Spicy Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Dec 27, 2018, Updated Mar 22, 2025
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Macaroni and cheese. Who doesn’t love it? There’s not a dish that’s more associated with comfort food than this American classic.
For this Spicy Mac ‘n’ Cheese, I add habanero jack cheese, along with fresh, diced jalapeno and canned green chiles. You can adjust the heat level by adjusting the amount of spicy ingredients you use.
Want it a little spicier? Use all habanero jack cheese. Want it a little milder? Skip the fresh jalapeno or use all colby jack cheese.
Spicy Mac 'n' Cheese
Macaroni and cheese. Who doesn’t love it? There’s not a dish that’s more associated with comfort food than this American classic.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow pasta
- 1 cup white onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
- ½ cup butter, divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups colby jack cheese, shredded
- 1 ½ cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In the same pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add diced onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent.Add diced jalapeno and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup flour and continue to stir for 2 minutes to cook flour. Add ½ teaspoon dried mustard and stir in milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce starts to thicken, about 3 minutes.
- Once sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese, reserving ½ cup. Stir until cheese is melted, then season with salt and pepper. Fold in macaroni until well combined.
- Pour mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle top with the reserved shredded cheese. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and stir in 1 cup breadcrumbs. Evenly spread breadcrumb mix on top of dish to cover.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until cheese starts to bubble and breadcrumb topping is browned. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.
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