By Laura | Laura the Gastronaut
Soak Time: 45 minutes | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: one 9x13 baking dish, serves 10
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This is hands-down my favorite mac and cheese recipe. It's so creamy, so cheesy, and just the right amount of spicy that it has me craving it all year long! This baked macaroni and cheese recipe is made with both cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese, and the jalapenos bring in some heat. It definitely earns a spot on your Thanksgiving table. You're sure to love this homemade mac & cheese!
**Read entire recipe and the notes down below the recipe prior to cooking for best results.**
• 16 oz elbow pasta
• Kosher salt
• 7 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 slices white bread, crusts cut off & torn into large pieces
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 4 jalapenos, 3 minced with seeds kept in and one thinly sliced for topping
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup (34 grams) flour
• 1 cup (237 mL) half & half
• 2 cups (473 mL) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups (10 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 1/2 cups (10 oz) pepper jack cheese, grated
• 1 can (10 1/2 oz) canned condensed cheddar cheese soup
① Soak the pasta: In a large bowl, cover the pasta with hot salted water for 30-45 minutes. Stir after 5 minutes to prevent sticking. Drain.
② Prepare Topping: Cut 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter into smaller pieces. In a food processor, blend together white bread, Parmesan cheese, onion powder, and the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter until well combined- about 10-15 pulses. Set aside.
③ Preheat oven to 375°F.
④ Make Sauce: Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, add in minced onion and 3 minced jalapenos. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
⑤ Whisk in flour and continue whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes until the flour is a light golden color and fragrant.
⑥ Very slowly pour in half & half followed by the whole milk whisking the entire time. Keep whisking until the mixture is boiling.
⑦ Once it begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in hot sauce, mustard powder, paprika, cayenne powder, and black pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk often to ensure the sauce is not burning on the bottom.
⑧ Once the sauce is thickened, add in half of the grated cheddar and pepper jack cheese. Stir until melted, and then stir in the other half of the grated cheeses until melted.
⑨ Stir in condensed cheddar cheese soup until fully incorporated.
⑩ Stir in drained soaked elbow pasta until everything is mixed together and all of the pasta is coated in the sauce.
⑪ Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the breadcrumb mixture. Place jalapeno slices on top.
⑫ Bake: Cover the dish with foil and bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the mac and cheese is golden brown on top.
✽ Soaking Pasta: For the hot water, I just use hot tap water. Put a lot of salt into the water- enough so it tastes like the ocean!
✽ Breadcrumbs: You can use store bought breadcrumbs if you need to, but you will be losing crispiness and crunch. Fresh breadcrumbs also provide better flavor!
✽ Vegetables: If you don't have fresh onion or garlic, that's okay. You could add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of onion powder instead when you add the other seasonings into the sauce.
✽ Jalapenos: I love jalapeno flavor, and I like things spicy so I go all in with 3 big jalapenos with their seeds in the sauce and 1 sliced jalapeno on top. If you don't want that much jalapeno, you could also just add 1, 2, or 3 of them. You can also not add in all the seeds if you don't want it to get too spicy.
✽ Making Roux: It's so important to whisk constantly after adding in the flour to break up clumps and prevent burning. When you add in the milk, make sure to add slowly while you are whisking. It should take you 15-30 seconds to add in all the milk and half & half. Keep a close eye on the sauce and whisk often while it simmers so you don't scorch the bottom!
✽ Adding in Cheese: I mix the two cheese together and add in half at a time. If too much cheese is added at one time the sauce can split or become unstable. Adding in small amounts will prevent the grease in the cheese from separating out.
✽ Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup:I highly recommend you add this into the sauce. This is going to make the pasta so creamy and delicious. If you do not have condensed cheddar soup on hand, you should check out the other recipes I made above that do not call for this ingredient!
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Find recipe at: https://laurathegastronaut.com/spicy-jalapeno-baked-macaroni-and-cheese