Creamy Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

Jalapeño popper mac and cheese loaded with cream cheese, crispy bacon and fresh jalapeños, made entirely on the stovetop. No baking means it never dries out. Creamy, spicy, and on the table in 30 minutes.

Everything I love about a bacon wrapped jalapeño popper, stirred into a pot of macaroni and cheese. Cream cheese, crispy bacon, fresh jalapeños, two kinds of melty cheese. It's rich, it's spicy, and it comes together on the stovetop in about 30 minutes.

Bonus: no baking needed. Most jalapeño popper mac and cheese recipes are baked with a layer of panko. That's nice for a crunchy topping, but it also soaks all that wonderful cheese sauce into the noodles. It comes out dryer that way, and we want ours nice and creamy.

For this recipe, we're making the sauce properly with a roux, melting everything into it, then folding in the noodles at the end. It stays nice and creamy this way. A reader named Kathryn told me she'd always baked her mac and cheese and after making this one she never would again. Yep. This is why.

If you want the crunchy baked top, I've included some notes on how to do that with this recipe. But try it this way first.

I'm a little obsessed with jalapeño poppers, and if you doubt me, go look at my whole Jalapeño Poppers Recipes section. #MikesJalapeñoObsession is real.

Let's make some.

Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese Ingredients

• Elbow macaroni. A pound. Classic elbows for awesome mac and cheese, as they hold the sauce well. Cavatappi, shells or any short tubular pasta works as well.
• Bacon. 8 slices, chopped. Cook it first and keep the rendered fat in the pan for extra flavor.
• Jalapeño peppers. Leave the seeds and membranes in for extra heat, or scrape them out for milder.
• Butter and flour. For the roux, which makes it nice and creamy.
• Milk. Whole milk is best for flavor.
• Crema or sour cream. For tang and body. Mexican crema is looser and milder, sour cream is thicker and sharper. Either works.
• Cream cheese. A full 8 ounce block, softened and cut into cubes. This is the popper flavor. Bring it to room temperature first or the sauce can turn out a bit grainy.
• Smoked paprika and garlic powder. I love the smoky flavor. Use to taste.
• Hot sauce. A tablespoon of your favorite, or more. Use whatever you love.
• Monterey Jack and cheddar. 8 ounces each, shredded off the block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to keep it from clumping in the bag, which keeps it from melting smoothly into your sauce. Best to grate it yourself. It takes two minutes and nobody wants gritty cheese sauce.
• Salt and pepper. To taste.
• Reserved pasta water. Save a cup before you drain for adjusting the creamy factor at the end.
• For garnish. Extra jalapeño slices, spicy chili flakes, chopped parsley.

How to Make Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

Cook the bacon and jalapeños. Into a wide pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, about 6 to 7 minutes, until the bacon crisps and the peppers soften. Pull them out with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Leave some of the bacon fat in the pan.

Boil the noodles. Salted water, until al dente. Reserve a cup of the water before you drain.

Make the roux. Melt the butter into the bacon fat over medium-low heat, then stir in the flour. Cook it about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it starts to brown and smells nutty. Do not let it burn. See my video on how to make a roux for a fuller demonstration.

Add the liquids. Milk and crema, stirring until the sauce thickens up. Only takes a few minutes.

Melt in the cream cheese. Add the cubed cream cheese along with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Keep the heat low and swirl until the cream cheese melts completely into the sauce.

Add the shredded cheese. A handful at a time, swirling until it all melts before the next goes in. The cheese sauce can break if you add it all at once.

Bring it together. Stir in the drained noodles along with the reserved bacon and jalapeños until every noodle is coated. Thin it with the pasta water, a splash at a time, until it's exactly as loose as you like it. The starch in that water helps the sauce become clingy.

Garnish and serve it hot. BOOM.

For Baked Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

If you really want that crunchy top, no problem. Here is how you do it.

Make the recipe as written, then transfer to a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Toss a cup of panko breadcrumbs with 3 tablespoons of melted butter, spread that over the top along with a few thin jalapeño slices, and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes until it's golden and bubbling.

One tip. Loosen the sauce with extra pasta water before you add it to the oven, more than you think you need. The noodles soak it up as it bakes, which is why baked mac and cheese often dries out.

How Spicy Is This Jalapeño Mac and Cheese?

Medium, as written. I've included three jalapeños, which gives a pleasant level of heat with a pound of pasta. Jalapeños run 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units, and cream cheese and cheddar soften it up a bit.

• For milder. Scrape out the seeds and white membranes, which is where most of the heat lives. Cut back to two peppers.
• To heat it up. Leave the seeds/innards in. Add a spoonful of hot chili flakes with the seasonings. Swap the Monterey Jack for pepper jack. Or go straight to hotter chilies. Serranos are a perfect step up and add similar flavor. Habaneros add fruity flavor along with extra burn. If you want to go truly wild, a single minced ghost pepper turns this into ghost pepper mac and cheese. Start with half of one. I'm serious. More hot sauce is always welcomed as well.

Serving Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

Serve it on its own for a filling dinner, though it is such a fantastic side dish with smoked or grilled meats. Try it with oven baked ribs, smoked pulled pork, or a plate of chicken wings.

Something vinegary helps cut through the rich fat content, like a simple green salad. Try swirling in a spoonful of chow chow or sweet pepper relish into your bowl for a fresh pop. The flavor will surprise you.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

It will firm up when it chills. o bring it back, warm it in a pan over low heat with a splash of milk or reserved pasta water, stirring gently until it loosens up. The microwave works too, in 30 second bursts with a spoonful of milk stirred in between.

I don't recommend freezing this recipe. Cream cheese and sour cream tend separate after thawing, which gives you grainy sauce.

That's it my friends! I hope you enjoy your creamy jalapeño popper mac and cheese!

More Spicy Pasta and Mac and Cheese Recipes

• Easy Creamy Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
• Cheesy Chili Mac and Cheese
• Homemade Mac and Cheese
• Creamy Cajun-Style Mac and Cheese
• American Goulash

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

This dish is best fresh, but you can make the cheese sauce up to a day ahead. Refrigerate it, then rewarm gently with a splash of milk and stir in freshly cooked noodles. If you're baking it, you can assemble the whole thing a day early, hold off on the panko, and add that just before it goes in the oven.

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

Yes. Use full fat, and stir it in off direct high heat so it doesn't split. It's tangier than sour cream, so you may want a little less.

What cheese is best for jalapeño mac and cheese?

Monterey Jack and cheddar is my combination. Jack melts beautifully and stays mild so the cream cheese and jalapeños come through, and cheddar adds sharpness. Pepper jack is a great swap if you want more heat. Gruyère is delicious but strong enough to bury the popper flavor.

Can I make it without bacon?

Sure. Start with 2 tablespoons of butter in place of the bacon fat and cook the jalapeños in that. You'll lose some smoke, but you'll still get some from the smoked paprika.