This pleasantly spicy mac and cheese delivers on its name: The cheesy jalapeno pasta with its crunchy panko bread crumb topping tastes just like poppers!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 12 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 jalapenos, 2 finely chopped and 1 thinly sliced
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 3 cups)
- 3 ounces Gruyere, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapenos, finely chopped, and 1/3 cup pickled jalapeno juice
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapenos, finely chopped, and 1/3 cup pickled jalapeno juice
- 1/8 to1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Set an oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
- Melt the unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; transfer half the melted butter to a medium bowl and reserve. Add the chopped jalapenos to the saucepan, toss to coat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to a small bowl and reserve.
- Wipe out the saucepan and add the half-and-half. Cook over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Continue simmering until the half-and-half is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the macaroni and reserved pasta water and stir to combine. (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Gently fold in the reserved cooked jalapenos, pickled jalapenos and pickled jalapeno juice. Season with salt and cayenne if needed. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs in the bowl with the reserved melted butter and a sprinkle of salt. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Lay the sliced jalapenos evenly on top of the bread crumbs. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 589 |
| Total Fat | 39 g |
| Saturated Fat | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 44 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Cholesterol | 117 mg |
| Sodium | 481 mg |
Reviews
Husband says this is the BEST Mac n cheese he has ever had. Wants me to make again and again. Nice and creamy with the hint of heat was incredible. The blend of cheeses were perfect.
Best mac n cheese I’ve made yet and I’ve tried probably 5 different recipes. Only comment I have is I had to use an additional pan as it would not all fit in my 13×9 without bubbling over. Excellent dish!!!
Very good! Subbed regular pickled jalapeños for sweet and spicy pickled jalapeños and it was delicious
New family favorite! We have made this recipe 3 times now and even the small kids like it. One hint: there’s no need to take the jalapeños out before adding the cream.—I add a minced onion to the jalapeño that sautées in butter.
Little more salt needed and skip the baking if you want creamy Mac n cheese! Trust me!
Very easy and love the spicy
This is my family’s favorite mac and cheese recipee. I only make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My children and family look forward to having it as part of our Holiday feast. The spiciness is just perfect and can always be tweaked. I double the recipe to feed my big crowd. Highly recommend this deliciousness!
Soooo goood! Yes, as has been said it is indulgent, but hey. Of course it was just crying out for bacon crumbles, but I didn’t stop there and added small chunks of chicken breast as well. So over the top – and so yummy on a rainy night like last night. Served with a watermelon and arugula salad. We may have to wait awhile, but I am doing this again!
I made this last night for some friends and everyone grabbed seconds! This is a very rich and creamy dish but I think that makes it heavenly. I will keep this as a crowd favorite recipe to make in the future!
Tastes exactly like a jalapeno popper, and definitely is creamy as described. I made it exactly as the recipe said to. The 8 servings are big main course portions that are quite heavy, so be prepared. I think the leftovers would make great fried mac and cheese since it’d be even more like a popper, but I haven’t tried it. If I made it again I would only change it to be 1/2 the size, otherwise it’s exactly what’s intended. It’d probably make a good dish for a big party, but not as much for a normal dinner.