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Home » Pasta

Jamaican Jerk Bacon Stovetop Mac and Cheese

01/01/2016 Updated: 08/18/2021 By Karrie 16 Comments

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Jamaican Jerk Bacon Stovetop Mac and Cheese is a deliciously creamy and slightly spicy version of the classic comfort food.  Homemade bacon recipe included!

Jamaican Jerk Bacon Mac & Cheese in a bowl

An Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe

The idea for this Jamaican Jerk Bacon Mac & Cheese recipe came about after I had just made a batch of my Jamaican Jerk bacon.  

I knew I had to make one of J's favorite foods in the whole entire world, macaroni and cheese. 

That guy would eat it every day, at every meal, if he could.

So I started wondering, what would make cheesy, creamy macaroni & cheese better?  Adding bacon of course, 'cause bacon makes everything better. 

Cheese, pasta, and bacon?  Is there any better way to eat mac & cheese?  Probably not. 

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it is made on the stovetop, instead of oven baked. 

As much as I love a creamy baked mac and cheese, the whole one-pot thing just makes life a little easier.

Close up of Jamaican Jerk Bacon Mac & Cheese recipe in a bowl

Got leftovers?  Make some Mac and Cheese Bites!

If you are lucky enough to have any leftovers, make some crispy mac and cheese bites.  Just take a couple of tablespoons of the chilled mac and cheese and shape it into a ball.  Dip each ball in an egg wash and roll in flour or bread crumbs.  Fry the balls in hot oil for a few minutes and you've got crispy cheese balls for the best appetizers or for a kids meal!

Photo of bag of storm potato chips

By the way, here's one of my foodie Xmas gifts...a huge bag of Storm Chips!  J picked these up for me while in was in Canada a few days before the Christmas holiday.  He also bought me enough dark chocolate for about 50 people, which he then proceeded to try to stuff all of it in my stocking.

He wrapped this chip bag in pretty Christmas paper and, as he placed it on my lap Christmas morning, he said it was very fragile and I should be very careful opening it.  Immediately my rational mind thought "Hell yeah!  He got me a tiara!"  Now, I don't quite understand why I initially thought this, other than:

  •  Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale character and I've always envisioned myself to be a little like her.  Was probably thinking here's my chance to finally live out my dream of being the princess I know I am.
  •  Thinking the gift was a tiara is helluva less crazy than thinking it could be a bag of potato chips.

Surely, people will read this and think gifting someone a bag of chips is a little weird, but not for me, because I am insanely obsessed with potato chips.

Close up photo of Jamaican Jerk Bacon Mac & Cheese on a fork

Try this Jamaican Jerk Bacon Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe next time you want a different kind of macaroni and cheese! 

Jamaican Jerk Bacon Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Jamaican Jerk Bacon Stovetop Mac and Cheese is a deliciously creamy and slightly spicy version of the classic comfort food.  Homemade bacon recipe included!
5 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree, Side Dish
Cuisine: Jamaican
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 623kcal
Author: Karrie | Tasty Ever After

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces dry cavatappi pasta, or use your favorite pasta shape
  • ½ cup Jamaican jerk bacon, cut into ¼" dice (can substitute any kind of spicy, pepper bacon or plain bacon)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ cups whole milk
  • 2 cup sharp cheddar, freshly shredded
  • 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, freshly shredded
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Prepare pasta according to package directions.
  • While pasta is cooking, fry the diced jerk bacon in a medium sized pan over medium heat until brown and cooked through. Set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture thickens. Whisk in the three cheeses and the salt, whisking until the cheese is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
  • Stir the cooked pasta and jerk bacon into the sauce and heat through, about a minute or two.
  • Serve as a side dish or as a main dish with a salad or green vegetable. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Jamaican Jerk Bacon Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 623 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 20g100%
Cholesterol 98mg33%
Sodium 622mg26%
Potassium 325mg9%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 1050IU21%
Calcium 550mg55%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @tastyeverafter or tag #tastyeverafter

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 ©  Tasty Ever After  All images and content are copyright protected, so please do not copy or claim my work as your own.  Please do not use any images or republish this recipe without prior permission.  If you want to reference this recipe, link directly back to this post.  Thank you.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie Crenshaw

    August 15, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    5 stars
    Made this last night for a dinner party and it turned out so good. Everyone loved it. Highly recommend.

    Reply
    • Karrie

      August 18, 2021 at 11:31 am

      Thank you Katie and very happy everyone loved it!

      Reply
  2. Elizabeth Miller

    October 18, 2019 at 10:31 pm

    5 stars
    This was so creamy and I liked the way it was all cooked on the stovetop. Quick and easy!

    Reply
    • Karrie@tastyeverafter

      October 19, 2019 at 10:57 am

      Thank you Elizabeth!

      Reply
  3. Gerry Moore

    January 21, 2019 at 12:46 am

    5 stars
    Didn't have time to make your bacon so I just used regular bacon and added jerk seasoning to the mac and cheese. The flavors were incredible! I mean who doesn't love cheese and bacon??

    Reply
    • Karrie@tastyeverafter

      January 21, 2019 at 8:56 am

      Thanks Gerry and I think cheese and bacon are the best combo!

      Reply
  4. Heather

    September 02, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    5 stars
    You had me at bacon! I added cracked pepper bacon and it was delicious! Recipe was easy to make too and I saved it to use whenever I want mac n cheese 🙂

    Reply
    • Karrie@tastyeverafter

      September 09, 2018 at 10:55 am

      That's awesome Heather and thanks for your review!

      Reply
  5. Shawn

    May 09, 2018 at 6:14 am

    5 stars
    What a great recipe! Served this with a salad for dinner and really liked the jerk bacon in it. Our 3 year old even ate it!

    Reply
    • Karrie@tastyeverafter

      May 10, 2018 at 6:55 pm

      Thank you Shawn and love that your 3 year old is already a foodie!

      Reply
  6. Karen S

    December 04, 2017 at 7:26 pm

    5 stars
    I didn't have any bacon and left it out, but the Mac & Cheese was fantastic!

    Reply
    • Karrie@tastyeverafter

      December 05, 2017 at 11:05 am

      Thanks Karen!

      Reply
  7. A.W.

    November 04, 2016 at 9:58 am

    5 stars
    We are a family of mac-n-cheese connoisseurs and I knew this recipe was going to be good when I saw the bacon in it. Added plain bacon and now everyone wants me to add bacon every time I make mac-n-chese. lol. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Karrie@tastyeverafter

      November 06, 2016 at 11:02 am

      OMG, that's too funny and bacon makes everything better!

      Reply
  8. Allison G.

    February 25, 2016 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    This is the best mac and cheese I've ever made! I've never thought about using pepper jack cheese before but we really liked the spiciness it brought to the pasta. Will be making this again soon!

    Reply
    • Karrie@tastyeverafter

      February 26, 2016 at 10:52 am

      Thanks Allison!

      Reply

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Thank you for visiting Tasty Ever After and I'm Karrie! I hope you enjoy spending some time here finding easy scratch made recipes for the home cook.

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