Jalapeño Popper-Style Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients 0/18

Step 1

First, heat your oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish that’s about 1½ quarts. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the elbow macaroni until it’s tender but still has a little bite—about 8 minutes. Drain it and set it aside.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, melt some butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Toss in the chopped onion and jalapeños and cook until they soften, around 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until you can really smell it. Sprinkle in the flour and stir it around so it coats the veggies well. Slowly whisk in the milk and keep stirring until the sauce thickens, which should take about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low.

Step 3

Season the sauce with garlic powder, seasoned salt, black pepper, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the processed cheese and cream cheese, letting them melt smoothly into the sauce over about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt if you need it.

Step 4

Mix the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce until it’s all nicely coated, then pour everything into your prepared baking dish.

Step 5

In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat, turning it now and then until it’s evenly crispy, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels, let it cool a bit, then crumble it up. Combine the bacon with panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle this mix over the macaroni. Top it off with some jalapeño slices.

Step 6

Bake the whole dish uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, until it’s bubbly and golden on top. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before digging in.