Jalapeno Bacon Mac and Cheese

Jalapeno Bacon Mac and Cheese inspired by bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers with creamy jalapeno, bacon cheese sauce coated baked macaroni.

Course lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 735kcal

Author Tristin Rieken

Ingredients

1 pound elbow macaroni
½ pound sliced bacon
2 tablespoons salted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 medium jalapenos half sliced and half diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
3 large scallions sliced, white and greens separated
16 ounces cheddar cheese
4 ounces gouda
¼ cup cream cheese
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder

Instructions

Bring a medium pan of heavily salted water to boil over high heat. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Then drain but do not rinse. Set pasta aside.
1 pound elbow macaroni
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Shred 3 cups of cheddar cheese and cube remaining cup of cheese. Shred gouda. Chop bacon into roughly ¼” pieces and cook until evenly browned in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once browned remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease
16 ounces cheddar cheese, ½ pound sliced bacon
Add butter to bacon grease in pan and melt over medium low heat. Add jalapenos, scallion whites and chopped garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, over medium low heat until flour is lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Then increase heat to medium and slowly whisk in milk. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick. Then remove from heat and stir in Dijon mustard, cream cheese, gouda and half the shredded cheddar cheese and season with nutmeg and cayenne.
2 tablespoons salted butter, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 3 cups whole milk, 2 medium jalapenos, 2 cloves garlic, 3 large scallions, 4 ounces gouda, ¼ cup cream cheese, ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Toss drained, but not rinsed, al dente macaroni in the jalapeno cheddar cheese sauce with scallion greens and most of the sliced bacon bits, reserving a handful of bacon for garnish. Stir in cubed cheddar cheese. And season to taste with salt and pepper.
¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Then pour mixture evenly into a buttered shallow baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheesy topping is browned and cheese sauce is bubbling up around the macaroni, about 30 minutes. Add reserved bacon bits and cream cheese stuffed halved jalapenos, if desired, during the last 15 minutes..
Remove and cool slightly before serving. Adding additional fresh sliced jalapenos if desired for extra spice.

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