Smoky Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
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.
Servings: 6 people
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
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Nutrition
Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1052mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1137IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 369mg | Iron: 1mg