Jalapeño Bacon Mac and Cheese
Smoky, indulgent, and creamy with a little tingle of heat… How could your macaroni and cheese be any more delicious?
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Baking dish at least 9in x 13in that can hold about 4qt
- Pasta strainer
- Steep stock or pasta pot
- Small bowl
- (optional) Tin foil
- Whisk (if the stock pot has a non-stick coating like teflon, then you can use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula)
- Cheese grater
Ingredients
- 16 oz of elbow pasta or really any pasta you want*
- Approximately 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 6 tbsp of unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp of melted butter microwave 10 seconds at a time and mix in-between cycles
- 1/3 cup of flour
- 1 cup of heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups of whole milk
- At least 6 tablespoons of Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika to taste
- 2 tbsp parsley dried or fresh
- 12 ounces of cooked bacon I prefer it crispy, but cook how you like
- 1 or 2 diced jalapeños depending how spicy you want it to be
- 1 1/2 cups of Panko bread crumbs*
- 6 cups of any cheese and amounts of your choice. Mix the cheeses together and measure them out in 2 cup increments before you start. I used:
- 2 cups of smoked gruyere
- 2 cups of colby jack
- 2 cups of mild cheddar
- optional Shredded parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use 1 tbsp of olive oil to grease the baking dish on the bottom and sides.
- Stir approximately 6 tbsp of salt into water in the stock pot and cook the pasta until al dente. The pasta instructions should indicate how long to boil. Drain the water and leave the pasta in the strainer to cool. *See notes if you are using cauliflower instead of pasta
- Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over the pasta in the strainer and use a spoon to coat the pasta. Allow to cool while you prepare the cheese sauce.
- If you choose to use cauliflower, this step is optional.
- Chop up your cooked bacon into pieces. As large or small as you’d like and set aside.
- Using the same stock pot, melt 6 tbsp of unsalted butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until the mixture is golden colored and has a few bubbles on the top.
- Slowly pour in the milk and cream while stirring the mixture in the pot. Whisk for about 2 minutes or until there are bubbles on the top again. Sprinkle and mix as much salt and pepper as you want.
- Add 2 cups of your cheese mix to the pot and whisk until the cheese is melted into the mixture. Add another 2 cups of cheese and repeat. When all the cheese is melted and the mixture is thick and smooth, then the cheese sauce is done.
- Pour the pasta into the stock pot with the cheese sauce and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce. Add the chopped bacon, diced jalapeños, and parsley and mix to combine.
- Pour about half of the Mac and cheese mix into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle half of the remaining 2 cups of cheese on top. Pour the rest of the Mac and cheese mix on top, and top it off with the rest of the cheese mix.
- In a small bowl mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese (if desired), paprika, and melted butter until it looks crumbled. Pour the breadcrumb mixture on top and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Notes
*You can replace the pasta with cauliflower. Use a large full head of cauliflower and cut them into bite sized pieces. For cooking the cauliflower, you can boil, steam, or even oven roast the cauliflower. Typically, I steam or boil because it’s faster.
*You can make your own breadcrumbs if you prefer.
Pro Tip: Check the Mac and cheese every 5 - 10 minutes. If you notice the breadcrumbs getting too dark, then cover the dish lightly in tin foil and place back in the oven. You want air to be able to reach the Mac and cheese in the dish.