Bacon Jalapeño Macaroni and Cheese

A spoon scooping up some mac and cheese from a skillet.

Bacon Jalapeño Macaroni and Cheese

Bacon Jalapeno Mac and Cheese features tender pasta, a homemade luscious creamy, ooey gooey cheese sauce with pops of flavorful jalapeno, smoky bacon pieces, and is topped with a simple parmesan cheese and Panko breadcrumbs crunchy topping.

Course Entrees

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon jalapeno, mac and cheese, pasta

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 560kcal

Author Wendie Williams

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta I used rotini
1/2 lb bacon I used Cherry wood smoked bacon
1-2 jalapenos diced
3 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups half n half
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
1-2 teaspoon Salt according to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper

Panko topping

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions

Cook pasta for 2 minutes under al dente. (It will cook more in the oven) strain and set aside.
In a small bowl with melted butter add Panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, and butter mix and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Chop raw bacon up into bite-size pieces. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and cook bacon until crispy and let drain on paper towels.
In the same cast-iron skillet, drain all but 3 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add butter, diced jalapeno, and cook just until soft about 1 minute. Add flour and whisk together for about 30 seconds to cook the flour a bit. Reduce heat and add half n half and whisk until all clumps are out.
Turn off heat and add shredded cheese and cooked bacon and whisk until combined. Add cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour mac n cheese into a baking dish, or leave in cast iron skillet fold in mozzarella cheese and top with Panko crumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and the sauce is bubbly!
Let set for 10-15 minutes and serve!

Notes

Any shortcut pasta will work like shells, macaroni, or penne.

You can make your own half and half by using 1/2 heavy cream and 1/2 whole milk.

It will seem like a lot of cheese sauce but it will soak into the pasta.

Nutrition