Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese is comfort food and an ultimate game day appetizer collided into one dish. Your game day menu just scored a win.
I love mac & cheese. It is the ultimate comfort food. I can still literally taste my favorite mac & cheese on the planet from a local restaurant here in Fort Collins. So anytime I can make mac and cheese and put a twist on it, I am all for it.
Now that it is football season, we are pulling out our game day best and of course that always includes jalapeno poppers. For my kids they are all about the nachos, my hubby the wings, and me mac & cheese. We rarely make mac and cheese for game day, but if I could have my wish it would be that way.
I decided to bring together two of my favorites into one dish hoping to win over my family and the game day menu.
I love Jen’s Million Dollar Mac & Cheese {Carlsbad Cravings} – perfection! So I took the base of that sauce and ran with it.
How can you go wrong with a creamy mac and cheese…
freshly diced jalapenos….
bacon….
more cheese & bread crumbs?
You can’t.
That’s right friends, this year rock out the football game menu with this Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese – it tastes just as amazing as it looks.
XOXO San
How do you make this delicious Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese?
Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain and rinse with cold water, set aside.
Cook bacon until crispy. Crumble and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you don’t have an oven safe pot, lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
In a large sauce pan or pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter medium-high heat.
Gradually whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally.
Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the milk, cornstarch, evaporated milk, Dijon mustard, and remaining spices.
Once everything is combined increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
Once brought to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let it simmer 4-5 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in sharp cheddar cheese until melted.
Add pasta and stir to combine, making sure all of the noodles are evenly coated.
If you are not using an oven safe pot, transfer pasta into prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle jalapenos evenly in one layer over the mac & cheese. Repeat with the bacon.
Top the bacon with the provolone cheese making sure that all of the noodles and bacon are covered.
Then top with bread crumbs.
Drizzle melted butter over bread crumbs and place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Once baked, if the bread crumbs are not a light golden brown, turn the oven to low broil and broil for a few minutes until bread crumbs are golden.
Remove from oven, let it sit for 8-10 minutes. Then serve immediately. Enjoy!
Bacon lover? Check out these other amazing posts that are all about bacon. #BaconMonth
Bacon Chocolate Chunk Blondies With Salted Chocolate Caramel from Cooking in Stilettos
Bacon & Egg Stuffed Baked Potatoes from Love Bakes Good Cakes
Bell Pepper & Bacon Cheese Ball from Bread Booze Bacon
Spicy Bacon Whiskey Soda from Nomageddon
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Grilled Tomatoes from Hey Grill, Hey
Chocolate Caramel Bacon Milkshake from Around My Family Table
Skillet Breakfast Potatoes & Bacon from Kleinworth & Co.
Bacon Potato Salad from Forking Up
Maple Bacon Cheesecake from Ashlee Marie
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Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta shells
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 6-8 slices provolone cheese
- 1 cup jalapenos diced
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
Optional topping
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain and rinse with cold water, set aside.
- Cook bacon until crispy. Crumble and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you don't have an oven safe pot, lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large sauce pan or pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter medium-high heat.
- Gradually whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the milk, cornstarch, evaporated milk, Dijon mustard, and remaining spices.
- Once everything is combined increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
- Once brought to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let it simmer 4-5 minutes or until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in sharp cheddar cheese until melted.
- Add pasta and stir to combine, making sure all of the noodles are evenly coated.
- If you are not using an oven safe pot, transfer pasta into prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle jalapenos evenly in one layer over the mac & cheese. Repeat with the bacon.
- Top the bacon with the provolone cheese making sure that all of the noodles and bacon are covered.
- Then top with bread crumbs.
- Drizzle melted butter over bread crumbs and place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Once baked, if the bread crumbs are not a light golden brown, turn the oven to low broil and broil for a few minutes until bread crumbs are golden.
- Remove from oven, let it sit for 8-10 minutes. Then serve immediately. Enjoy!
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This sounds so awesome !!! A real keeper for sure 🙂
I just want to tell you, not only do your recipe make me happy, but you are so adorable XO It is so hard to believe you are the mother of five boys WOW 🙂 I had one girl and one boy and that was enough for me 🙂
God bless your heart, you are awesome XOXO