Jalapeño popper mac and cheese for the win! Creamy, cheesy and with a little kick of spice topped with a crunchy buttery breadcrumb layer. Grab a spoon and dig in!
Easy to make ahead and bake later.
How to cut a jalapeño pepper
Jalapeños can be tricky to dice, they have a ton of seeds in the middle and once you touch them, there is no return, but don’t shy away. I have a fool-proof way to dice jalapeños that allow you to keep the seeds intact to the stem inside of the pepper.
To do this successfully, hold the jalapeño pepper by the stem and place the point of the pepper down on the cutting board so it’s standing up. Using a sharp knife, slice down going from stem down to the point on the cutting board, working your way around the pepper. Once you’re done with this, you will have only stem with seeds attached.
Then it is time to cut the pepper into small diced pieces.
Pick the right cheese for you
One of the best parts of making homemade macaroni and cheese is being able to make it with the cheese you love. For perfectly melted cheese, I highly recommend to shred off the block. Pepper jack is a must.
A perfect classic combo would be pepper jack with sharp cheddar cheese. For a more mild mac and cheese, switch out the sharp cheddar cheese with Colby jack. To get something in the middle use a mild cheddar cheese.
Jalapeño Popper Topping
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese calls for a crunchy buttery toasted breadcrumb topping. It is a simple and delicious way to add texture to the dish.
Make Now, Bake Later
Making it now, and baking it later makes it easy to prep ahead. Follow the recipe through step 10, cover it and put it in the refrigerator.
To bake, preheat the over to 350F, add the buttery breadcrumbs and bake. Because the mac and cheese is starting out cold, you will have to bake for 45 minutes until it’s warmed through.
Another option is to freeze. To freeze complete the recipe through step 12. Store in a freezer-safe container with foil tightly closed on top. This makes the perfect freezer meal for families on the go, to surprise a new mom and dad with small batches they can reheat after they bring home a baby. Pack it up for grandma and grandpa. Everyone will love it. To reheat, defrost and bake at 350F for 45 minutes until it’s warmed through.
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz Elbow Macaroni
- 4 oz Pancetta
- 2-3 Jalapeños
- 1 Sweet Onion
- 2 TBSP Butter
- 2 TBSP Flour
- 2 cups Milk
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 4 oz Pepper Jack Cheese - shredded
- 4 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese - shredded
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 TBSP Butter
Instructions
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to the instructions on the package.16 oz Elbow Macaroni
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In an oven safe pan, over medium heat, cook the pancetta.4 oz Pancetta
- As the pancetta is browning, cut the jalapeños and onion into small diced pieces.2-3 Jalapeños, 1 Sweet Onion
- After the pancetta is browned, remove from the pan, keep the fat in the pan and add the diced jalapeños and onion - sauté until they are fragrant and soft.
- Add in the butter and flour. Stir until combined and thick.2 TBSP Butter, 2 TBSP Flour
- Over medium-low heat, pour in the milk. Whisk to combine and to get out the flour lumps. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and add to the milk. Stir to combine and to melt the cheese.4 oz Cream Cheese, 2 cups Milk
- Do not let the milk come to a boil, continue stirring over low heat until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is thick. Turn off the heat.
- Add in the cooked pasta.
- Add in the shredded cheeses. Stir until melted. Add in the cooked pancetta. Stir until everything is evenly distributed.4 oz Pepper Jack Cheese - shredded, 4 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese - shredded
- In a small bowl, add the breadcrumbs and butter. Using a fork or your fingers, mash together until combined.1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs, 1 TBSP Butter
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the mac and cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
