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    Home » Recipes » Spicy Mac and Cheese

    Spicy Mac and Cheese

    Creamy jalapeño Havarti and sharp & spicy habanero cheddar are perfect with tender corkscrew pasta in this soul-warmingly spicy baked mac and cheese. 

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    Taking a forkful of spicy mac and cheese from a red baking dish

    Guys, this is not your mama's mac and cheese.

    Instead of regular cheddar, we're making the cheese sauce out of half jalapeño Havarti cheese and half habanero cheddar cheese, and DANG IT'S GOOD. 

    It actually started as my mama-in-law's mac and cheese, but when I was looking for the Tillamook cheddar she recommended in the fancy cheese section of the grocery store, I got distracted by all the delicious options they have and I thought to myself...well, why not switch it up? Let's get some FANCY cheese!

    And I am so glad I did.

    This combination of cheeses is perfect; the Havarti is super creamy but still has a hint of spice from the jalapeño, and the cheddar packs a serious punch of flavor both in the cheese itself and from the habanero peppers running through it.

    Spicy mac and cheese in a red baking dish

    Fair warning - this mac & cheese is probably not for kids (or spice wimps 😜). You can alter the spiciness level by varying the exact cheeses you choose, but if you go with the same two that I used (Boar's Head Cream Havarti Cheese with Jalapeño and Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar Cheese), it's going to have a kick to it. The Havarti isn't super spicy, but the cheddar definitely is!

    But omg we LOVED it. Mac and cheese is already an amazing comfort food, but adding the heat to it just makes it warm your soul. If you like spicy and you like mac & cheese, this recipe is definitely for you.

    Spicy mac and cheese on a small plate next to a red baking dish
    Closeup of spicy mac and cheese on a fork

    Yummy noises await you!

    Spicy mac and cheese on a spoon
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    5 from 3 votes

    Spicy Mac and Cheese

    Creamy jalapeño Havarti and sharp & spicy habanero cheddar are perfect with tender corkscrew pasta in this soul-warmingly spicy baked macaroni and cheese. 
    Course Main Course, Pasta
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes minutes
    Servings 8 to 12

    Ingredients

    • 16 oz. Cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta (uncooked)
    • 4 tablespoon butter
    • ¼ cup flour
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 3 cups milk
    • 8 oz jalapeño havarti cheese, grated
    • 8 oz habanero cheddar cheese, grated

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large pot, cook the pasta in salted boiling water (use about 1 tablespoon salt in 3 quarts of water) until al dente (check it about 2 minutes before the recommended time on the box, you don't want to overcook the pasta now because it will cook a little more in the oven). Drain and set aside. 
    • Return empty pot to stove. Over medium high heat, melt butter and whisk in flour, salt & pepper and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking often, until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. 
    • Turn off heat. Set aside ¼ cup of each type of cheese (½ cup total) for the topping, and stir in remaining cheese a handful at a time. Add cooked & drained noodles to cheese sauce and stir to combine. 
    • Transfer mac & cheese to a buttered 9x13 baking dish and top with reserved cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling on the sides. Broil for about 2 minutes to crisp & brown the top, if desired. Serve immediately! 

    Notes

    Cavatappi/corkscrew is my favorite, but feel free to substitute your favorite short pasta shape! Just make sure to check the cooking time on the box. 
     
    I used Boar's Head Cream Havarti Cheese with Jalapeño and Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar Cheese. 
    Spicy Mac and Cheese - Creamy jalapeño Havarti and sharp & spicy habanero cheddar are perfect with tender corkscrew pasta in this soul-warmingly spicy baked macaroni and cheese. | YummyNoises.com
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Suzie Martin

      December 28, 2018 at 8:11 am

      Cute, Rachel—“not your mama’s Mac n cheese”. Indeed! Whatever cheeses you choose, it is really easy to make and a miraculous improvement over the boxed kind. It’s major comfort food!! Hugs, your mama-in-law

      Reply
    2. gwen ray

      December 29, 2018 at 8:36 am

      That looks AMAZING!!!! I love a good spicy kick in the palette! I can't wait to try it!!!

      Reply
    3. Andy

      February 13, 2019 at 8:02 pm

      I just made this and can confirm that it is delicious. Super cheesy. Full disclosure, I did have to make some cheese and pasta substitutions based on what I had on hand. Since I was missing the jalapeno in the havarti, I added some onion and chipotle seasoning to the roux to kick up the jams. I also mixed buttered, crumbled parmesan cheese wafers with the reserved topping cheese for a little crunch. If you're thinking about skipping the broil step, please don't.

      Reply
    4. Danielle

      March 05, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      Could this be partially made the day before?

      Reply
      • Rachel

        March 05, 2019 at 8:43 pm

        I haven't tried it myself but I think it would work just fine! I would do all the steps up to baking it in advance - store it covered in the fridge and bake it the day you are serving it. It will need a little more time in the oven since it's cold from the fridge, but just check to make sure it's warmed through and bubbly on the top and sides. Let me know how it goes! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi! I’m Rachel. Welcome to Yummy Noises, and thank you for visiting! I’m obsessed with food, and I think the absolute best way to gauge how good a recipe really is, is by the yummy noises. To me – that is how you know that your food is really awesome, and those are some of my favorite sounds in the world! More→

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