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You are here: Home / Cook Something / Main Dishes / Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese

Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese

04/27/2015 by Judy 24 Comments

Whenever one of my boys comes home to visit the first thing they want me to cook is good ol’ macaroni and cheese.  This time around, my youngest has returned home for a few weeks from his travels abroad.  His request… Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese.  Now there’s a variation I can get excited about!

Bacon Jalapeño Mac and CheeseIt’s got bacon, that’s always a good thing.  It’s got jalapeños, even better.  And, of course, loaded with cheese and pasta!  What’s not to love?

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that my go-to Mac and Cheese recipe has Velveeta in it.  I know, I know, many of you might be thinking “yuck.” Or maybe not.  Maybe some of you are like, “hell yeah, bring on the Velveeta!”  Besides, I’m guessing if you’re half way interested in this recipe, you’re probably not looking for a healthy version of macaroni and cheese.  Why bother?  It’s Mac and Cheese after all! I believe a splurge every now and then is a good thing, especially when it’s shared with my gallivanting son.

Bacon Jalapeno Macaroni and CheeseI’ve been making the basic recipe for this macaroni and cheese for as long as I can remember.  It always turns out creamy, no worries about curdled or grainy cheese sauce.  I believe you can thank Velveeta for that.  It’s super simple, no roux to make.  Just heat butter, milk and cheese in a sauce pan and pour it over pasta.  If you want to get all fancy you can add bacon and jalapeño like I did this time around. Then pop it in the oven for a bit and voila, dinner is served.

This Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese is soooooooo good, I hate to admit we ate it all in two days.  Diet starts tomorrow!

Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese
 
Print
Ingredients
Basic Mac and Cheese
  • 1 16. oz. box pasta (I like to use cavatappi or penne pasta)
  • 2 Tbls. butter
  • 2 C. milk
  • 8 oz. bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese (+ more grated cheese if you want to use some on top of the casserole for a cheesy crust)
  • 4 oz. Velveeta cheese, cut up into chunks
For the add-ins
  • 1 lb. bacon, diced
  • 5 jalapeños, veins and seeds removed, sliced
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350º
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions, except cook about 2 minutes less. You want the pasta al' dente so it will soak up some sauce. Drain when cooked and set aside.
  3. Cook bacon in large saucepan. Remove from grease and let drain on paper towels.
  4. Drain grease from pan (leave about a tablespoon in the pan) and then add jalapeños and sauté a couple of minutes to soften them. CAUTION: turn on your fan! And be careful, the spice will make you cough! Remove jalapeño from pan and set aside with the bacon.
  5. In medium saucepan, melt butter, then add milk and heat.
  6. Add cheeses and continue to heat over medium heat, stirring, until cheese is melted and combined.
  7. In large casserole dish, combine pasta, cheese sauce, bacon and jalapeños.
  8. Top with additional grated cheddar cheese, if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Let sit about 5 minutes before serving.
It will look like you have too much sauce when you combine the pasta with the sauce, but if you undercooked the pasta, some of it will get absorbed, yet still be creamy.

You may need a little salt & pepper depending on your preferences.
3.3.2998

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The ultimate Macaroni and Cheese recipe.  It's got bacon and jalapeños!!!

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Filed Under: Main Dishes, Cook Something, Pasta, Pizza Tagged With: Jalapeno, Mexican, Pasta, bacon, casserole, cheese, macaroni

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Comments

  1. pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says

    04/27/2015 at 08:02

    Bacon and mac and cheese!!! And Velvetta!! Yes, yes, yes.

    Reply
  2. Christie says

    04/27/2015 at 08:12

    You have hit upon my favorite combination – cheese, bacon & jalapeno.

    Reply
  3. Kaitie @ Fuchsia Freezer says

    04/27/2015 at 09:30

    This looks amazing… and i will definitely be giving it a test in our kitchen! I love mac n’ cheese, always a last minute “What’s for dinner” staple in our house, and what makes this better is that it’s kicked up a notch! well done!

    Reply
  4. Rachael {La Fuji Mama} says

    04/27/2015 at 11:13

    I love how simple this is! Always better to keep it simple and let the heroes shine! Anytime bacon, jalapenos, and cheese are involved, I’ll be there.

    Reply
  5. Colin says

    04/27/2015 at 12:28

    Definitely beats eating baked beans out of a can every night, that’s for sure.

    Reply
    • Judy says

      04/27/2015 at 13:38

      Anything for you Colin! Come home more often I’ll cook for you more!

      Reply
  6. Stephanie @ Back for Seconds says

    04/27/2015 at 13:51

    Sounds pretty awesome to me!!

    Reply
  7. Linda @ Veganosity says

    04/27/2015 at 17:15

    Well you know that I’m not putting real bacon in my mac ‘n cheese! But I have added coconut bacon to my vegan version and yes, it’s a great flavor combo. Love the addition of jalapenos. YUM!

    Reply
    • Judy says

      04/29/2015 at 11:09

      Coconut bacon? Never heard of that before…sounds much healthier 🙂

      Reply
  8. Angela {Mind Over Batter} says

    04/27/2015 at 22:44

    Bacon is meat candy. So Mac -n- cheese with bacon and a lil’ spice is a meat candy bonus. Love this!!

    Reply
    • Judy says

      04/29/2015 at 11:08

      “meat candy” love it!

      Reply
  9. Tina says

    05/09/2015 at 15:12

    This recipe looks great! How many people will this serve?

    Reply
    • Judy says

      05/09/2015 at 15:41

      The casserole dish I used is a 2.8 liter Corningware dish and it held all of it, which was a pound of pasta (plus the goodies). It’s a normal size casserole. I didn’t measure how many cups to give you an exact amount, guess it depends on how hungry you are 🙂 My best guess would be 6-8.

      Reply
  10. Whitney @ That Square Plate says

    09/11/2015 at 23:17

    I cannot believe how delicious this looks! I may have to make this weekend! You’re son is a smart guy!!

    Reply
  11. Ashley says

    11/24/2015 at 16:55

    How many servings does this make?

    Reply
    • Judy says

      11/24/2015 at 17:11

      The casserole dish I used is a 2.8 liter Corningware dish and it held all of it, which was a pound of pasta (plus the goodies). It’s a normal size casserole. I didn’t measure how many cups to give you an exact amount, guess it depends on how hungry you are 🙂 My best guess would be 6-8.

      Reply
  12. Stacia says

    03/02/2016 at 17:09

    I couldn’t find Velveeta so I ended up using Tostito’s Medium Cheese Dip as a substitute. It worked really well. Even my very picky DD liked it.

    Reply
    • Judy says

      03/02/2016 at 17:45

      Oh wow… I never would have thought to substitute with that. Clever! Glad it worked out well for you 🙂

      Reply
  13. Rima says

    04/07/2017 at 05:59

    What kind of milk did you use?

    Reply
    • Judy says

      04/07/2017 at 06:49

      I used whole milk, but you can use what you typically drink.

      Reply
  14. Jennifer says

    07/08/2018 at 13:14

    Can you freeze this?

    Reply
    • Judy says

      07/09/2018 at 19:27

      Never tried it… I’m sure it would hold up like any other casserole with pasta.

      Reply
  15. Mac says

    12/30/2018 at 16:51

    Can I substitute the velveeta for something else?

    Reply
    • Judy says

      12/31/2018 at 08:07

      The velveeta helps make it very creamy

      Reply

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Hey there! I'm Judy, an empty nester just trying to fill up my day. I love to cook and shake up a tasty cocktail. Follow along and cook something, drink something or do something with me! Read More…

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