Bacon Jalapeno Mac n Cheese
Comfort food done right!
Servings 6 people
Calories 4115kcal
Ingredients
- 350 g pasta elbows or similar
- 12 slices cooked bacon chopped
- 2 - 3 jalapenos sliced
Cheese Sauce
- 4.5 cups whole milk
- 4 tbsp flour
- 100 g butter
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 200 g red leicester cheese grated
- 50 g parmesan grated
- 50 g white cheddar grated
- 50 g mozzarella grated
- 10 dashes tabasco
- 1 pinch salt
Breadcrumbs
- 40 g panko or other breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon zested
- 3 tsp mixed herbs
- 1 tsp chili flakes
Instructions
Pasta
- Cook pasta 2 mins less than packet instructions say. Strain and set aside
Cheese Sauce
- Add butter, garlic and flour to sauce pan, cook on a medium heat to make a roux *see tips* and cook for a couple mins
- Gradually add the milk and whisk until it starts to thicken. Turn heat to low.
- Once sauce is starting to thicken add tabasco and grated cheese. Stirring to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly
Mac n Cheese
- Fry jalapeno in cast iron or other heavy bottom frying pan. Once cooked remove from heat and add pasta, cheese sauce and bacon. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for 30 mins @ 180c place under a grill to crisp up the breadcrumbs *see tips*
Alternative
- Instead of baking the mac n cheese you can add all the cooked ingredients into the cheese sauce pan and serve. Sprinkling some toasted breadcrumbs on top.
Notes
Essential Tools
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- frying pan
- cast iron or other heavy bottom pan
- sauce pan
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- weighing scales/measuring spoons
- grater/zester
Tips/Tricks
- the addition of multiple other toppings for mac n cheese is huge - onion, lobster, shrimp, truffle, ketchup or vegetables!
- a roux is a thickening agent used to make sauces. It is made when cooking fat (butter in this case) and flour together.
- some recipes call for Mac n Cheese to be baked in the oven and other just on a stove top. Either way works just fine. The stove top method I find offers a creamier version where the baked one gives you a stringy cheese affect. It's personal and time dictated too!
Nutrition
Calories: 4115kcal | Carbohydrates: 393g | Protein: 218g | Fat: 182g | Saturated Fat: 101g | Cholesterol: 535mg | Sodium: 4924mg | Potassium: 3698mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 72g | Vitamin A: 4180IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 3980mg | Iron: 16.6mg