Super Duper Excited!

Today is super exciting for me today because it is my first post for The Secret Recipe Club.  Each month we are assigned a blog secretly and pick a recipe from that blog to recreate.  On reveal day every one shares their blog and the dish.  I love surprises so this is right up my alley.

This month I had Lauren at Healthy. Delicious.  Like me Lauren has been cooking quite a long time.  Her blog highlights meals and dishes that are healthy and delicious.  I love her motto, "Before I eat anything, I try to ask myself “is this delicious?” because if it isn’t delicious, it isn’t worth eating."

I wanted to get Mr. J involved in the process so the initial plan was to have him go through Healthy. Delicious. too and see what he wanted to make.  However, plans changed after the first day I went a looking and saw the recipe for Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese.

Not only did is sound amazing, but the pictures were so tempting.  I also had like a billzion random peppers from the garden that were starting to go.  We were definitely making this recipe.  It was a pretty easy pitch to Mr. J too. He thought it sounded fantastic.

What also turned out really nice was that you can make the whole dish in only two pots.  One to cook the pasta and one to make the sauce. 

A yummy meal with few dishes is a winner to me.

Seriously this cheesy sauce was like heaven. I didn't a little finger sample taste test and almost grabbed spoon right then and there to chow down.  Honestly this could be the most delicious cheese dip ever. I am going to remember come football season.

The recipe below is straight from Healthy. Delicious.

We doubled the batch to make leftovers and leftovers we did have.  We also ramped up the quantity of peppers due to the fact we had so many begging to be used.  Everything else remained the same.

This was the perfect Sunday night meal. It was easy to put together and didn't have a mess. It also was extremely flavorful and filling.  Plus, lunch for Monday was all ready to go as well.

Thanks Lauren for such a great meal!  I cannot wait for next month to come around.

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

6030458

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 ounces dry Radiatore or other small, ridged pasta (elbow or shell shapes also work well)
• 1 slice Bacon, diced (optional)
• 1/4 cup diced Red Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 8 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Vegetable Stock
• 4 ounces Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces Reduced Fat Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
• 4 ounces 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs

Instructions

Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Add the bacon, if using, to a wide bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook until crisp — about 7 minutes. Remove the bacon, leaving behind any drippings, and drain on a paper towel.

Add the onion and garlic to the bacon grease and cook until softened — about 3 minutes. (If not using bacon, cook the onions and garlic in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil instead.) Add the jalapenos and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, then add the vegetable stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Slowly stir in the Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses, adding a little at a time and letting it melt completely before adding more. Stir in the cream cheese. Mix in the crumbled bacon, if using.

Combine the cooked pasta and cheese in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle a thin layer of bread crumbs over the top. Broil 3-5 minutes, or until bread crumb topping is crispy and golden brown.

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