I know there are several Mac & Cheese recipes already on here, and I figured one more wouldn't hurt.:) Cook time for pasta isn't including in prep or cook time. As with all my recipes, please feel free to adjust the seasonings according to you and your families.
*Spices For Mac And Cheese
*Baked Mac And Cheese
*Spicy Mac And Cheese Baked
*Good Spices For Box Mac And Cheese
In our most recent post, we discussed the basics of a roux and the history surrounding this seemingly mysterious sauce. A roux is nothing to be afraid of and is in fact a key component in a quality mac n cheese recipe. Without the roux, your mac n cheese will look more like a yellow glob of space junk as opposed to a creamy, smooth macaroni casserole. With that said, we like to take standard dishes and spice them up a bit to bring them to a new level that will both please the family and wow your guests.
The Best Cheddar Cheese Sauce For Mac And Cheese Recipes on Yummly Cheddar Cheese Sauce Microwave, Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Macaroni And Cheese With Mornay Sauce. Pepper, taco seasoning, elbow macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese and 8 more. Cheese Sauce Recipes. Greek Pastitsio - mince and pasta bake with cheese. May 14, 2017 Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for McCormick Mac & Cheese Seasoning Mix, 18 oz at Amazon.com. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users.
[sc:adsense1]All of these recipes start with our basic mac n cheese recipe that requires the following (recipe at end of post).
*1 lb pasta (elbow noodles, or something very similar)
*3 tbsp butter
*3 tbsp flour
*salt
*pepper
*1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
*1/2 tsp dried oregano
*1 1/2 cups milk
*1/2 cup heavy cream
*1 lb sharp cheddar cheese
To make the sauce, whisk the butter and the flour together over medium heat in a large saucepan until smooth and slightly browned. Then, add the milk, cream, cayenne, oregano, and a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk until the sauce comes together and reduces by about 1/4. Then, add the cheese (grated of course) and whisk again until all of the cheese has melted. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, prepared the pasta according to the package directions. Then, drain the pasta and fold the sauce in with the pasta. For a standar mac n cheese casserole, mix 2 tbsp melted butter with a cup of panko bread crumbs. Place the mac n cheese in a sturdy baking dish and spread the bread crumb mixture over the top. Then place in a 400 degree over for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is browned. If you want to be adventurous and try one of our top 6 variations, skip the last part and just follow the directions below!
Here our our top 6 ways to spice up that old Mac n Cheese recipe:
*Cajun Mac n CheeseSpice up the sauce with a heaping tablespoon of chili powder and a dash of cayenne. To make it even more unique saute some small shrimp in a bit of butter and boil some crayfish to mix in with the cheese sauce just before serving!
*Blue Mac n CheeseInstead of using just a standard sharp cheddar cheese, replace 1/4 to 1/2 of the cheese with a nice crumbly blue cheese. This will surely give your sauce a more robust taste that will keep your guests begging for more.
*Italian Mac n CheeseThis one is super easy. All you have to do is dice up 2 or 3 very ripe roma tomatoes, being sure to remove the seeds and the icky liquid inside and mix with a dash of salt a pepper. Throw the tomatoes on top of each serving of the mac n cheese. You can even replace 1/2 of the cheddar with provolone or mozzarella (be prepared, this one is going to be very stringy . . . but you know what they say, the messier the better!). If you want a very unique flavor, use a smoked mozzarella or smoked provolone. This will wow everyone! Don’t forget a light bread crumb topping for a contrast in texture.
*All-American Mac n CheeseThis one screams “USA”. Instead of making the roux with butter (or oil), render down a half pound of thick-cut bacon. Carefully remove the crispy bacon pieces from the pan and set aside. Use the bacon fat to make the roux (just eye-ball the amount of bacon fat in the pan to figure out how much flour to add for the roux). Once you have added the cheese (go ahead and use american cheese for 1/2 to 3/4 of the cheese . . . after all, this is the all-american mac n cheese) and the sauce is nice and smooth, add the bacon to the sauce and stir to evenly distribute the bacon pieces.
