Jalapeno and Bacon Mac N’Cheese
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
1 box short cut pasta, cooked 2 minutes shy of done
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 Tbls butter
4 Tbls flour
2 cups milk (I used skim milk)
1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (reduced fat is fine), grated
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese, grated
1 cup plain bread crumbs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Once you have cooked the bacon, reserve a couple teaspoons of the grease. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan, and toast lightly. Set aside.
Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Saute jalapeno for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the flour, and cook for another minute. Add the milk and cream, and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes. Slowly add in the cheese, stirring constantly until melty. Add salt, pepper, bacon and cooked pasta. Pour into a large baking dish (2 qt dish). Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Let set for a few minutes before serving.
From dinnersdishesanddesserts.com