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Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

jalapeno popper mac n cheese

bumblebeester avatar
Recipe by
Lin Larson
@bumblebeester
Marysville, CA

I spent 3 days cooking for a 4th of July party, which ended up being a surprise early-birthday party for me. This is one of the dishes I made. It was a success and is probably the most requested dish when we have fun family get-togethers. I hope you enjoy it as much as everyone else did! PS: I got this on a website called www.betterrecipes.com and just did a few minor tweeks on it.

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yield 12 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 45 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For jalapeno popper mac n cheese

  • 6-8 Tbsp
    butter
  • 6-8 Tbsp
    flour
  • 3-4 c
    whole milk
  • 1/4 tsp
    pepper (or more to taste)
  • 3/4 tsp
    salt
  • 1 lb
    macaroni (any tube shape)
  • 1/2 tsp
    garlic, minced (or to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp
    jarred pickled jalapeno pepper juice
  • 2/3 c
    pickled jalapeno peppers, roughly chopped
  • 8 oz
    sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 8 oz
    swiss cheese, grated
  • 8 oz
    monterey jack cheese, grated
  • 8 oz
    havarti cheese, grated
  • 8 oz
    cream cheese, cubed into 16 small pieces
  • 2 c
    panko or bread crumbs (seasoned or unseasoned - your choice)
  • 4 Tbsp
    butter, melted

How To Make jalapeno popper mac n cheese

  • 1
    Cook and crumble bacon and set aside. In a large bowl, combine grated cheeses and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the milk very slowly to avoid lumps. Cook until thickened, 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. (Depending on how saucy you want it will depend on your flour/butter/milk ratio. I like mine saucier!) Remove from heat, then season with salt, pepper, minced garlic, jalapeno juice and chopped jalapenos. Stir in about 1/3 of the grated cheeses until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside. Cook pasta until very al dente. Drain the water and return to the pot. Add the cheese sauce and stir until well combined, then set aside. Place 1/2 of the pasta in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Top with the cream cheese cubes. Top with 1/2 of the remaining grated cheeses. Pour the remaining pasta over cheese layer and top with the last of the cheese. Melt the 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the bread crumbs and stir to evenly cover the bottom of the skillet. Remove from heat and stir in the crumbled bacon. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees, for 40-45 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, tent the baking dish with foil. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Note: Do NOT use preshredded cheese as it contains an anti-caking ingredient and will give your sauce a grainy texture, not creamy and smooth.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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