When ready to enjoy, thaw and bake.This fabulous creamy homemade cheese sauce is one of the quickest, easiest sauces to make. You can also assemble and freeze the mac and cheese.

Allow a couple of extra minutes bake time as the mac and cheese will start from cold. When ready to enjoy, place into preheat oven and bake. The best way to make mac and cheese ahead is to assemble in the skillet, let cool a bit, then cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Layer macaroni with additional shredded cheese in oven-safe skillet or pan.

Add the cooked bacon and stir together to coat well.

Add sauce to cooked and drained macaroni.

Add shredded cheese and cream cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.

Stir and cook until sauce thickens slightly.

Slowly add the milk to the skillet and stir to combine.

Sauté the jalapeño pepper, onion and red pepper flakes in butter until softened, then add the flour.

Cook the bacon until crisp, then remove to a bowl.

I wouldn’t go any lower than 2%, for best results. Milk – I generally use a 2% milk myself, but you can use whole milk (3.5%-ish) if you like. I put 2 – 2 1/2 in the mac and cheese and save the last half for slicing to put on top.Ĭream Cheese – you’ll only need a bit of cream cheese, but it’s a great addition, not only for flavour, but for the creaminess of the sauce. Jalapeño Peppers – you’ll need 3 fresh jalapeño peppers. For a meatless dish, just omit the bacon. Simply use 3 cups total and mix it up.īacon – you’ll only need a couple of slices of bacon. If you’d like, add a third cheese, such as mozzarella, Monterey Jack or gouda. It provides both different flavour notes and I think the orange cheddar looks nice on the topping.

You can make it up ahead, refrigerate and bake when you’re ready.Ĭheddar Cheese – I suggest two types of cheddar cheese, an old white cheddar and a sharp, orange cheddar.

It’s great any time, but especially nice as a side for chicken wings (aka football food!).

It’s a super creamy mac and cheese, with the great flavours of jalapeño peppers and bacon added to the mix.

Why you’ll love this jalapeño mac and cheese

Get the Recipe: Creamy Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese.

Why you’ll love this jalapeño mac and cheese.

How to make a cheese sauce for mac