Spicy Mac and Cheese

  

I don't think I've ever met someone who could say 'no' to a hearty bowl of mac and cheese. It is a meal that is a favorite of my husband Muhi, and he became the inspiration for my post today. Muhi loves spicy food, so I put an quick and easy twist on a classic mac and cheese recipe for a little extra kick! 

I'm using not only the traditional smoked cheddar for this recipe, but also a habanero cheese. If that's too much spice for you, a pepper jack cheese is a good substitue. You will still get that pepper flavor without as much heat. If you don't want that peppery taste, then any melty cheese such as gouda or munster will make a great non-spicy mac and cheese.

Ingredients
1 box of pasta
4 cups of milk
1/2 cup of flour
6 tbs of butter
2 cups smoked cheddar cheese
4 cups habanero cheese
2 tsp chili powder
pinch of salt and pepper

Heat a pot of water over high heat until boiling. Add 1 box of pasta and allow pasta to cook until al dente, stirring occasionally. I'm using rigatoni noodles for this recipe, but you can use any pasta you like. Although, I would try to stay away from long noodles like spaghetti or linguini since they won't hold the cheese sauce as well. Drain water from cooked pasta pot and set pasta aside.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a medium sauce pan until milk is almost about to boil. You should see steam coming from the milk but no bubbles. Take the milk off the heat, and in another medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.

Once butter has melted, turn the heat on low add the flour. You should whisk the mixture for about a minute until the flour and butter becomes a shiny paste. This butter/flour mixture is called a roux. It is a french culinary technique that is used to thicken sauces and gravies.

Turn off the heat, and slowly whisk in the milk to the butter/flour mix. Stir continuously until the sauce is thick and smooth with no lumps. 

Next, add the shredded cheese to the milk sauce and stir until cheese had melted. Add the chili powder, salt, and pepper to the sauce.

Pour cheese sauce over the cooked noodles and mix.

You can serve as is, or you can bake in an casserole dish with bread crumbs and cheese on top for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Either way it is delicious and leads to one happy husband :)