Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
On April 30, 2020
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This Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese is over the top delicious. Loaded with bacon, sausage, and extra cheese before getting a tender kiss of hardwood smoke. You may not know it yet, but this is your new favorite food. Your death-row last meal request. If you’re ready for that kind of commitment, this recipe is for you.
Smoky Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
I think mac and cheese needs to be indulgent. It is comfort food, after all. So keep that in mind as you read the ingredients list. My favorite thing about this dish (in addition to the awesome flavor) is the ease of preparation. One skillet. No separate pot of hot water or additional baking dishes required. Everything is cooked together, even the noodles, which results in the creamiest mac & cheese to ever hit your tongue. The noodles absorb all of the flavor from the bacon, sausage, and jalapeños while it cooks. Every bite is equally as delicious as the one before.
After spending a couple of years perfecting the Stuffed Jalapeño Popper, I knew it was time to take those flavors and put it in a pasta! It’s pretty standard to throw some cream cheese in a jalapeño, wrap it in bacon, and call it a jalapeño popper. However, simplicity was never my strong suit. I took the base flavors and went a little off course and drove that flavor train into meat depot. I added bratwursts, melty cheese, and topped the whole thing with my signature Sweet Rub. They are the best poppers ever. And now, you’ll all the flavors you love in every bite of this Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese.
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese Ingredients
This mac and cheese has a few more ingredients than just noodles, cheese, and milk. Here’s what you’ll need to assemble to make these mac and cheese dreams a reality. There are a few ingredients, but this is a fully loaded mac and cheese. Making it is definitely easier with your ingredients pulled together before you start cooking. Full quantities are in the recipe card below.
- ½ pound bacon (diced)
- 1 link uncooked bratwurst (casing removed)
- 2 jalapeño peppers (seeds removed and finely diced)
- 8 ounces brick cream cheese
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni noodles (uncooked)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups marbled cheddar cheese (shredded)
- ¼ cup butter crackers (like Ritz, crushed)
- 1 jalapeño (thinly sliced into rings)
- 1 teaspoon Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub (If you don’t already have a bottle, you can make your own following this recipe.)
What Makes this Mac and Cheese Smoky?
The real secret to this mac and cheese is baking it in your smoker. Just 30 minutes at 225 degrees F is enough to give your mac and cheese that classic baked texture and the perfect kiss of smoky flavor. It’ll taste like you’re eating a jalapeño popper straight off the grill, with a healthy dose of carbs. This recipe also finishes cooking at a high heat, which makes it perfect for cooking on a pellet smoker that adjusts heat quickly.
If you don’t have a smoker, and you still want a bit of smoky flavor in your mac & cheese, buy apple or hickory smoked bacon to use in the recipe! You can follow the rest of the instructions, just skip the smoking step and bake at the same temperature in your oven instead of on your grill.
Final note before you jump in and fulfill all of your wildest food fantasies, mac and cheese is always about preference! My husband likes his mac and cheese extra saucy, so I always add in an extra quarter to a half cup of milk after the noodles are cooked. I like my mac and cheese baked and a little more set up, so I cook following the recipe as written.
More Smoky Mac and Cheese Recipes
I think a good plate of BBQ is perfectly rounded out by a tasty mac and cheese recipe. These mac and cheese masterpieces are sure to inspire you the next time you’re looking for a tasty BBQ side dish:
Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese Recipe
Watch the video in the recipe card, then get ready for the best Jalapeño Popper Macaroni and Cheese you’ve ever tasted. After you and your family devour this dish, remember to come back to leave a comment about how you enjoyed it, along with one of those 5-star reviews.
Make sure you follow along on my Facebook and Instagram pages to be the first to know about new recipes, plus learn more BBQ tips and tricks. And, of course, subscribe to my YouTube channel for the latest how-to videos to help you become a Backyard BBQ Hero!
Smoky Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
Video
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon diced
- 1 link uncooked bratwurst casing removed
- 2 jalapeños seeds removed and finely diced
- 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni noodles uncooked
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups marbled cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup butter crackers (like Ritz) crushed
- 1 jalapeños thinly sliced into rings
- 1 teaspoon Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker. Set your smoker to 225 degrees F with a mild hard wood like pecan or maple.
- Cook meat and peppers. Preheat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Brown the bacon and sausage. Stir in the diced jalapeños and cook 2-3 minutes, until softened.½ pound bacon, 1 link uncooked bratwurst, 2 jalapeños
- Add cream cheese, noodles, and liquid ingredients. Stir in the cream cheese and mix until well combined. Pour in the noodles, water, milk, and cream. Cook, stirring regularly, until the noodles have absorbed a majority of the liquid and everything bubbles (about 8-10 minutes).1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, 8 ounces elbow macaroni noodles, 1 cup water, 1 cup milk, 1 cup heavy cream
- Remove from heat and add seasonings and cheese. Turn off the heat and carefully stir in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cheese until everything is all melted together. Sprinkle the top with the sweet rub, the buttered crackers, and the thin jalapeño slices.1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 cups marbled cheddar cheese
- Smoke the mac. Place the mac and cheese in the smoker and smoke for 30 minutes. Either transfer your mac and cheese to a 400 degree F oven or increase your grill temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 8-10 minutes at the higher temperature until the crackers are starting to brown.
- Serve and enjoy! Remove the mac and cheese from the grill, sprinkle with the Sweet Rub, and serve it with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!¼ cup butter crackers (like Ritz), 1 jalapeños, 1 teaspoon Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**I originally published this post in January 2017, but recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. However, the recipe remains the same.
I absolutely love this recipe! Smoker or straight in the oven, I do both! Thank you for sharing!
I love this recipe. I have made it several times. I am curious though, do you drain all the grease from the bacon and the sausage, or do you leave it in when you make it?