Putting out fires, whether literal or figurative, requires quite a bit of energy! Fortunately, whether you’re on-call or just gearing up for another ordinary day, Firehouse Mac has got the caloric punch you need! Extra cheesy and rich, with a wonderful cheese pull and a crunchy breadcrumb topping, Firehouse Mac is certainly on fire when it comes to flavors! And the bacon? Mmmm, well that’s an extra-special something now, isn’t it? Seems like dinner will be, as the kids say, straight fire!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more, to taste
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 (16-ounce) box pasta, such as cavatappi or elbow
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 fresh jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed, diced
- 1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, cubed
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 2 cups white American cheese, shredded or diced, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbed, divided
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish.
Step 3 –In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.
Step 4 –Add the panko to the hot oil and cook, while stirring, until coated and the panko starts to brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 5 –In a large stockpot filled with salted, boiling water, cook the pasta until 1 minute short of al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 6 –Drain the pasta.
Step 7 –Return the pasta to the stockpot and add the extra olive oil, tossing to coat.
Step 8 –In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Step 9 –Add the jalapeños and the onion to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 10 –Add the garlic and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 11 –Add the flour to the veggie mixture and cook, while stirring, until the raw flour smell disappears, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 12 –Slowly add the heavy cream and the milk to the veggie mixture, while whisking, and continue to cook and whisk until no lumps remain and the sauce is thickened.
Step 13 –Add the cream cheese cubes into the sauce mixture and cook, while stirring, until it’s melted.
Step 14 –Add all but 1/4 cup of the mozzarella and all but 1/4 cup of the American cheese to the sauce mixture and cook, while stirring, until it is all melted.
Step 15 –Add the salt, the pepper, and the cumin to the sauce mixture and stir to combine.
Step 16 –In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, the cheese sauce, and all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon crumbles and stir to combine.
Step 17 –Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Step 18 –Top the pasta mixture with the remaining mozzarella, the remaining American cheese, the remaining bacon crumbles, and the toasted breadcrumbs.
Step 19 –Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Step 20 –Serve.
