Each bite of this Cheetos®-fied mac delivers the creaminess of melted cheese, a crunch of bacon and a jalapeño kick. Prepare to get your paws messy, because this holiday is about to get Dangerously Cheesy®!
Ingredients
How to make it
1
Drizzle a bit of oil in a large saucepan, add the bacon and bring the pan to medium heat. Stir the bacon occasionally. When it’s crispy, remove it from the pan and drain on paper towels. Do not discard the bacon fat!
2
Add butter and onion to the pan with the fat, season with salt, and cook until the onion is soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, season with salt, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
3
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the package suggest. Drain the pasta and reserve.
4
Add the cheddar, fontina, Parmesan and pulverized puffed White Cheddar Cheetos® to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the mustard and chopped jalapeños and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding a little more milk if the mixture seems too thick. Stir in the cooked bacon and pasta.
5
Transfer the mac to a 4-quart casserole dish and put in broiler for about five minutes or until the top is crunchy.
6
Sprinkle generously with the lightly chopped Cheddar Jalapeño Cheetos® to make that dish Insta-worthy—because it’s 2020. And did you even cook it if you don’t show it?