Jalapeno-Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Fry bacon until crisp but not burned. Set aside and crumble when cooled.

3. Saute diced jalapeno peppers in the leftover bacon grease. You can also clean out the grease and saute in an oil of your choice. I simply prefer the added bacony goodness! Set aside sauteed jalapenos.

4. Boil water for pasta and cook according to package directions.

5. While pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter. Add flour and whisk together to form a roux. (Mixture should resemble wet sand and smell slightly nutty.)

6. Add milk and cream, stirring constantly to incorporate.

7. Add cheeses. I like to use a combination of smoked gruyere, sharp cheddar, and mozzarella, but you can adjust the cheeses and proportions to your taste.

8. Add a pinch of nutmeg, and salt to taste. Continue stirring until the cheeses have all melted and the sauce mixture has thickened…about 5 to 8 minutes.

9. Add sauteed jalapenos and crumbled bacon to the sauce, stirring to combine fully.

10. Spread half of the cooked pasta evenly across the bottom of a greased 9″x13″ baking dish. Pour half of the sauce over the pasta. Then spread the other half of the pasta across, and pour on the last half of the cheese sauce. (If you want, you can then sprinkle additional shredded cheese over the top of everything. This isn’t a necessary step, but it adds that nice “cheese overload” factor.)

11. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.