So yeah. I should probably apologize for this ditty.

Gooey, spicy pepper jack cheese and salty, smoky bacon toooogetheeeeer. Could these flavors be anymore ridiculously savory? And there I went, throwing them together in a skillet to make one glorious carbohydrate mess. And by mess… I mean macaroni and cheese HEAVEN.

For this bacon pepper jack skillet mac-n-cheese Gather:

pasta (ones with ridges work dependable)
thick cut applewood smoked bacon
unsalted butter
yellow onion
red bell pepper
jalapeño
garlic
unbleached all-purpose flour
low-sodium chicken broth
whole milk
softened cream cheese
pepper jack cheese
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

So grab your cheese, your bacon and your noodles too {and all that other goodie bits} and indulge yourself in a little naughty pasta.

Bacon. Chop it up into chunks, fry it up in a good-sized skillet and remove it to a plate to drain. Set that off to the side, but not too far where you can’t snag a few to get your snack on.

Meanwhile the bacon is frying away; bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with kosher or sea salt and then drop in 12 ounces of your go-to pasta. I prefer tri-color AND the one with ridges, it truly helps the sauce stick to the pasta.

Once the pasta is cooked fully, to al dente, drain and set it off to the side. I do come back to it every now and again, to give it a stir so it doesn’t form a big ol’ pasta blob.

Now simply dice up a medium yellow onion, half of a red bell pepper, half a large {or whatever size you prefer} jalapeno that has been seeded, and mince up two cloves of garlic.

After you’ve removed the bacon, add a tablespoon of to the bacon fat. Yum.

Then to the butter/bacon drippings, throw in the onions, diced peppers and jalapeno. Cook until softened… here is when you should add the garlic and cook for one minute. I forgot… don’t be like me.

Season with a smidgen {because bacon adds it’s only saltiness} of salt and a pinch or two of ground black pepper.

Once the veggies are tender, but not overly so {at least that’s my preference} I add in the flour, stir until it gets absorbed and then let it cook for about a minute. Then pour in the chicken broth and whole milk. Stir and let it simmer until it thickens, about 6-8 minutes.

Now you get to add the cheese.

Add a 1/4 cup of softened cream cheese, stir until simply about melted and then add in the grated 8 ounce block of pepper jack.

Once the cheese has melted thoroughly, check for seasoning and then dump in the drained pasta.

Remember all that bacon? Only throw it on top.

Bacon pepper jack skillet mac-n-cheese = YUM!

So let’s simply get this straight. Creamy, slightly spicy cheesy mac plus bacon… it’s the go-to mac-n-cheese. This bacon pepper jack skillet mac-n-cheese even reheats nicely for leftovers. Serve it with a green salad and dinner is served.