Bacon Chipotle Macaroni & Cheese

When sitting down to plan our weekly dinner menu I can count on two things...

1. Hubby will always request either Tacos de Papa (Potato Tacos) or BBQ Ribs with all the fixin's (including my Creamed Corn a la Mexicana).
2. Hope (my 16 year old daughter) will always request Macaroni & Cheese. 

Hope LOVES Macaroni & Cheese! She's loved macaroni & cheese ever since she was almost 2 years old and I'm pretty sure she always will. And I can't say that I blame her. Who doesn't love a bowl of creamy macaroni & cheese whether it be from that famous little blue box or homemade?!

Now as much as I love macaroni & cheese, I don't always want to eat the same thing over and over again day after day, or week after week. So, I try to mix things up a bit by stirring in different ingredients I have in the fridge or pantry to spice things up and hope that Hubby and the kiddies will like it. That is where the idea for this Bacon Chipotle Macaroni & Cheese came from. All of my kiddies love chipotle peppers and everybody loves bacon. Stir it all together with some homemade macaroni and cheese, and it's no surprise that it quickly became one of my go-to recipes. 

Bacon Chipotle Macaroni & Cheese


Ingredients: 

• 6 slices bacon
• 8 oz. dried pasta (macaroni, shells, bow ties...) 
• 3/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream 
• 1/4 cup milk
• Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 6 oz. Manchego cheese, cut in cubes 

Directions: 
Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, brown the bacon until crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess grease; crumble bacon once it has cooled.

Drain pasta and rinse with cold water; set aside.

In a large saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter of medium-low heat. Stir in the Mexican crema, milk, and 1 to 2 chipotle peppers. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. (Or puree the Mexican crema, milk, and chipotle peppers in a blender or food processor beforehand.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add the cheese and continue stirring until the cheese has completely melted. Stir in the drained pasta and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving stir in the crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

*Note: If you feel chipotle peppers might be a little too spicy for you, then feel free to omit them and stir in one teaspoon at a time of the adobo the chipotle peppers are packed in until you've achieved the desired flavor. 

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