Have you guys heard? Apparently, the coming winter is going to be a long, cold one.

Experts are foreseeing freezing temperatures and loads of snow.

Which I’m not exactly excited about, to be honest.

Frozen rain isn’t exactly my thing. Eww. Nope.

Even though it does make for the perfect excuse to start developing mac ‘n’ cheese recipes.

Starting with Jalapeno Poppers Mac ‘n’ Cheese!

Hidden under a blanket of crispy, golden breadcrumbs, this combination of two classic American recipes is rich and creamy, but also spicy & punchy.

Comfort food at its finest if you ask me!

And if we are to face 12 weeks of snow (!!!), we are going to need many bowls of it.

Jalapeno Poppers Mac n Cheese (serves 2-3):

Ingredients:

• 180g short dry pasta (preferably macaroni)
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 big handful grated cheese (I used 2/3 cheddar and 1/3 parmesan)
• 500 ml milk
• 2 tbsp pickled jalapeno, finely chopped, plus a few slices and 3 tbsp of pickling juice
• 3 tbsp bread or panko crumbs
• Salt + pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C grill.

2. In a big saucepan, mix together the milk, the cream cheese and the jalapeno picking juice. Add the macaroni, season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat until tender (about 10 min).

3. Mix in the grated cheese, then cook for a few more minutes.

4. Mix in the chopped jalapenos, then transfer to an ovenproof dish, top with a few more jalapeno slices before sprinkling the breadcrumbs.

5. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and serve immediately.