Buffalo Bacon Mac & Cheese
with a Crispy Panko Topping
- Wheat
- Milk
So long ordinary mac and cheese! Here, we combine the gooey, melty goodness of a classic mac with the rich, spicy flavors of a bacon-wrapped jalapeño popper. The result? A game-day crowd pleasing touchdown! 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—SCORE!
Ingredients
8 ounce
Bacon
2 unit
Scallions
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
12 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
½ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
½ ounce
Frank's RedHot® Original Seasoning Blend
2 tablespoon
Flour
(Contains: Wheat)
8 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1.5 cup
Mexican Cheese Blend
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. • 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 bacon fat and wipe out pan.
• While bacon cooks, wash and dry produce. • Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
• Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1 1⁄2 cups pasta cooking water (3 cups for 8 servings), then drain. • While pasta cooks, place 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 8) in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, 30 seconds. Stir in panko and half the Frank’s RedHot® Original Seasoning Blend. Season with pepper.
Place 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 8 servings) in a second small microwave-safe bowl; microwave until melted, 30 seconds. Stir in half the remaining Frank’s RedHot® Original Seasoning Blend.
• Heat pan used for bacon over medium heat. Add 2 TBSP of butter and a drizzle of oil. Slowly add flour, whisking until color has slightly darkened and flour is bubbling. • Add scallion whites, garlic powder, and remaining Frank’s RedHot® Original Seasoning Blend. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. • Whisk in cream sauce base, cream cheese, Buffalo sauce, and 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water (2 cups for 8 servings); reduce heat to low. Simmer, whisking, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. • Whisk in Mexican cheese blend until melted and creamy.
• Roughly chop bacon. Stir drained cavatappi and half the bacon 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 a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (for 8 servings, use two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes). Top with panko topping. • Bake on top rack until panko is browned and sauce is bubbly, 10-12 minutes (for 8, bake on top and middle racks, swapping rack positions halfway through). Sprinkle with remaining bacon and scallion greens. • Divide between plates or serve directly from baking dish.
Pork is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 145°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the buffalo and bacon flavors, though some found it mild; consider adding extra hot sauce for more kick 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Instructions were generally easy to follow, but a few found the recipe unnecessarily complex for a mac and cheese dish.
- Suggestions: For a creamier dish, try increasing the cheese sauce by 50%; some preferred it without the spicy elements.
- Portions: Generous servings led to plenty of leftovers; consider scaling down if cooking for a smaller group.
- Reheating: The dish doesn't reheat as well, so it's best enjoyed fresh out of the oven.
