Jalapeño Bacon Mac & Cheese is rich, creamy, and a major Mac and Cheese upgrade! Easily make the indulgent, creamy cheese sauce on the stove before folding in the pasta, bacon, and jalapeños. Finally top with Panko Breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for the best baked Mac and cheese recipe!

Why I Love This Recipe

Jalapeño Popper Inspired - The flavors of the crowd pleasing party appetizer in Mac and cheese form!
Oven Baked - Top the creamy Mac and Cheese with Panko breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for a crispy topping.
Super Creamy - This Mac & Cheese is super rich and creamy.
Customizable Spice Level - To make the spice more mild, just remove the whites and seeds from the jalapeño peppers.

Ingredients You'll Need for Jalapeño Bacon Mac & Cheese:

Only easy to find ingredients are needed to make this baked Bacon Mac and Cheese:

Bacon - You can use classic or thick cut bacon. You'll cook the bacon and chop or crumble it up to stir into the Mac & Cheese.
Jalapeño Peppers - You can remove the whites and seeds to lower the spice level. I like to buy an extra pepper to two to top the Mac & Cheese with slices for a garnish.
Cheese - I used White Cheddar (also try this White Cheddar Mac and Cheese!) and Pepper Jack Cheese. I highly recommend shredding it yourself as it melts better than pre-shredded.
Milk - I used whole milk, but you could use 2% or nonfat milk as well for a less rich result.
Butter - The butter is used both to make the cheese sauce and melted with the Panko topping.
Flour - Flour is used to make the roux which helps thicken the cheese sauce.
Elbow Macaroni Noodles
Spices - Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Salt, and Pepper
Panko Breadcrumbs - To use for the crispy topping, but you could use regular breadcrumbs as well.

How To Make Baked Jalapeño Mac & Cheese

Cook and Crumble Bacon - This can easily be done in advance. I like to reserve the bacon fat to add to the cheese sauce, but this is optional.
Make Cheese Sauce - In a large pot, start by making a roux by melting the butter and whisking in the flour and cooking until the flour is fully absorbed. Slowly whisk in the milk to make the sauce - by slowly adding the milk it will thicken quicker as it needs to slightly simmer and bubble to thicken. Add the cheeses (I like to reserve some of the shredded cheese to sprinkle on top) and spices. Once melted, fold in the bacon and jalapeños (reserving a couple of tablespoons for the topping).
Cook Pasta - While you're making the cheese sauce, cook the pasta until almost al dente. Be careful not to overcook. Drain the noodles (don't rinse) and fold into the cheese sauce.
Assemble Mac & Cheese - Grease a large 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and pour in the Mac and cheese. Mix together the melted butter and Panko Breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Top the Mac and cheese with the reserved cheese, bacon, jalapeño and sprinkle with the Panko.
Bake Mac & Cheese - Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top is golden.

Recipe Notes and Tips:

Spice Level - As written, this recipe is a mild-moderate spice level. If you want it less spicy, you can cut back on the jalapeños. But if you want it spicier you can leave some of the seeds in the peppers.
Make Ahead Friendly - To cut down on time the day of, you can shred the cheese, cook/chop the bacon, and dice the jalapeños in advance. You can also fully assemble the Mac and cheese in its baking dish and pop in the fridge up to two days before baking. If you do this, I recommend letting the cheese sauce cool down slightly before folding in the pasta - this way the pasta won't continue to cook. When the oven is preheating, pull the dish out of the fridge so it can warm up a little before baking.
Freshly Shredded Cheese is Best - Did you know that freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded due to the additives that are in pre-shredded to keep it from clumping? In a pinch, you can still use pre-shredded, but freshly shredded will give you a smoother sauce. I like to use the shredding blade on my food processor to quickly shred the cheese.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating:

Storage - Leftover Mac and Cheese airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze - For longer storage, you can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container, for up to 3 months.
Reheating - Leftover Mac and cheese can be reheated in the oven, covered, at 350 degrees F until warmed.

Other Jalapeño Recipes:

Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Dip - Cheesy, easy to make in advance, and a crowd pleaser. Perfect for game day!
Black Bean Salsa with Corn - Fresh tasting and easy to make! It’s a perfect appetizer served with tortilla chips or as an easy dinner side.
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili - Filled with white beans, shredded chicken, corn, green chiles, and a creamy broth. This recipe lets your crockpot do all the work and it’s lighter than traditional recipes.
Sweet Potato Pork Stew - Ground Pork and Sweet Potatoes make the stew super filling. Jalapeños add spice that is slightly offset by the sweetness from the apples.

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