Bacon Jalapeño Mac & Cheese
with a Crispy Panko Topping
- Wheat
- Milk
If you thought you were craving ordinary mac and cheese, think again. Here, we combine all the gooey, melty goodness of a classic mac with the rich, spicy flavors of a bacon-wrapped jalapeño popper. The result? The comfort food you never knew you needed. It’s got it all: twirly cavatappi noodles tossed in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Salty crumbles of bacon. A crispy, spiced panko crust for crunch. Jalapeño slices for heat. And to top it all off, it’s all ready in just 35 minutes—what more could you want?
Ingredients
6 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
4 ounce
Bacon
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Jalapeño
¼ cup
Monterey Jack Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 cup
Mexican Cheese Blend
(Contains: Milk)
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 tablespoon
Flour
(Contains: Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Southwest Spice Blend
1 clove
Garlic
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
2 unit
Scallions
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil (use a large pot for 4 servings). • Heat a large, dry pan over medium heat. Add bacon*; cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 6-10 minutes. • Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. • Carefully discard all but a thin layer of bacon fat from pan (you’ll use this to cook the aromatics later).
• While bacon cooks, wash and dry produce. • Halve jalapeño crosswise, removing ribs and seeds for less heat; thinly slice one half into rounds and finely dice remaining. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Peel and mince garlic.
• Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain. • While pasta cooks, place 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until melted, 30 seconds. Stir in panko. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat pan with reserved bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add sliced jalapeño; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a second small bowl and set aside. • Add scallion whites, diced jalapeño, and garlic to pan. Cook until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add flour to pan with aromatics; whisk until thoroughly coated. • Whisk in cream sauce base, cream cheese, half the Southwest Spice (all for 4 servings), and ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water (1 cup for 4); reduce heat to low. Simmer, whisking, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. • Whisk in Mexican cheese and Monterey Jack until melted and creamy.
• Heat broiler to high. • Roughly chop bacon. Stir bacon and drained cavatappi into pan with cheese sauce. (TIP: If your pan is not large enough, carefully transfer everything into pot used to cook pasta.) If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until cavatappi is coated in a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer mac & cheese to an 8-by-8- inch baking dish (for 4 servings, use a 9-by-13-inch baking dish). Sprinkle with panko and sliced jalapeño. • Broil until panko is browned and crispy, 2-3 minutes. (TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.) Sprinkle with scallion greens. • Divide between plates or serve directly from baking dish.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: Many loved the cheesy, spicy kick, though some found the southwest seasoning overpowering.
- Ease of prep: While tasty, several noted it was time-consuming with multiple steps and pans.
- Suggestions: Consider adding chicken or sausage for extra protein; some preferred less southwest spice.
- Portions: Generous servings; many had leftovers for lunch or split into more portions.
- Texture: Some found it creamy and delicious, while others wished for a thinner, saucier consistency.
Reviews from our home cooks
This is the best Mac and Cheese I've ever had. So rich and creamy. The touch of jalapeños with a crunch of bacon and crumbs made the cheese sauce a wonderful match with the cavatappi pasta.
We love the bacon jalapeño mac and cheese. It helps to wear a mask while sautéing the jalapeños. Even with the fan on and windows open, the fumes from the peppers cooking make it difficult to breathe.
Very generous portions, loved the addition of the crispy texture of the panko. Would've liked a bit more jalapeño to top with and despite the fact there's quite a bit of bacon mixed in it, you don't get a whole lot of the bacon flavor
The entire family LOVES this recipe. We had 1 less jalapeno because it arrived moldy. But this bacon jalpeno mac & cheese is always a winner in our house. Definitely one of our top Hello Fresh recipes.
I always add jalapeños to my mac and cheese so it won't be so bland. I would have never thought about bacon and Panko topping. I love Hello Fresh meals!
The bacon jalapeño Mac and cheese is always a hit. I love being able to make my own cheese sauce with ease thanks to hello fresh!
The jalapeño gives a nice kick to the crunchy and cheesy Mac and cheese and topped with the bread crumbs allows for textural satisfaction as well as relief once you get that first bite in.
Great choice for a flavor combo. The textures all work together great with the creamy cheesy soft noodles then crunchy from panko and the charred jalapeño flavor with the bacon was delicious
Can't go wrong with mac n cheese. Of course I loved this recipe. I excluded the jalapeño because my stomach can't handle spice. Turned out just fine without. For the panko, I crushed up some crispy onions I had as leftovers from a previous HF recipe and it was a brilliant idea. Those should definitely be added to this recipe for future reference.
Thick cut bacon almost too thick, didn't seem to go well with the jalapeno and southwest flavors. Also, even though I didn't really miss it, there was no panko. Just cooked it stove-top and skipped the broiling part.
