I love spicy food. I also like gourmet Mac & Cheese dishes. So why wouldn’t I like this Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese recipe?
What I really like about this recipe is that you can easily control the heat by modifying the number of jalapeños you add. Want less spicy, fewer jalapeños. Want more heat, add more jalapeños! That simple.
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This Mac & Cheese is packed with flavor and a sidekick of heat! If you don’t like spicy food, you can completely omit the jalapeños. I’ve never made it without the jalapeños but I’m sure it would turn out great. Only thing is you will be missing out for sure!
Tips
- While you can pretty much use any brand of cream cheese, I highly recommend you use Philadelphia brand cream cheese. You will taste the difference.
If you’ve ever wondered what part of the pig Bacon comes from check out the picture below. Surprised?
How to Make Bacon
If you struggle to make bacon perfectly, I’ve put together a short tutorial on How to Make Perfect Bacon – 3 Ways. Check it out! My preferred method is baking it in the oven.
Bacon Grease Tip
And don’t throw away that bacon grease! Bacon is expensive and the grease is great for making Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Cheese, Popcorn and even hash browns. It can keep up to 3 months if properly stored in the refrigerator.
For more of my great Macaroni & Cheese recipes, make sure you check out my collection of Gourmet Mac & Cheese Recipes. Some of my favorites are my Mexican Taco Mac & Cheese, my Easy Baked Mac and Cheese, my Low and Slow Mac & Cheese and my Whiskey Macaroni and Cheese.
How Hot Are the Peppers
The Scoville Scale is the measurement that tells you the spiciness of a given type of pepper.
| Pepper Type | Scoville Rating (Heat) |
|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 0-0 |
| Banana Pepper | 0-500 |
| Poblano Pepper | 1000-1500 |
| Jalapeño Pepper | 2500-8000 |
| Serrano Peppers | 10,000-25,000 |
| Manzano Pepper | 12,000-30,000 |
| Tabasco & Cayenne | 30,000-50,000 |
| Habanero Pepper | 100,000-300,000 |
| Ghost Pepper | 855,000-1,000,000 |
| Carolina Reaper | 1,500,000-2,300,000 |
What is Al Dente
When making Mac and Cheese, it’s important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure the best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term “al dente”, it means cooking the pasta so it’s still chewy and form and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Vegetable Oil – You can also use Olive Oil or Canola Oil
- Yellow Onion – Sweet Brown Onion would also work
- Jalapeños – Make sure you get all the seeds out. Nobody wants seeds in their Mac & Cheese
- Garlic Cloves – Adjust quantity to taste
- Macaroni – You can use whatever kind of macaroni you want for this recipe
- Milk – I use Fat-Free milk
- Cream Cheese – I prefer to use Philadelphia brand cream cheese (no affiliation)
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – You can substitute for mild or medium cheddar cheese
- Bacon – Save time and use pre-cooked bacon
- Soda Crackers – You can use panko breadcrumbs instead of crackers
- Salt & Pepper – to taste
How to Make Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese
- Place oil, onion, jalapeños, and garlic into a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add your macaroni noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Place the milk and cheese into the skillet and whisk until the cheese has melted approximately 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix your macaroni noodles into your sauce until well combined.
- Add the crushed crackers and bacon pieces on top. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- ½ Cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 Fresh Jalapeño, seeded & diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 16 oz Elbow Macaroni
- 2 Cups Milk
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 Pkg Bacon, cooked and diced
- 1 Sleeve Soda Crackers, finely crushed
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place oil, onion, jalapeños, and garlic into a large skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add your macaroni noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Place the milk and cheese into the skillet and whisk until the cheese has melted, approximately 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix your macaroni noodles into your sauce until well combined. Add half of the bacon.
- Add the crushed crackers and the remaining bacon pieces on top. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Notes
Changed it up a bit by using 1 Carolina Reaper and 1 White Ghost pepper on a tripple batch and rottili pasta. Also did a 1/3 heavy cream 2/3 milk. and my own blend of seasoning. This is for a church diner LOL.
My family loved this Mac and cheese.