Pepper Jack Bacon Mac and Cheese

Love easy cheesy recipes that also include bacon? Then this Pepper Jack Bacon Mac and Cheese is the perfect easy comfort meal for you!

Mac and Cheese has always been my go-to comfort food for ages, well pasta in general, ever since I was a little. It was something I grew up on and have loved my whole life.

Now I grew up on the blue box, but my mom would occasionally make homemade which I preferred. So when she did that, you knew I was running to the table.

Now my kids do the same, they absolutely love homemade Mac and Cheese, especially this Pepper Jack Bacon Mac and Cheese! I think it’s the bacon they love most.

I mean who doesn’t love bacon? Bacon and cheese makes everything right in the world, and they go together like peanut butter and jelly, just so good.

This makes the perfect dinnertime meal that the whole family will love, it is super easy and doesn’t take all night to make!

If you’ve been looking for a tasty and fun pasta recipe, then you have to make this Pepper Jack Bacon Mac and Cheese!

Some of my favorite pasta recipes we have on our site include: Easy Goulash, Tortellini Bake and Chicken Alfredo Casserole.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

• Easily available ingredients help this dish come together in no time.
• The flavors work perfectly together without being too spicy from the pepper jack.
• You can customize this recipe with whatever cheese you like.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):

Pasta (I used radiatori)
Butter
All-purpose flour
Salt
Pepper
Milk
Heavy whipping cream
Cheddar cheese
Pepper Jack cheese
Bacon
Breadcrumbs
Chopped parsley for garnish, optional

HOW TO MAKE PEPPER JACK MAC AND CHEESE, STEP BY STEP:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease/butter a 9×13-inch baking dish, set aside.
2. Prepare pasta according to package directions, set aside.
3. While pasta is cooking, melt 8 Tablespoons butter in a pan over medium heat.
4. When butter is melted, add the flour. Whisk until a uniform paste form then stir in salt and pepper.
5. While still over the heat, slowly pour in milk and heavy whipping cream, stirring continuously.
6. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens, Remove from heat.
7. Place prepared pasta into the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish.
8. Pour milk/flour mixture over top of the pasta.
9. Evenly sprinkle the shredded Cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack cheese and bacon on top.
10. Stir together until everything is mixed and combined well.
11. In a small mixing bowl, melt the remaining 2 ounces of butter.
    Stir in breadcrumbs. This will resemble wet sand. Evenly distribute breadcrumbs overtop of pasta mixture.
12. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the breadcrumbs begin to brown.
13. Broil for an additional 3 minutes making sure to watch carefully so topping doesn’t burn.
14. Top with chopped parsley if desired and serve.

WHAT OTHER CHEESE CAN I USE?

We absolutely love the combination of the Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheese, but you can switch it up, some of our favorites include:

1. Colby Jack
2. Mozzarella
3. Gruyere
4. Gouda
5. Monterey Jack

These are just some of the ones that we have tried that have made it delicious, some are stringy cheeses and we love that in our Mac and Cheese to make it really cheesy and some just really melt well.

Essentially you can use any mixture of cheeses that you want, some go well together some don’t. It is one of those things you need to play around with to get the right flavor.

CAN I USE ANOTHER PASTA?

Absolutely! We like to use the Radiatori because of all the grooves in it, it really grabs the cheese.

You can use any of your favorite smaller pasta as long as you are still using 16 ounces for this recipe.

IS THIS SPICY?

The Pepper Jack cheese does have a little heat behind it but it is really mellowed down by the addition of the Cheddar cheese.

If you do not like spice, you can omit the Pepper Jack but I like two cheeses so I would add either Monterey Jack or Colby Jack.

If you want to make this a little spicier, dice up some jalapenos and mix them in! They give a really nice flavor, almost like a jalapeno popper.

DO I HAVE TO USE THE BREADCRUMBS?

No, we love the addition of the breadcrumbs as it give this pasta an extra crunch and texture.

If you do not want to use the breadcrumbs that is fine, you will just not need to broil the recipe at the end.

HOW TO STORE:

This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3-4 days.

If you want to freeze this you can do that as well, I recommend freezing after it has been baked. Place leftovers in a freezer container or bag and it should keep for up to 2-3 months.

To defrost place in the refrigerator until thawed. To reheat, place in the oven covered with foil at 350 degrees F heated trough, or scoop some out onto a plate or in a bowl and microwave until heated through.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• You can use any pasta you like, but we like to use raditori the most as it holds the sauce and cheese best.
• You can use any mixture of cheese that you like.
• This recipe can be frozen, see my tips above.
• Feel free to add more bacon, there is always room for more bacon.
• The breadcrumb topping is not necessary but we love it, if you do not use it you do not need to broil.
• Make sure you mix everything together well in the pan so it gets evenly distributed.
• Add some chopped jalapenos if you want some extra spice.

Are you looking for a comforting family meal? Then you need to make this Pepper Jack Bacon Mac and Cheese ASAP, it will be a staple on your menu rotation.

If you like this recipe you might also like:

• Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese
• Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
• Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
• Fried Mac and Cheese Balls

If you’ve tried this PEPPER JACK BACON MAC AND CHEESE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER, 2020