Creamy Macaroni & cheese made with “from scratch” cheese sauce made with 3 kinds of cheeses and fresh jalapenos. Super comforting meal.
How are you coming along with your valentines day preparation? Or you are one of those who don’t believe in all this and feel it’s utter nonsense and waste of time and money. Well whichever case you are, this is one meal you should be so making! Valentines or no valentines, this super rich cheesy comfort food is what every one needs to indulge in once in a while. And what better excuse than this valentines day.
I have noticed everywhere around the internet and food blogs, it’s all about sweet stuff. I myself have a big sweet tooth but hey I thought we can’t just survive on sweets alone, can we? So here if you are still planning on making something special for your family or simply for yourself, this is a good start.
By now, you must be aware of how much we can get sucked into these networking tools. One such tool is instagram which I have been hooked up to lately and with so much delicious food there, It gets hard to stay firm on your plans. That’s what happened to me. I was supposed to be making you guys a delicious bean & beet burgers (which are ohh so DELICIOUS! Will be posting #soon) but I saw some sort of super cheesy mac & cheese and since it was all gloomy and cold that day, I just couldn’t stop myself from cancelling my burger plans and switching up things. See, told you!
But this pasta! I mean I have made tons of different sorts of mac & cheeses in these last few years but I think this was the best one yet. Super creamy sauce and do make sure you use good quality cheeses. Just don’t even think of using the packaged shredded kinds. And chopped up fresh jalapenos for that slight kick.
The best part? It comes together in under an hour! May be 30 minutes if you have everything ready. Seriously and it’s one meal you can make for a crowd with very little preparation.
I mean just look at that cheesy goodness. How can even resist it? I am already dreaming about it. I think I went little over the board with pictures but I just couldn’t pick which ones not to post! See, power of cheese!!
And are you following me yet on Instagram , facebook or Pinterest? Go ahead!
- 1 pound pasta (I used shell shape)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4.5 cups whole milk or any fat content milk
- ½ cup water
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1-2 fresh jalapenos, chopped (adjust as per taste)
- 1 cup gruyere, shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
- 2 cups pepper jack
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs (optional) (I used my homemade Italian breadcrumbs. Recipe in archives. Search for DIY breadcrumbs)
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Once it starts to come to a boil, add good amount of salt. Add pasta and cook as per package instructions. If no instructions, cook until al dente.Rinse and Add a bit of oil so that they don't stick while sitting. Keep aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a deep pot or pan. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add flour and cook stirring until lightly goldenish in color. Add milk and water and keep stirring on medium flame until it's smooth and it starts to thicken.
- Add salt, black pepper, rosemary and jalapenos. Add cheeses one at a time, making sure to stir so it's dissolved smoothly. Once you have a creamy cheesy sauce ready, add your cooked pasta. Stir it all together and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Transfer it to a baking dish and top with breadcrumbs if using. Warm it in a 400F pre heated oven for around 20-22 minutes. Serve along with red chili flakes on the side.
More Pasta Recipes:
Christina @ Bake with Christina says
February 7, 2015 at 10:52That sauce looks heavenly and so savory!! Such a delicious idea for a tasty mac and cheese! 🙂
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Thanks Christina!!
Manali @ CookWithManali says
February 7, 2015 at 10:52That looks super creamy Ami! I’m drooling!
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Thanks girl!!
Nagi @ RecipeTin Eats says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52You’re speaking my language Ami!! OMG, Mac N Cheese is one of my all time favourites!! This version is FAB! I adore the addition of jalapeño! 🙂
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Hehe thanks for stopping by Nagi!!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Jalapeno Mac & Cheese Sounds and looks just so CREAMY & YUM, Ami! Yes to all of this!:)
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Thanks Anu!!
easyfoodsmith says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Yum! That cheesy sauce is droolworthy! Lovely clicks.
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Thanks!!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52This looks so creamy and delicious, Ami! Love the three cheeses and the jalapeno kick in here! Love that it comes together so quickly too!
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Kelly give it a try!!
cheri says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Hi Ami, love your cheesy sauce, I could eat this anytime of day!
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Thanks girl!!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52This looks like the creamiest mac ‘n cheese, Ami! Definitely a favorite in my book. And I love the jalapeno flavor, definitely jazzes it up!
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Glad you liked it Gayle!! Give it a try girl!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52This looks amazing! Mac & Cheese is my favorite comfort food and I love the addition of jalapeños to spice things up!
naivecookcooks says
February 8, 2015 at 10:52Thanks Sonali!!
Maya @ Treats and Eats says
February 10, 2015 at 10:52This looks so delicious! I love cheese and jalapenos so this is right up my alley. Totally going to make this!
naivecookcooks says
February 16, 2015 at 10:52You should Maya and let me know how you like it!! 🙂
Vkm says
November 21, 2015 at 10:52I tried this today n came out yummy!!! I fod not have gruyere but used the other 2 cheeses.
Larry says
January 8, 2019 at 10:52I hate tring to download a resipe, when you have to jump through hoops
naivecookcooks says
February 18, 2019 at 10:52Sorry Larry you had problem downloading one of my recipes. Could you please explain in detail what is the exact problem so I could look into it? Thanks a lot!