This spicy and creamy Jalapeno Mac and Cheese is your favorite comfort food with an upgrade! If you like spicy foods that have that kick of heat, you’re going to love this recipe! It’s filling, creamy, dreamy and makes for a great weeknight dinner option after a long, tiring day at work!
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I’m a big fan of jalapeno peppers. They have just the right amount of heat, and have that beautiful flavor that you can put to use in so many different ways and recipes.
Every time I get my hands on a big batch of these peppers, I end up using them to make my spicy jalapeno hot sauce or a nice and hearty jalapeno popper breakfast casserole. I also love mac and cheese! Like my BBQ mac and cheese and this crockpot bacon mac and cheese!
So why not bring my two favorites together to make some delicious mac and cheese with a bit of a kick?
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Cheesy and creamy: It has the perfect balance of creamy and cheesy flavor, and is the a tasty comfort meal you’ll enjoy making.
- Quick and easy: Making the spicy mac and cheese is super easy! All you’ll need is a few minutes of hands-on kitchen time to make it.
- Family meal: It’s been an absolute hit with everyone in my family ever since I made it, and is one of my personal favorites too!
- Customizable: You can also customize and tweak the mix-ins and seasonings based on your preference.
Ingredients
- Pasta: I used rotini noodles here. They’re my absolute favorite, but you can easily swap it with any kind of pasta you enjoy! Cook them until they’re just al-dente.
- Jalapenos: Fresh jalapenos are the star ingredient here that add that nice bit of flavor. Use as much as your taste buds can tolerate.
- Cheese: I used a mix of shredded Colby jack and cheddar cheese for that irresistible flavor. You can use any other kind of good melting cheese too!
- Evaporated milk: I used evaporated milk instead of making a roux with flour, and it makes the mac and cheese so much better!
- Sour cream: For that bit of tangy, creamy deliciousness.
- Ranch seasoning: Feel free to use your favorite packaged ranch seasoning here! It just has an incredible flavor.
- Seasonings: Experiment with different seasonings of your choice, or just keep it simple and use some crushed black pepper and salt like I did.
- Butter: For that amazing rich flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Extra flavor: For a bit of extra flavor, I sometimes like to add a dash of cayenne pepper (for that spicy kick), dill pickle seasoning, or Italian seasoning mix.
- Veggie loaded: Bulk up the jalapeno cheddar mac and cheese with veggies like broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, peas, and even carrots. Just remember to blanch them first in the pasta cooking water for a few minutes.
- Make it meaty: To add a bit of protein to the pasta dish, you can also add some shredded chicken, pulled pork, cooked ground beef or sausage, or some diced leftover ham into the mix.
How to Make Jalapeno Mac and Cheese
To make this easy recipe, start by preheating the oven at 350 degrees, greasing or spraying your casserole dish, and getting all your ingredients ready.
Step 1: Combine the ingredients. Leave the pasta slightly undercooked and transfer it to a big mixing bowl. Add the shredded cheeses, evaporated milk, ranch seasoning, sour cream, butter and chopped jalapenos to the bowl.
Step 2: Mix it up. Season if needed and mix well to combine.
Step 3: Transfer. Place the mac and cheese mixture in your prepared baking dish. Top with extra shredded cheese and crushed black pepper.
Step 4: Bake, rest, and serve. Bake the casserole in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown on the top. Allow it to rest for a few minutes and serve!
If you love mac and cheese recipes like this one, you may also enjoy my Skillet Mac and Cheese, Crockpot Chili Mac, Mac and Cheese Meatloaf, Jalapeno Popper Chicken or this Lobster Mac and Cheese.
Storage
- Storing: If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the dish if you want to for up to three months. Allow it to cool down completely, cover it up with foil and transfer it to a freezer-safe bag before you freeze it. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: You can reheat the spicy mac and cheese in the microwave until it has warmed through, or pop it in the oven for a few minutes, ideally covered with foil.
Make Ahead: Assemble the dish the night before, leaving off the shredded cheese on top, and place it in the fridge overnight. Remove it the next day, sprinkle with cheese, and let it sit on the counter for about thirty minutes before baking. Add on 10-15 minutes to allow for the colder temperature at the start.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this cheesy and hearty baked jalapeno mac and cheese with a simple green vegetable side dish, or choose from my favorites like balsamic green beans, air fryer green beans, or some air fryer frozen Brussels sprouts.
I also love serving it with some other veggie side dishes like broiled asparagus or honey maple carrots.
Need some more inspiration? Check out this collection of what to serve with mac and cheese or these cheesy fall recipes.
Recipe Tips
- Cheese it right: Picking the right blend of cheeses can really make your spicy macaroni and cheese taste so much better. Choose 3 or more cheeses for the best balance of texture and flavor. Colby, Monterey Jack, cheddar and Parmesan are all great choices.
- Shred it at home: Packaged, pre-shredded cheeses can be more convenient, but for this recipe, I would highly urge you to shred your own cheese at home for the best flavor and creaminess.
- Top it right: For that nice and crispy crust on the top of the pasta bake, add some breadcrumbs in addition to the shredded cheese. Crushed crispy bacon is a great option too!
- Salt your pasta water: It makes such a difference in the taste of pasta and the overall dish.
Recipe FAQs
You can! Just remember that the pickled, bottled jalapenos will have considerably less heat than the fresh ones, so you might need to add more to get that perfect flavor you’re looking for.
If the sauce is too thick, it can dry out your mac and cheese. To keep this from happening, you can cover the baking dish with tinfoil to keep the moisture intact.
Video
More Delicious Casserole Recipes
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Jalapeno Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 jalapeno chopped
- 6 cups lightly cooked rotini noodles
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 2 cups cheddar shredded
- 2 cups colby jack cheese shredded
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup butter softened
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your noodles until almost cooked. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together noodles, evaporated milk, cheddar, colby jack, ranch, sour cream, butter, and chopped jalapenos.
- One thing to remember about this step is that you want to make sure your noodle to cheese ratio is properly balanced. Add too much and it’s overwhelming, add too little and it falls flat so for this recipe I am adding roughly three cups of cheese. I love cheddar, but since I wanted this dish to have a little kick I am splitting my cheese portion to result in half triple cheddar and half Pepper Jack.
- Spray a casserole dish with nonstick, and fill with macaroni mixture. Top with extra cheese and pepper.
- Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden and bubbling.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy every bite!
Video
Notes
- Cheese it right: Picking the right blend of cheeses can really make your spicy macaroni and cheese taste so much better. Choose 3 or more cheeses for the best balance of texture and flavor. Colby, Monterey Jack, cheddar and Parmesan are all great choices.
- Shred it at home: Packaged, pre-shredded cheeses can be more convenient, but for this recipe, I would highly urge you to shred your own cheese at home for the best flavor and creaminess.
- Top it right: For that nice and crispy crust on the top of the pasta bake, add some breadcrumbs in addition to the shredded cheese. Crushed crispy bacon is a great option too!
- Salt your pasta water: It makes such a difference in the taste of pasta and the overall dish.
Nutrition
This post was originally published February 2016. It's been updated with new content and images.
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