Spicy Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Dec 27, 2018, Updated Mar 22, 2025
Jump to RecipeThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

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
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.