*Under the Sea Mac n CheeseWhile the name may cause you to break out singing the song “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid”, it is really not the purpose of this take on the classic macaroni and cheese. This one is pretty easy though since all you have to do is take your favorite sea critters (we like to use little shrimp and bay scallops) and just pan fry them in a little butter. Then, when your sauce comes together and is nice and smooth, fold in the sea critters!
*Mac n Cheese BallsThis one is sort of a preview of a soon to come recipe here on cookingandbeer.com. Here, we will stick with the standard version that is super easy to make. After your mac n cheese is fully prepared and cooled (just stick in the fridge over night), take 3 dishes and fill one with flour, one with whisked eggs and another with bread crumbs (panko would be nice). Then, take the cooled macaroni and cheese and form it into 1/4 cup balls. Then roll them in the flour, then into the egg yolks and then finally into the bread crumbs. Lastly, just submerge them in hot vegetable oil (or peanut if you have it) at 375 degrees. Let them cook for about 5 minutes or until they are nicely browned and crispy! Serve to your guests and the will be coming back for more.
Enjoy!
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Spicy Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese. A fun twist on the original made in less than 15 minutes!
Macaroni and cheese has to be one of the best comfort foods there is. Creamy, rich and loaded with tons of cheese. This is not your ordinary mac and cheese though. This SPICY Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese is a twist on the original. Loaded with Jalapenos, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, Tabasco and cayenne pepper. Spicy but not TOO spicy.
A quick stove top mac and cheese that can be made in less than 15 minutes.
I love spicy foods. For me the spicier the better. If my nose is not running and my eyes are not watering it is not spicy enough. I made this pasta with just enough kick to add some spice but not enough to make you cry.Spices For Mac And Cheese
This spicy mac and cheese is made with a creamy pepper jack cheese sauce.
This mac and cheese starts off with a typical roux (butter and flour whisked together). This helps thicken up our cheese sauce. Milk is then added and simmered until bubbly and thick. Cook pasta until al-dente so it still has a nice bite to it. Stir in cheese, diced jalapenos, cayenne pepper, and Tabasco and pour over noodles.
You can add more spice to this recipe if you like by adding the seeds of the jalapeno. I omitted them. You can also give your jalapeno a quick taste test to see how hot it is. This will help determine how much to add.Baked Mac And Cheese
You can’t go wrong with mac and cheese as a side dish especially one with a kick like this. Make this alongside a salad or grilled chicken!Spicy Pepper Jack Mac and CheeseSpicy Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese. A fun twist on the original made in less than 15 minutes!Spicy Mac And Cheese BakedIngredients
*2cupsCavatappi pastauncooked
*1tablespoonunsalted butter
*1tablespoonall purpose flour
*1cupmilk
*1/2cuppepper jack cheeseshredded
*3/4cupcherry tomatoesquartered
*1teaspoonjalapenominced
*1teaspoonTabasco
*1/4teaspoonsalt
*1/4teaspoonpepper
*1/8teaspooncayenne pepper
*fresh parsley chopped for garnishInstructions
*Meanwhile add butter to a small saucepan. Heat until melted.
*Stir in flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes.
*Add milk and simmer whisking constantly for another 3-4 minutes until thick.
*Take off of the heat and whisk in cheese until fully melted.
*Stir in tomatoes, jalapeno, Tabasco, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
*Pour cheese sauce over the cooked noodles and toss to combine.Recipe Notes
Original recipe from chefsavvy.com. Please do not publish my recipe or pictures without linking back to the original post. Thank you!Spicy Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese Amount Per ServingGood Spices For Box Mac And CheeseFat 10g15%Cholesterol 26mg9%Potassium 220mg6%Fiber 1g4%Protein 10g20%Vitamin A 471IU9%Calcium 184mg18%* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
