There are a thousand variations on macaroni-and-cheese, it seems. Rich. Creamy. Crunchy. And all sorts of different kinds of pasta. Well, if you’re a follower of this blog you know what we love Cholula hot sauce, often called Flavorful Fire. So it’s only natural then that we loved this Cholula macaroni-and-cheese. A little heat, but still that creaminess that makes mac-and-cheese soooo good.
Life’s Not All About Elbow Mac
I like making mac-and-cheese with something other than elbow pasta (like wagon wheel pasta). People aren’t expecting it, and you’ll find that some pastas hold the cheese sauce better than others. The little wheel pastas I used in my Cholula macaroni-and-cheese trapped the sauce in yummy little spokes.
Also try my pepperoni pizza mac and cheese.
This recipe is based on a recipe from Insane Chicken.
Cholula Mac-and-Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 teaspoons Cholula hot sauce
- 1 cup pepperjack cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 F.
- Cook pasta per package instructions. Drain.
- Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisking constantly, stir in the flour, cooking for 1 minute.
- While still whisking, add in the mustard, salt, white pepper, Cholula hot sauce, and in small amounts at a time, the milk.
- Bring to a slow boil, still whisking, and boil for 1 minute until thickened.
- Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses until melted and smooth.
- Add the pasta and gently stir to coat.
- Pour mixture into a 2 quart baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in the breadcrumbs and chili powder. Sprinkle mixture over the top of the mac-and-cheese.
- Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
- Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
