Recipe - Jalapeno popper mac ‘n’ cheese

Traditional macaroni and cheese is a casserole baked in the oven; however, as in this recipe, it may be prepared in a sauce pan on top of the stove.

History students might know…

Pasta and cheese casseroles have been recorded in cookbooks as early as the 14th century's Liber de Coquina, one of the oldest medieval cookbooks. It is an Italian dish of parmesan and pasta and was brought to England in the 14th century.

The first modern recipe for the dish was included in cookery writer Elizabeth Raffald's 1769 book The Experienced English Housekeeper.*

Serves: 4 – 6

Ingredients

10g Salt and pepper
500g Macaroni
25ml olive oil, for drizzling
3 Jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced (veg express)
2g Chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
300 ml Whole milk
200g Cream cheese
2 onions, diced
400g Cheddar cheese, grated

To prepare

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the macaroni and cook until just cooked (al dente)
2. Drain and return to the pot
3. While the pasta is cooking, in a frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the jalapenos, chilli flakes, onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until tender
4. Add to the pasta
5. Preheat the grill
6. In a saucepan, add the milk and cream cheese over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until smooth
7. Add to the pasta
8. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper
9. Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and grill, until browned, for about 3 minutes.

Recipe by Dan Ostler, Executive Chef at Brookes

* Courtesy of Wikipedia – we assume it’s accurate, but you may want to check – or do some other research!