive oil.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and shred block cheeses with a cheese grater and cut cream cheese into cubes.
- Make a roux with butter and flour. Start by melting butter on medium high heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add in diced jalapenos and milk and cook until bubbling. ( About 3-4 minutes)
- Add cream cheese and cook until melted. Stir to ensure there are no clumps and cheese is melting evenly, Stir in 1 cup heavy whipping cream and half of shredded cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Stir in elbow noodles and crumbled bacon. Pour into a greased pan and pour 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream over mac and cheese. Top with remaining shredded cheeses and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- While mac and cheese is cooking in the oven prepare Panko bread crumbs. Add olive oil to a pan and heat on medium heat. Add Panko bread crumbs and season with smoked paprika. Cook until slightly browned. ( About 1-2 minutes)
Notes
Use brick cream cheese and cut into cubes.
Use block Colby jack cheese and block pepper jack cheese.
Jalapeno bacon mac and cheese is a creamy baked pasta dish full of jalapeno popper flavor!
This three cheese mac and cheese recipe has a creamy center and a crispy top!
What Cheese Makes the Best Mac & Cheese?
The best type of cheese for mac and cheese is a brick cheese and it’s best you grate it yourself.
Grated cheese takes longer, yet has a richer taste and you get more cheese in the end. Making it ideal for people on a budget.
According to eat this not that there are some hidden ingredients in shredded cheese that really don’t sound too appealing.
Now for taste some of the best cheese to use are gruyere, havarti, and gouda.
Those three cheeses are known to be used in most restaurant mac and cheese recipes like Potbelly and Panera