Description
Indulge in a spicy and creamy twist on classic mac and cheese with this Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese recipe. Loaded with jalapeños, bacon, and a blend of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, this dish is sure to please any crowd.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta:
- 16 oz elbow macaroni cooked (or other tubular pasta)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Cheese Sauce:
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 jalapeños seeded, membranes removed, and diced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
- 2 tsp TABASCO® Sauce
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 12 oz bacon cooked and crumbled
Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Cook Pasta: Cook pasta until almost al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Prepare Cheese Sauce: Heat butter, cook jalapeños, whisk in flour, add milk and cream, then cheeses until thick.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Stir in pasta until coated with cheese sauce.
- Layer and Bake: Layer mac and cheese in baking dish, top with cheese, bacon, and panko mixture. Bake until golden brown.
- Serve: Top with remaining bacon and jalapeño slices if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- For an extra kick, leave some jalapeño seeds for added heat.
- Adjust TABASCO® Sauce to suit your spice preference.
- Feel free to customize with additional toppings like diced tomatoes or green onions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
