JALAPENO POPPER MAC 'N CHEESE

Jalapeno Popper Mac 'n Cheese image

With an abundance of jalapenos in the garden, I was looking for new ways to use them, and this popper mac 'n cheese is a great one! This recipe is easily adjustable to add more heat or to take it away. The amount of jalapenos used in this recipe will yield a nice, spicy mac 'n cheese without being too over-the-top spicy. The mac 'n cheese itself is rich and creamy. Enjoy!

Provided by Christina

Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

Time 1h40m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
¼ cup butter
1 small onion, diced
5 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste
1 (8 ounce) package light processed cheese food (such as Velveeta Light®), cubed
2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1 pinch salt to taste
3 slices bacon
⅓ cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced into thin rings

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot; set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and jalapenos; cook until just softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in flour, coating vegetables well. Whisk in milk slowly until smooth. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Season sauce with garlic powder, seasoned salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in processed cheese and cream cheese until melted and sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.
Pour macaroni into cheese sauce and stir to coat completely. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Cool briefly.
Crumble bacon and mix with panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over macaroni. Top with jalapeno slices.
Bake, uncovered, until browned and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 332.6 calories, Carbohydrate 33.8 g, Cholesterol 44.7 mg, Fat 15.5 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 14.4 g, SaturatedFat 8.8 g, Sodium 785.6 mg, Sugar 6.8 g