Spicy Mac n Cheese

This Spicy Mac n Cheese is made with 4 kinds of cheese, veggies & flavored with Jalapeno, cumin and nutmeg!

Let me tell you right away that this is not your average Mac n Cheese! It’s got jalapeños that add a bit of heat to cut through the excessive cheese overload. It’s seasoned with cumin and nutmeg that adds a wonderfully mild flavour to the pasta. And I’ve also added carrots, corn and zucchini to the mix so I can tell myself that I am not just eating pasta and cheese. Yumm!

And there’s a LOT of cheese and dairy in this, I tell ya! Butter, Milk, Parmesan, Cheddar, Monterey Jack  and Cream Cheese  puts the total at 6 kinds of dairy! Seriously, do not eat this more than twice a year! It will be the death of you! A happy death, granted, but death nevertheless.

Make the sauce and toss in the cooked pasta. There are two ways to enjoy your Spicy Mac n Cheese:

1. Straight from the stove – once you stir in the pasta in the cheese sauce, garnish with cilantro and serve. This will give you the creamiest version of Mac n Cheese. Eat it hot while the cheese is still molten for maximum gooey-ness.

2. Not a fan of gooey-ness? Take it one step forward: transfer the pasta to an oven proof dish. Top with more cheese, breadcrumbs and bake. The pasta will absorb the sauce further, and the bread crumbs will add a bit of crunch to taste.

Either ways, be sure to serve it hot! Unlike the regular mac n cheese (which I find quite bland, to be honest), this one is full of flavour and character, if you know what I mean. It is a very, very interesting spin on an old classic, and you can take that to the bank!

And for those who are curious, the green juice at the back is strained pineapple juice blended with a little leftover mint gel from the Carrot Halwa Jelly I made last week. And it was good!

When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here and will share it with pride on my social media feeds.

Spicy Mac n Cheese

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2 cup elbow pasta (I used wheat)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 0.75 cup onion, chopped
• 2 Jalapenos, chopped (do not de-seed)
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 0.5 cup carrot, diced and cooked a little
• 0.5 cup zucchini, chopped
• 0.75 cup cooked corn kernels
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 0.25 tsp cumin powder
• a generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 0.33333333333333 cup cream cheese
• 2.5 cup milk
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1.5 cup cheese blend (Cheddar + Monterey Jack)
• Salt, to taste
• 0.125 cup Garlic + Herb bread crumbs (optional)
• A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Method

 

Cook the pasta

1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water - If you are going to bake the pasta at the end, do not cook completely, remove and drain while it's still a little under done. Otherwise, follow packaging instruction to cook al-dente

Make the sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Melt butter in a large pan. Sauté the chopped onions and garlic with a pinch of salt until it becomes soft. Then add the jalapenos and cook till soft.
3. Add the cooked carrots, zucchini, corn, flour and sauté for a minute. Season with cumin and nutmeg.
4. Add the cream cheese, milk, 1/4 c parmesan, 1 c grated cheese blend and stir well till the cheese melts and becomes a sauce.
5. Stir in the cooked pasta. You can garnish and serve right away for the creamiest version. Or you can take it one step further and bake!

Bake!

1. Transfer the pasta to an oven proof dish and top with remaining parmesan, cheese blend and finally with the breadcrumbs (if using).
2. Bake in the preheated oven at 450°F/180°C for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. If you did not use the breadcrumbs, place under a broiler for 2 minutes for the cheese to brown a bit.
3. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot!