Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

• porties: 6 servings
• actieve tijd: 10 minutes
• totale tijd: 25 minutes

Ingrediënten

16 ounces pasta (elbow or spiral) (1 box)

4 tbsp butter

¼ cup flour

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)

1 ¼ cup whole milk

2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)

2 cups colby jack or gruyere cheese (shredded)

4 ounces cream cheese (cubed)

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried yellow mustard

6 slices bacon (cooked and broken into small pieces)

4-6 jalapeño peppers (chopped and deseeded)

Instructies

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Cook bacon till crispy. Drain excess grease. Set aside to cool on a plate lined with a paper towel. Break up into small bite-sized pieces when cool.

Fry your chopped jalapeño pieces for about 2 minutes in the same pan you used to cook the bacon. They should be slightly soft with a small amount of crisp left to them. Set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven or pot. When butter becomes liquid, whisk in your smoked paprika, dry mustard, and flour for 1 minute until it thickens.

Add your evaporated milk, whole milk, and cream cheese, whisking constantly for about 3 minutes until cream cheese is melted and bubbles form.

Add shredded cheese, 1 cup at a time. Continue to whisk during this process until a smooth cheese sauce forms.

Add the cooked pasta in with your cheese sauce along with the cooked bacon and chopped jalapeño peppers. Serve immediately.