Creamy macaroni and cheese with a spicy spin! Mac-n-cheese is no longer the tiny noodled milky staple from the box. Whole restaurant chains have been built on the foundation of this cheesy noodle dish. I am always up for a spiced-up version of any dish. This one will knock your socks off; it is so delicious!

Why I love this mac-n-cheese

This dish is pure comfort food. I love cheese. I love Mexican food. Cheesy Mexican food, yes, please, and then some more. Thank you! I am always drawn to the mac-n-cheese dishes at any restaurant. Sadly, my stomach cannot handle large doses of dairy any longer, but that doesn’t stop me from making it for my family. I love mac-n-cheese as a side dish for a BBQ. The edges are all crispy and nearly burnt; can you smell it? The toasty smell of burned cheese. I have a few opinions about how to make the best macaroni and cheese dish, or should I call them rules. Read on for all my tips.

Tips for the best homemade macaroni and cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a piece of Americana. Simple. Indulgent. Versatile. Although it’s simple there are a few rules you must follow for the perfect macaroni and cheese.

1. Use real butter, not oil, or margarine (get oughtahere), and no you can’t skip the buttah!

2. The type of macaroni or noodle you choose is important. The noodle must have a generous pocket for the cheese sauce to flow into. The noodle also needs to have ridges for the sauce to grab on. Pockets and ridges are friends of the sauce. Honestly the Kraft macaroni and cheese noodles are the worst possible noodles for mac-n-cheese. I prefer large shells, or jumbo ridged elbow macaroni noodles, as seen above.

3. Cheese. Lots of cheese. Do not skimp on the cheese. Use more than one type of cheese for depth of flavor. Depth of cheese flavor is good. Very. Very. Good. Cheddar, gouda, Monterey jack, colby jack, colby, goat cheese, American, velveeta, cream cheese, blue cheese, Swiss, mozzarella, ricotta, all good mac-n-cheese cheeses. Did I miss any?

4. Back to the noodles. DO NOT. I repeat DO NOT over cook the noodles. If anything under cook them. once you add the cheese sauce and bake they will finish cooking. Ugh worst thing ever is mushy noodles with cheese sauced.

As long as you follow the four rules above you really can not go wrong. Get creative and add all your favorite things to your mac-n-cheese.

Gather these ingredients

pasta
butter
flour
cheese: pepper jack cheese, white American cheese, sharp cheddar
evaporated milk
milk
salsa verde
mortons nature season salt
jalapeno pepper
red bell pepper
green onion / scallions
bread crumbs
cilantro

Tips & Variations

I love to use evaporated milk in macaroni and cheese, because it gives it a richer creamier texture. However, if you do not have evaporated milk on hand you can use all milk. Two percent or whole milk will give you the best outcome.
My family loves spice, if yours does not feel free to leave the jalapeno pepper and use green pepper instead.
When making any pasta in a sauce, be careful not to overcook your pasta. If anything undercook it, because it will continue to cook and absorb moisture from the sauce.
Protein: 1. This mac-n-cheese recipe is fantastic with shredded chicken added in. I suggest using a 3-4 cups of roasted chicken. 2. I have also added a can of black beans, drained and rinsed. 3. Our favorite is 1 pound of ground beef with a packet of your favorite taco seasoning, place this on the bottom of the pan and pour the salsa verde mac-n-cheese over the top and bake as directed in the recipe card below. It’s a twist on shepherds pie!

If you love this recipe as much as my family does, please take a few seconds to rate the recipe in the recipe card by giving it all the stars. Share on your social media and don’t forget to pin it on your Mac-n-cheese board!!

Thanks, XO Sheila