Recipe Type: Vegetables and Sides

A great mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. But when you swap grocery-store staples for hyper-local artisan ingredients, this classic slips into a higher gear. When we say “gourmet” here, we don’t mean white-tablecloth fancy or tiny-portion precious. We mean it’s good. As in, extra, really, very very tasty. It’s smoky, spicy, and decadently creamy, designed specifically for people who actually love to eat.

We start with campanelle pasta from Della Terra. Campanelle is a ruffled, bellflower-shaped pasta designed as tiny scoops for the sauce. Della Terra works directly with local farmers to source high-quality wheats, creating a pasta with a marked depth of flavor and actual personality. For the cheese sauce we use Lovera’s Caciocavera, a handmade, buttery cheese that sits somewhere between a mozzarella and a provolone and that melts beautifully. Finally, Sixth Day Snacks brings the heat with their Jalapeno Salsa, a fresh, restaurant-style blend that cuts through the richness of the cheese with a bright, zesty kick and a kiss of smoke.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• This pasta + this cheese sauce = a match made in heaven: The hollow center and fluted edges of the Campanelle trap the sauce, bacon bits, and jalapeno slices inside every single bite.

• Everyday gourmet: High-end ingredients used in a totally approachable, crowd-pleasing way.

• Texture for days: You get the snap of crisp Bar-S bacon, the pull of the Caciocavera, and the golden crunch of buttery panko.

• Game night MVP: This mac and cheese stays creamy, making it the perfect self-serve meal for an extended night of hosting.

Ingredients

• Della Terra Campanelle — Artisan “little bells” made from premium Oklahoma-grown wheat.

• Lovera’s Caciocavera — A rich, Jersey-milk stretched-curd cheese that melts into a buttery, nutty dream.

• Sixth Day Snacks Jalapeño Salsa — Made with fresh tomatoes and cilantro, adding a layered heat you can’t get from a spice jar.

• Hiland Dairy Unsalted Butter — Sliced into chunks for the sauce and melted for the breadcrumb topping.

• Cream Cheese — The secret to that “popper” filling texture and extra creaminess.

• Grated Cheddar — For that classic sharp tang.

• The crunch: 4 strips of crisp Bar-S bacon and 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs.

• The kick: 1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños.

This recipe’s must-haves

• A large sieve or spider strainer: For moving the campanelle straight from the boiling water to the sauce, keeping it hot and ready to absorb the cheese.

• A heavy-bottomed saucepan: To ensure the cheese sauce melts slowly and stays silky without any scorched spots.

• A 9-by-13-inch ceramic baking dish: Plenty of surface area is key for getting a high ratio of crunchy breadcrumbs to creamy pasta.

• A box grater: Always grate your cheese fresh; pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch and won’t give you that legendary “pull.”

• A sturdy whisk: Essential for incorporating the evaporated milk, eggs, and salsa into a smooth, custard-like base.

How to make Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

1. Cook the pasta to just al dente. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the campanelle. Before you toss the box, check the back. See how the directions offer a range of cooking time? Start checking to see if your pasta is al dente (firm, chewy, and slightly resistant to the bite) about a minute before the start of that range. Use a sieve to remove the pasta and set aside.

2. Whisk the liquid base. In a bowl, combine the evaporated milk, eggs, and Sixth Day Snacks salsa.

3. Prep the cheese. In a separate large bowl, toss your freshly grated Caciocavera and cheddar with the tablespoon of cornstarch. This is the secret to a sauce that won’t break or turn oily.

4. Create the cheese sauce. Melt the Hiland Dairy butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the milk/salsa mixture followed by the cheese/cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is hot and velvety. Season with salt to taste.

5. Fold together. Gently fold in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, crumbled bacon, and pickled jalapeños until every “bellflower” is coated in goodness.

6. Bake. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Top with your buttered panko breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30–40 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and beautifully golden brown.

Pro Tips for Success

• Trust us on the cornstarch: Don’t skip tossing the cheese in cornstarch. It acts as an emulsifier, ensuring your sauce stays smooth and creamy instead of separating.

• Check the Pasta Early: Della Terra pasta has a great “bite” to it. Taste it a minute before you think it’s done. You want it slightly firm.

• Room-temp cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is soft before folding it in. It will melt into the sauce much more evenly.

Variations

• Smoked: Use the smoked variety of Lovera’s Caciocavera to give the whole dish a “campfire” or BBQ-adjacent flavor profile.

• Extra veggies: Stir in some sautéed bell peppers or caramelized onions along with the salsa for even more flavor and color.

• Chili mac: Add a half-cup of cooked ground beef or chorizo to turn this into a heartier, meat-heavy main course.

FAQs

Why use Caciocavera instead of just Mozzarella? Caciocavera has a deeper, nuttier flavor than standard mozzarella. It provides that great cheese pull while adding dimensional flavor that really sets the dish apart.

Will my kids eat this? Ours do! If you’re worried about the heat, swap the Jalapeno Medium salsa for the Green Chile Mild and go easy on the pickled jalapenos.

More Warming Meals & Game Day Dips

• Classic Chili Dogs: An Oklahoma classic. Serve with an assortment of toppings and add-ons so guests can personalize and build their own.

• Cheese Bacon Beer Dip: Serve this with soft pretzels and sliced smoke sausage for the grown-ups’ snack table on game night.

• Marry Me Mushrooms: J-M Farms button mushrooms in a velvety sun-dried tomato cream sauce.