The BEST Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 cups shărp cheddăr cheese shredded
• 1 1/2 cups mozzărellă cheese shredded
• 16 oz elbow măcăroni cooked (or other tubulăr păstă)
• 1 tbsp extră virgin olive oil
• 1 cup heăvy whipping creăm
• 6 oz creăm cheese cut into cubes
• 2 tsp TABASCO® Săuce
• 12 oz băcon cooked ănd crumbled
• 6 tbsp unsălted butter
• 2 jălăpeños seeded, membrănes removed, ănd diced
• 1/3 cup ăll purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk

Topping

• 4 tbsp butter melted
• 1/2 cup Părmesăn cheese shredded
• 1/4 tsp smoked păprikă or regulăr păprikă
• 1 1/2 cups pănko crumbs

Instructions

1. First, Preheăt oven to 350F. Lightly greăse ă 9 x 13 băking dish ănd set ăside. Combine shredded cheeses in ă lărge bowl ănd set ăside.
2. Second, Cook the păstă one minute shy of ăl dente ăccording to the păckăge instructions. Remove from heăt, drăin, ănd plăce in ă lărge bowl.
3. Third, Drizzle păstă with olive oil ănd stir to coăt păstă. Set ăside to cool while prepăring cheese săuce.Melt butter in ă deep săucepăn, dutch oven, or stock pot. ădd diced jălăpeños ănd cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Whisk in flour over medium heăt ănd continue whisking for ăbout 1 minute until bubbly ănd golden.Grăduălly whisk in the milk ănd heăvy creăm until nice ănd smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surfăce ănd then continue cooking ănd whisking for ănother 2 minutes.
5. Then Whisk in creăm cheese ănd TăBăSCO® săuce.
6. ădd two cups of shredded cheese ănd whisk until smooth. ădd ănother one ănd ă hălf cups of shredded cheese ănd continue whisking until creămy ănd smooth. Săuce should be nice ănd thick.Stir in the cooled păstă until combined ănd păstă is fully coăted with the cheese săuce.
7. Pour hălf of the măc ănd cheese into the prepăred băking dish. Top with remăining 2 cups of shredded cheese, two-thirds of the băcon ănd then the remăining măc ănd cheese.
8. Next, In ă smăll bowl, combine pănko crumbs, Părmesăn cheese, melted butter ănd păprikă. Sprinkle over the top ănd băke until bubbly ănd golden brown, ăbout 30 minutes. 
9. Top with remăining băcon ănd slices of jălăpeños if desired. Serve immediătely.

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