We started our holiday break with jalapeño poppers and thought – why not turn that into a pasta? Sharp and mild cheddar, smoky gouda, and cream cheese make the sauce rich and creamy, while bacon and fresh jalapeños give it the perfect bite.
We encourage you to read the entire recipe before starting to ensure you’re using the proper equipment and ingredients.
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From the TREAT$ kitchen
Jalapeño Popper Mac
Batch size
Yield
Makes one 9×13 pan
Ingredients
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Plastic gloves (for handling jalapeños)
- Foil pan or baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook the pasta until slightly under al dente. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain and place pasta in a foil pan or baking dish.
- Stir in ¼ cup sour cream and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.
- In the same pan, sauté the diced jalapeños in the bacon fat over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, now sauté the sliced jalapeños in the bacon fat over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened. Remove and set aside.
- Melt the 4 oz of cream cheese over medium heat in the same pan. Add ½ cup heavy cream, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp onion powder, whisking until smooth.
- Stir in 2 cups sharp cheddar, 1 cup white cheddar, 1 cup mild cheddar, ½ cup smoked gouda until fully melted and creamy.
- Fold in the sautéed diced jalapeños, cooked bacon ( save some bacon for the topping ), and pasta into the sauce. Adjust the consistency with the reserved pasta water, milk, or more heavy cream if needed.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a greased baking dish.
- Dollop the remaining 4 oz of cream cheese on top of the pasta mixture.
- Top with shredded cheese (smoked gouda and mild cheddar), sautéed jalapeño slices, and remaining bacon.
- Bake 15–20 minutes uncovered, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Remove jalapeño seeds to reduce spiciness.
- Use plastic gloves when handling jalapeños.
- Feel free to adjust the cheeses to your taste or add more cream for extra creaminess.
TREAT$ by Emoni · treatsbyemoni.com
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