This Easy Stovetop Jalapeno Mac and Cheese is a quick fix to your dinner cravings and is for when you're really tired but want to treat yourself to a bowl of comfort food. Who can say no to some creamy, dreamy, mac and cheese topped with jalapenos? Make extras so you can enjoy the yumminess for a little longer!
Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. There is nothing better than a big bowl of creamy cheesy pasta and it always manages to beat away the blues.
We weren't allowed too much packaged food while growing up so I never ate those blue boxes of pasta. And mac and cheese was always made from scratch and while the blue boxes might be nostalgic, homemade mac and cheese tastes way better!
Since I always always love a hit of spice in my food, I love making this jalapeno mac and cheese. It's not 'hot' but has a sharp flavor from the jalapenos which reminds me a little bit of the cheesy center in jalapeno poppers.
If you love jalapeno, try out these Jalapeno Poppers, Jalapeno Three Cheese Samosas, Jalapeno Mango Cocktail, and Jalapeno Pesto Pasta.
3 Reasons to make Jalapeno Mac and Cheese at home
- This is a one-pot recipe which means that you don't need to boil the pasta separately or dirty a ton of dishes
- The flavor from the jalapenos really elevates mac and cheese and adds a nice sharpness and a little bit of heat
- This recipe is cheesy, without being gluggy or overcooked and there is a fair bit of sauciness
Most mac and cheese recipes require to be baked and I love the crunchy, cheese top - I do. But mum always made it this way and trust me, a warm bowl in your hand, your head against the pillow and a movie playing on the laptop. That's all it takes to wash the tiredness away.
Can Jalapeno Mac and Cheese be baked?
Absolutely! Once you finish cooking the mac and cheese, transfer it into a baking dish, sprinkle some breadcrumbs and parmesan on top and broil it (top element only) for 5 minutes till the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Can Jalapeno Mac and Cheese be made in advance?
If making this in advance, reduce the cooking time to 8 minutes so that the macaroni isn't overcooked. To reheat, add some milk, stir well and simmer till heated through completely. To microwave, stir some milk in and microwave in 1-minute bursts till hot.
The day you try this out, make sure to wear your stretchy pants because I promise there won't be any leftovers!
More Creamy Pasta Recipes
- White Sauce Pasta with Veggies
- Chicken Florentine Pasta
- Creamy Prawn Scampi Pasta
- Pasta in Jalapeno Pesto
- One-Pot Vegetable Pasta
Watch Jalapeno Mac and Cheese Recipe Video
Easy Stovetop Jalapeno Mushroom Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 4 Jalapenos
- 2ยฝ tablespoons Flour
- 3 cups Milk
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 ยฝ cups Water
- 1ยฝ cups Elbow Macaroni dry or any other small pasta
- 1 cup Cheese โ grated I used a mix of Mozzarella and cheddar
- ยพ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Start by deseeding the jalapenos and chopping the jalapenos
- In a large pot, add butter and jalapenos. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- In the same pan, add the flour. Cook the flour on low flame for a minute. Slowly add milk while whisking it into the flour to make sure there are no lumps. Increase the heat, and keep whisking till the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the flame and cook for 3-4 minutes till the sauce thickens up and itโs consistency is almost like heavy cream.
- Add pepper, Italian seasoning and mix. Add water and macaroni and bring this to a boil. Simmer till the macaroni is cooked through (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Add cheese and mix. The cheese will melt in under a minute. Serve hot.
Notes
- Pasta: This recipe works well with any pasta that cooks in 10 minutes so spirals, small shells etc all work in this recipe
- Jalapenos: If I'm making this for my family I don't deseed the jalapenos because we love the heat, but if that's too much for you make sure to remove the seeds. If you want the flavor to be even milder, use canned jalapenos
- Veggies: You can also add veggies such as mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, carrots or any other vegetable you like.
- The trick to a creamy sauce is to keep whisking while adding milk to the roux (butter + flour) and making sure there are no lumps.
Richa Gupta says
It was delicious. Thanks for stopping by!
Richa Gupta says
Thanks Lydia!
Richa Gupta says
Thanks Sandhya
Richa Gupta says
Oh it totally is! This was dinner two nights in a row ๐
Sarah says
Mac n cheese is aways a good idea - and with jalapeno's added in the mix YUM. This looks like the perfect comfort food to warm me up on a cold, rainy day
Sandhya says
Looks awesome! I am getting hungry looking at it!
LydiaF says
I love this combination of flavors. And one pot makes it even better! Pinned ๐
Derek says
You got to be kidding me! This looks awesome!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
I don't make mac and cheese often because of the baking and lack of veggies - but your recipe solved both those issues! Delicious!
Megan Marlowe says
I love jalapeno mac and cheese and then you went and added mushrooms-I'm in mac n cheese heaven! What's even better? I'm the only one in the house who eats mushroom so I can have this all to myself!
J @ A Hot Southern Mess says
My hubby would love this recipe! He LOVES both mushrooms and jalapeรฑos. I will have to surprise him with this! Thanks for sharing!
Richa Gupta says
I definitely prefer this version now. Thanks for stopping by!
Adam Baratz says
Love this recipe, I'm not big on baked mac n cheese.
Richa Gupta says
Haha I knooooow right! I have all kind of ideas in my head right now ๐
Ramya Menon says
This is gorgeous. Almost felt like I could see you curled up with a bowl :). And yes! You should make it a thing. Monday Mac and Cheese and what all things you could do to spice it up!