Take nearly four cups of cheddar cheese and just the right amount of jalapeños, and you’ve got the magic that makes mac and cheese become electric with flavor.
There are people online who are true connoisseurs of macaroni and cheese. They love eating macaroni and cheese so much that they practice macaroni and cheese cooking almost daily, like a chili expert preparing for a competition. They study their craft and are wise enough to learn from the great masters of Cajun, Creole, and Southern cuisine… They experiment with new and studied techniques, new and traditional infusions of flavor—these are people who dream of eating macaroni and cheese in their sleep. They discuss all this on Reddit, where I pore over their conversations so that I, too, can create an even more sublime pot of steaming macaroni and cheese than I did the day before.
Because I’m Rhonda, and I am a mac and cheese-a-holic. And this creation was born out of hunger and desire—a desire for a new way to enjoy my mac and cheese beyond just a dash of Frank’s Hot Sauce. Once you taste it, you too will join the ranks of those of us who go bananas for jalapeño mac and cheese.
A Little Heat Makes Mac and Cheese Complete
One thing I learned from great Southern chefs is that umami-rich dishes like pasta and cheese recipes can benefit from the heat created by a dash of Tabasco sauce, say, or a bit of diced jalapeño peppers.
Soft, sweet, heavy cream and yellow cheeses like sharp cheddar really exude more flavor when accentuated by the heat, sweetness, and spice that comes from peppers.
Now, this is aboutamom.com, and we are all about moms, dads, kids, and families dining together—celebrating the wonder that is life together—by helping you make easy-to-fix but delicious meals for creating magic moments as you break bread together.
With that being said, if you are worried about the jalapeños in this dish, know that these will give just a hint of heat amongst all that cream, milk, and nearly four cups of cheese.
However, what you can do to tame the heat a bit is use less of those fresh jalapeños (say, maybe one and a half peppers). Or, to bring a whole new realm of milder pepper flavor, use some pickled, sweet heat jalapeños, like the ones you’ll find near the pickles and peppers made by manufacturers like Mt. Olive at your local grocer. These jarred jalapeños come in slices or already diced bits, which you can sprinkle right into the adult portions or omit from children’s portions as needed. These jalapeños have a milder, sweeter, more pickle-y kind of flavor, and they’re so soft that you can just crumble them with your fingers to suit your family’s needs.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Macaroni and cheese, contrary to internet belief, is not the most freezer-friendly food. The mere presence of heavy cream in this dish is your clue that this will not freeze well, as heavy cream separates when frozen and will leave your pasta to dry out and get all gluey. But you can refrigerate this and enjoy it for 3 days, tops. Store it by sealing it in an airtight container or carefully wrapping it with plastic wrap.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve mac and cheese of any kind with something thickly sauced that I can drag my forkful of mac and cheese through, like this Easy Chicken Parmesan with that delicious red sauce and this Bacon Ranch Salad with creamy ranch and bacon. Then I’m in heaven. And after a meal like this, you want a dessert just light enough to add a touch of sweetness to the end of a meal, and since we’ve had no fruit yet, let’s do this Blueberry Galette that’s so easy but looks so elegant.
Jalapeño Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 green onions diced
- 3 jalapeño peppers chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add green onions and jalapeños, sautéing for flavor.
- Whisk in flour to create a roux, cooking until it’s golden and nutty.
- Gradually add heavy cream and milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Stir in cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain and mix with the cheese sauce.
- Serve the mac and cheese hot, garnished with extra jalapeños if desired.
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