Best Spicy Mac and Cheese with Jalapeños

This is the Best Spicy Mac and Cheese with Jalapeños bursting with rich flavors of cheese, garlic, fresh parsley and mustard. Made with homemade cheesy sauce, this pasta is a gentle twist on the classic and is a total comfort meal that brings joy!

Everyone agrees that a hot bowl of macaroni-cheese pasta is one of the best foods. The melt-in-your-mouth taste of blended cheddar, mozzarella, and spices is incredibly delicious!

A crowd feeder, made ahead of time and comfort food, this spicy recipe of Mac and Cheese is versatile and a breeze to make.

You'll love these mac n cheese variations: Best Three Cheese Mac N Cheese, Crab Mac and Cheese, Cheesy Seashell Pasta with Peas and Broccoli and 5-Cheese Mac N’ Cheese.

For a healthy version of pasta, you may try the Vegetarian Mediterranean Pasta Salad or Creamy Mushroom Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

• It is a comforting meal when you need something warm.
• This family-friendly vegetarian recipe for homemade Mac' n Cheese is perfect for all age groups. With a spicy touch, it is surely the Best mac' n Cheese Pasta ever!   
• This recipe gives you all the ingredients you need to make this dish fresh, so you don’t have to buy it out of a box.
• If you’re a crunchy mac' n cheese fan, add some breadcrumbs on top and bake it for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Ingredients

This recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients that can be bought from a local store if you don’t already have them in your pantry. Read the Recipe Card for the measurements.

For Macaroni Cheese Pasta 

• Elbow Macaroni: This recipe uses elbow macaroni. You may use any pasta shape without making any recipe changes. Generally, small-shaped pasta works best however, if you need to use large pasta, the cooking time may vary.
• Flour: I have used all-purpose flour to thicken the pasta sauce. You may skip it to add more cheese or butter.
• Butter: This recipe uses unsalted butter. Salted butter works well. If you are using salted butter, add a little less salt.
• Milk: adds creaminess and smoothness to the cheese sauce. I have used dairy milk, but you may substitute it with vegan milk like almond or coconut milk to make this macaroni vegan.
• Cheddar Cheese: is the star ingredient of this pasta dish. It adds a sharp and deep flavor to the pasta sauce.
• Mozzarella: is a soft and milky cheese that adds amazing depth to the flavor of the cheese sauce. It also gives the jalapeno mac and cheese that infamous cheese pull effect.
• Red Leicester: this cheese is orange and has a savory, nutty flavor.
• Garlic Seasoning: You may also use fresh garlic cloves, though I have used garlic powder.
• Mustard: adds a spicy kick to this Mac n Cheese. Feel free to adjust the heat. This recipe is mildly spicy with mustard.
• Pepper: Adds earthy, bold and hot flavor to any dish. I love the addition of freshly ground pepper. 
• Chili flakes: You may also use chilly powder, but that would make this pasta hot! Adjust the amount and chili as per your preference.
• Salt: Normal salt works best. You may use Kosher salt, too.
• Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley adds vibrant color to this pasta. You may also use cilantro or basil leaves.

Tips and Substitutions

• Breadcrumbs: If you’re a fan of crunchy mac' n cheese, remember to add some breadcrumbs on top and bake it for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
• Make ahead: To make this pasta ahead of time, boil the pasta and keep it separated from the cheese sauce. Heat the sauce and mix the pasta before baking.
• Stir: When making cheese sauce, stir continuously, or else the sauce may stick to the bottom of the pan. It gets thicker very quickly.
• Add another vegetable: Boil and mash cauliflower in the cheesy sauce to naturally thicken it. You may also add a variety of veggies like bell pepper, carrots, corn, and beans to make a vegetable cheesy pasta.
• Make it spicier: Add chilies and cayenne pepper to make this spicy mac and cheese spicier!

How to Make the Best Spicy Mac and Cheese with Jalapeños

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. While heating up, grease a baking dish with your favorite non-stick substance and set it aside for later. Add unsalted butter to a saucepan and melt on low heat. Once the butter melts, add flour to the saucepan and stir on medium heat for 30 seconds. 

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the milk, and stir. Continue to add the milk gradually until the mixture is smooth. 

3. Return the saucepan to the stove and bring it to a boil, stirring continuously.

4. Season the sauce with salt to taste, white pepper to taste, garlic seasoning, onion powder, mustard, oregano, and paprika, and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. 

5. Cook on medium/low heat for 10 minutes and stir occasionally.

6. While the sauce is getting ready, bring salted water to a boil and cook elbow macaroni for 10-12 minutes or till soft.

7. As the pasta cooks, remove the creamy sauce from the heat after 10 minutes. Then, remove the sauce from the heat, add cheddar, mozzarella, and red Leicester cheese, and stir.

8. Add the cooked macaroni to the cheesy sauce and stir. Then add the jalapeños and stir.

9. Pour the cheesy macaroni mixture into a heatproof baking dish. Then top the mac with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

10. The Best Spicy Mac and Cheese with Jalapeños is ready! Serve with Red and White Cabbage Coleslaw, roasted vegetables or BBQ Baked Chicken Wings.

Recipe FAQs

Thanks for reading this recipe, comment below if you made this and let me know how it went! Follow @simshomekitchen on Instagram, take a photo, tag and hashtag it with @simshomekitchen. 

Stay connected and follow me for more recipes on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of my latest recipes!