Spicy Stove Top Mac and Cheese

In my opinion, there are very few dishes that are not best when eaten with a lot of spice. In fact, if I don’t have a runny nose at the end of a meal, I have to admit to myself that it wasn’t quite as tasty as it could be. Normally I just add a few tablespoons of my good friend Sriracha to whatever I’m eating, but when it comes to mac and cheese, such a delicious dish deserves something a little more special.
Before getting to the recipe, here’s a quick commentary regarding my deep-seated obsession with mac and cheese. While I always enjoyed this creamy treat, it wasn’t until high school that I came to truly understand the magnificence of this dish. It was then that my best friend, Angela, taught me to appreciate the simplicity of a cheesy pasta that oh-so-conveniently resides in an unassuming blue box…And while I continue to love the contents of that blue cardboard box, I recently decided that as I attempt to act more like an adult, a cheese covered dinosaur is no longer an appropriate mascot for one of my favorite dishes. With that in mind, I began my search for a tasty homemade mac and cheese recipe. I tried quite a few baked mac and cheese dishes, but they were just too cumbersome when I compared them with cheesasaurous’s recipe. In fact, I had all but given up hope on finding a quick and easy mac and cheese until I came across this recipe. Just a few simple ingredients, and voila – a super creamy, yet easy to prepare mac and cheese. Now if only it was a little spicier…

What you need:

  • 16 oz macaroni
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 12 oz evaporated milk
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 6 oz pepper jack cheese
  • 6 oz cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup diced fresh jalapenos (with or without seeds depending on desired spice)
  • 2-3 tbs chopped red thai chilis
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • Sriracha (optional)

What you need to do:

  1. Boil water and cook the pasta until it’s just short of al dente.
  2. Drain the pasta, return it to the same pot and turn the stove to medium-low heat.
  3. Add the butter to the pot and stir until it is melted.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, evaporated milk, spices and peppers.
  5. Pour the mixture over the pasta and stir until it starts to thicken (about 3 minutes).
  6. Turn off the heat, and then add the cheese a handful at a time. Be sure to stir the pasta until the cheese is melted before adding the next handful.
  7. Top with a little extra sriracha (I think it adds a nice sweet flavor…oh yeah, and some extra spice).
  8. Enjoy!
This entry was posted in Pasta, Vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

10 Responses to Spicy Stove Top Mac and Cheese

  1. mmmmm… you had me at “spicy” mac’n’cheese. I put sriracha in the boxed stuff, too!

  2. Hannah says:

    that looks so good! do you have any leftovers? 🙂

  3. Becca says:

    I hear you on the spice, when I haven’t had spicy (or garlicy) food for a few days I wonder why I keep eating bland food and feel like my diet is extremely boring (which it is but I notice more when I eat food without spice and/or garlic for too long).

    However, my go to is just sprinkling red pepper flakes on everything. I should probably carry a shaker around with me.

  4. mary novak says:

    Hi Spicy one. Looks very comforting. I’m thinking that winter and school and tests are driving the need for some classic comfort food. Want me to bring you some chicken soup? Love Moe

  5. mary novak says:

    Actually that would be mom not moe but if moe fits…go with it

  6. Samantha says:

    I carry a bottle of Sriracha in my purse when we go out to eat, just in case they don’t have it 🙂
    I eat it on EVERYTHING. Best thing I learned in college 🙂

Leave a Reply to Hannah Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

What is 14 + 6 ?
Please leave these two fields as-is:
IMPORTANT! To be able to proceed, you need to solve the following simple math (so we know that you are a human) :-)