Jalapeno & Bacon Mac n’ Cheese #SundaySupper

Posted on October 14, 2012 | 73 Comments

This is the time of year for comfort food. As soon as the weather turns cooler, we all start craving those warm comfort foods. Today for #SundaySupper Isabel, of Family Foodie is hosting this great “Comfort Food with Lee Woodruff” event. This is sure to be a fun event. Not only do you walk away with 50+ comfort food recipes, but Lee Woodruff herself is joining us for the Twitter Chat this evening. Come join in the fun, and you will have a chance to win 1 of 5 signed copies of her new book, Those We Love Most.

I asked my husband for help with this weeks theme. He came up with a few ideas, but I thought his Jalapeno Mac n’ cheese was the best. I did add some bacon to make it even better. I seeded the jalapenos so it wouldn’t be too spicy, but if you want some serious heat; leave the seeds in. My husband loves things spicy, so I probably should have left more of the seeds in, but I needed to be able to eat it too

Now, I know mac n’ cheese is traditionally a very high calorie meal. This is by no means a light version, and could be lightened up more, I am sure. I did try to make it a little more healthy. I reduced the amount of butter from some other recipes I saw. I used skim milk, and in place of the cream I used half and half. Finally, I found a reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese by Cabot that I used. It was still creamy, and cheesy, and comforting, so I don’t think any calories were missed. Plus, if you use whole wheat pasta (or a brand made with veggies like I did), you are upping the fiber and protein.

Jalapeno & Bacon Mac n’ Cheese #SundaySupper

Author:

Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Serves: 6

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

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Creamy comfort food at its best. Mac n’ Cheese with spicy jalapenos and bacon.

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
½ 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.

This Week’s Sunday Supper Recipes:

#SundaySupper Comfort Food |Soups

Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup by Damn Delicious
Loaded Baked Potato Soup by Supper for a Steal
Kalbi Tang or Korean Short Rib Soup by Kimchi MOM
Korean mandoo (dumpling) soup by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
Chicken Noodle Soup by My Catholic Kitchen
Thai’d up chicken noodle soup by I Run For Wine
Ditalini Italian Soup by Mangiamo!
Spicy Black Bean Soup by Mama’s Blissful Bites
Chicken Chowder by Pippis in the Kitchen Again

#SundaySupper Comfort Food | Main Dish

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits by Big Bears Wife
Comforting Down-Home Shrimp and Grits by The Weekend Gourmet
Pumpkin Alfredo Tortellini Bake by The Meltaways
Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese by Flour on My Face
Lasagna Roll Ups by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Green Plantain Hash by Basic n Delicious
Venison Chili by The Messy Baker Blog
Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells by That Skinny Chick can Bake
Winter Chicken Stew by Mrs. Mama Hen
Quinoa, Spinach, and Kale Lasagna by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Baked Oysters and Apples by Pescetarian Journal
Individual Chicken Pot Pies by Noshing With The Nolands
Kaesespaetzle {Baked Cheese Spaetzle} by Galactosemia in PDX
Jalapeno and Bacon Mac N’ Cheese by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Quiche aux Champignons {Mushroom Quiche} by An Appealing Plan
Mini Mac n Cheese Cups with Pork Shoulder Ragù by Hip Foodie Mom
Chicken a la King by Girlichef
Creamy Chicken & Dumplings by La Cocina de Leslie
Spaghetti Squash Gratins by She likes ruffles, he likes truffles
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas by Home Cooking Memories
Savory Slow-Cooked Pork Stew by Daddy Knows Less
Chicken Roasted with White Wine and Garlic by Webicurean
Shepherd’s Pie by Small Wallet Big Appetite
One Skillet Pumpkin Lasagna by The Realistic Nutritionist
Chicken “Pot Pie” by Diabetic Foodie
Gluten Free Cornish Pasty by Maroc Mama
Warm Oven Baked Samosas Stuffed With Sweet Potato & Peas by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Caramelized Onion-Challah Stuffing Muffins by Comfy Cuisine
Comforting Mashed Potatoes by Momma’s Meals
Chunky Chili Beans by Mama Mommy Mom
Rustic Cauliflower and Tomato Gratin by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Feijoada Portuguese Bean Stew by Family Foodie

#SundaySupper Comfort Food | Desserts

Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy by Juanita’s Cocina
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream by Cravings of a Lunatic
Sour Cream Pound Cake by Mom’s Test Kitchen
Chocolate Layer Cake by Magnolia Days
Cinnamon Rice Pudding by Vintage Kitchen Notes
Smores Hot Cocoa by Chocolate Moosey
Sweet Red Bean Pie by What Smells So Good
Pistachio Cake Cookies by The Cookie A Day Challenge
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake by No One Likes Crumbly Cookies
Dark Chocolate Caramel Brownies by Daily Dish Recipes
Nutella Shortbread Bars by Baker Street

Pairing Wine with Sunday Supper Comfort Food Favorites! by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

We would be honored to have you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper and have you share your favorite Comfort Food Recipes. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm(Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite Comfort Food Recipes. All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat. We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them

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