We are fast approaching a foodie trifecta— Super Bowl, Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day will all happen in the same week this year, and I’m in a bit of a tizzy about it. My schedule has been so busy lately that I’m struggling to put up even one post a week, let alone three, and with delicious recipes standing by for all of these occasions, I’m feeling the pressure. 

So I’m getting a jump on things with this recipe for mac and cheese bites, which will be every bit as enjoyable for this weekend’s conference championships as it will for the big game on Feb. 11. Heck, you might enjoy them so much, you’ll make them twice!

One of my great joys for Comfort du Jour is twisting favorite foods together, and these little handheld bites might be one of my tastiest mashups ever. My husband and I love the spicy, cheesy bite of jalapeño popper appetizers, and who doesn’t love mac and cheese? This was a no brainer. And though my initial plan was to simply make mac and cheese with the popper flavors, I pivoted to my muffin tin to keep the snack in handheld form. For any game day watch party, the less you have to mess with utensils, the better.

This recipe begins with crisped up bacon, which is reserved for the top. I drained off the excess bacon grease and then tossed panko crumbs into the skillet to soak up the smoky bacon flavor. This would be a topper for my mac and cheese bites, because every game day snack is better with a little crunch.

The drained-off bacon grease becomes the backdrop of the jalapeño-studded cheese sauce for the mac and cheese. I followed my usual formula for the sauce: first the roux, then milk for the base, followed by American cheese and shredded cheese (I opted for pepper jack). More fresh jalapeños went into the sauce, and then the cooked elbows.

To capture all the components of poppers, I buried a nugget of cream cheese inside layers of the mac and cheese, then topped the “muffin” bites with the crispy bacon, more shredded cheddar and those bacon-scented panko crumbs. The recipe can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated, then baked on game day right before kickoff, but I would recommend adding the toppings just before baking so the bacon and crumbs remain crispy.

Half an hour at 350° F, and these are ready for the big game or any other snacking occasion coming our way. Next up, Mardi Gras! ⚜️

Jalepeño Popper Mac & Cheese Bites

• Servings: 12 muffin sized bites
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: Average
• Print

What better time than Super Bowl for a snack that marries the spicy flavors of a favorite appetizer and the down home comfort of mac and cheese?

Ingredients

• 4 thin slices uncured smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs
• 1/2 sweet or yellow onion, rough chopped
• 3 jalapeno peppers, divided (dice one, slice the other two)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 5 oz. American cheese, cubed (I usually purchase a chunk from the supermarket deli)
• 4 oz. pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (fresh is better than the pre-shredded stuff in a bag)
• 1/2 lb. cooked elbow macaroni
• 2 oz. cream cheese, divided among cups
• 2 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded and divided among cups

Note: This game day snack can be made in advance and refrigerated overnight. For best results, add bacon pieces and panko just before baking. Oven time may be extended if the bites are baked cold from the fridge.

Directions

1. Cook bacon pieces in a cast iron skillet until lightly crispy; reserve 3 tablespoons of bacon fat for making the cheese sauce.
2. Add the panko crumbs to the warm skillet and toss to soak up the residual bacon grease. Set the crumbs aside for topping the mac and cheese bites.
3. Heat the reserved bacon fat over medium heat in a good sized pot. Add the onions and diced jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables until softened.
4. Sprinkle in flour and cook a few minutes until the mixture is bubbly and begins to brown. Add milk all at once and cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a sauce. Add American cheese cubes and then pepper jack shreds, melting completely after each addition.
5. Add the cooked elbow macaroni and remaining jalapeño slices and stir to coat completely. Allow this to cool several minutes.
6. Spray the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with oil to prevent sticking. Divide half of the mac and cheese among the cups, then place a bit of cream cheese in the center of each cup and cover with the rest of the mac and cheese. Divide the bacon pieces over the top of the cups, and then top each with the shredded cheddar and bacon-moistened panko crumbs.
7. Bake at 350° F for about 30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and crumbs are crispy.
8. Let the mac and cheese bites cool a few minutes to firm up the cheese, then run a knife around the outside of each muffin cup to release the bites from the pan. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy watching them fly off the plate.