Oh you know me. I like big salads.
Green things.
Colorful plates full of healthy foods.
…but I also like eating mac and cheese with Ryan. This winter we started making 2 boxes of mac and cheese at a time, just so neither of us had to settle for only half a box. I’m not proud, but I am honest. Boxed mac and cheese is just SO GOOD sometimes.
Other times though? I need that thick, creamy and cheesy sauce that only comes with the extra effort of the homemade label. The variation I’m sharing with you today has actually been on my recipe radar for almost 3 years; a wedding we attended in 2012 was catered by a local barbecue/rib restaurant, so I went in without much hope of a dinner. Then, however, I got my hands on some buttery biscuits and jalapeño corn mac and cheese. Carbs for the win (<--I just wrote "wine" instead of "win"...#life).
When I finally got around to making a version at home, I used whole grain macaroni for just the tiniest hint of a healthier choice, a mix of sharp cheddar for tang and monterey jack for creaminess, and a splash of hot sauce for some extra spice. I was a Sriracha girl for a long time, but lately I’ve been all about Cholula, which makes an appearance in the sauce and also on top when served. Ryan puts hot sauce on everything (it’s impressive, actually), so I knew this mix of jalapeño heat, sweet corn, and peppery spice would go over well with that Beast of mine.
This macaroni has everything you want in a grown-up comfort food: salty, creamy, spicy, subtle sweet bites of corn, and PASTA. Plus it comes together quickly, and reheats well with an extra splash of milk. When you need a bit of easy decadence, this macaroni gets the job done.
Whole grain elbow macaroni cloaked in a smooth jalapeño cheese sauce spiked with Cholula hot sauce, and studded with sweet corn. Rich, creamy and spicy comfort food at it's finest!
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition Information: Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe, Calories: 515, Total Fat: 24.2g, Saturated Fat: 11.3g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 546mg, Potassium: 335mg, Total Carbohydrates: 53.3g, Dietary Fiber: 2.4g, Sugars: 6.4g, Protein: 21.4g