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Creamy, cheesy and slightly spicy mac and cheese made with pepper jack cheese. The pasta is covered with a creamy pepper jack and cheddar cheese sauce before being baked topped with more cheese. This mac and cheese can be made for a side dish, or even as a vegetarian main dish. You can even make this mac and cheese as an alternative to classic mac and cheese for Thanksgiving.
The creamy and spicy cheese sauce is first started by melting butter in a large saucepan. Cook flour in the butter for a minute to brown. Pour in milk along with pepper jack cheese and half of the cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook the cheese sauce while whisking constantly until both of the cheeses have fully melted and the sauce has thickened. Mix the cheese sauce with cooked pasta and spread it out into a greased baking dish. Top with the remaining half of the cheddar cheese and bake until the cheese is fully melted.
Baked Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz. elbow noodles
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute to brown.
- Pour in milk and add in pepper jack cheese and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until smooth and thickened.
- Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and spread out into a large greased baking dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes.