Spicy and Zesty Mac n’ Cheese

Posted On May 8, 2020

The best spicy and zesty Mac n’ Cheese you’ve ever ate is here! Everyone loves mac n’ cheese, a universal comfort food! There are so many variations to the classic recipe, and this is my take. This mac n’ cheese is outrageously cheesy, super creamy, a bit spicy and zesty, and topped with paprika bread crumbs. The cheesiness and crunchy bread crumb topping make it just irresistible!

This recipe is simple and easy to make. I have used four different cheeses in the homemade cheese sauce for the mac n’ cheese and that makes it different than any other recipe out there. The secret is to use habanero cheddar cheese to give it give it some mild spiciness and kick the flavors to a whole new level! This is like no other mac n’ cheese you’ve had before. You will have to make it to believe it!

Lets see what goes in this homemade, cheesy mac n’ cheese. It takes about 10 ingredients – that’s all you need! You need pasta (I used cavatappi, but you can also use elbow or small shell pasta), habanero cheese, extra sharp cheddar cheese, american cheese slices, fresh mozzarella cheese, butter, all purpose flour, and milk. Finally bake to perfection in the oven and top with paprika bread crumbs or panko. In about than half an hour, the best spicy and zesty mac n’ cheese will be ready to dance in your mouth.

How to make the best mac n’ cheese

Gather all the ingredients before you start cooking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease the baking dish.

Cook the pasta slightly under al-dente. Drain and set aside.

Make the roux. Melt the butter in a big pot or dutch oven over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour for about 2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.

Gradually whisk in the milk and cook over the medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbly. Turn off the heat.

Add all the cheeses until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.

Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated. transfer into the greased oven safe baking dish.

Mix paprika in bread crumbs or panko. Make a layer of bread crumbs/panko on top of mac n’ cheese.

Put the dish in oven and cook it at 375 degree for about 20 minutes or until the top layer is golden brown color and its bubbly!

Serve immediately.

Notes:

• You can substitute salted butter with unsalted butter. In that case, add 1 tsp kosher salt to the sauce.
• Use high quality cheddar cheese to get better tasting mac n’ cheese. I use Cabot brand Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese and Cabot brand habanero cheddar cheese.
• Please do not use pre-shredded cheese as some are mixed with some preservative powder which prevent them melting as well as freshly grated cheese and they also differ in taste.
• I like to use Land O’ Lake brand american cheese slices freshly sliced at the deli counter. The pre-packaged ones do not come close in quality.
• Bring the cheese to room temperature. I like to start the process with shredding cheese. This way, by the time sauce is ready, cheese are at the room temperature.
• Mix cheese into the sauce at low heat in order to melt properly and smoothly.
• Do not over-mix the sauce. After cheese has melted, immediately add the pasta and combine. Transfer into oven safe baking dish quickly, top with bread crumbs/panko and put the dish into the oven.