Mac and cheese is synonymous with comfort food. Rich, creamy, cheesy… basically the perfect foundation to play with different flavours. Today we’re making a spicy mac and cheese recipe. The sweet and spicy caramalised onions make the perfect topping.
Spicy Mac and Cheese Recipe
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For years I have been a regular buyer of Cherry Tree Preserves Hot Garlic Pickle and they recently sent me a few jars to keep me stocked up over Winter. This pickle is perfect for creating sticky, spicy onions for our spicy mac and cheese.
Ingredients
For the caramelised onions:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 white onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp Hot Garlic Pickle.
For the mac and cheese:
- 150g macaroni
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 350ml milk
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 tsp thyme
- 1.5 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (if you like it hot)
- 50g mature cheddar
- 50g Gruyère
Method
Let’s kick off this spicy mac and cheese recipe by making those delicious spicy caramelised onions.
To a pan on low-medium heat add the butter and the onions. Fry until soft and translucent, then add the balsamic vinegar. Keep frying so the onions can continue to soften, reduce down and get sticky. Now add the Cherry Tree Hot Garlic Pickle and fry for a few more minutes. Once those onions are really soft and sticky, remove from the heat and set aside.
Now time to make the mac and cheese. Add your pasta to a pot of boiling, salted water and cook until soft (avoid al dente for this dish).
While the pasta is cooking, to a pan on low heat add your butter and flour and whisk together until a paste forms. Now whisk in the milk a little at a time until you have a sauce. To the sauce add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and chilli flakes. Season well. Now add the cheeses and stir until you have a delicious cheesy sauce. Drain the macaroni, return to the pot and pour over the cheese sauce. Stir to combine.
Serve in bowls and top with your deliciously spiced garlic pickle onions.
Recipe Overview
Spicy Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 2 Pots
Ingredients
For the spicy onions:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 white onions
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp hot garlic pickle
For the mac and cheese:
- 150 g macaroni
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 350 ml milk
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1.5 tsp thyme
- 1.5 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp chilli flakes optional
- 50 g mature cheddar
- 50 g Gruyere
Instructions
- To a pan on low-medium heat add the butter and the onions. Fry until soft and translucent, then add the balsamic vinegar.
- Now add the Cherry Tree Hot Garlic Pickle and fry for a few more minutes. Once those onions are really soft and sticky, remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add your pasta to a pot of boiling, salted water and cook until soft (avoid al dente for this dish).
- To a pan on low heat add your butter and flour and whisk together until a paste forms. Now whisk in the milk a little at a time until you have a sauce. To the sauce add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and chilli flakes. Season well. Now add the cheeses and stir until you have a delicious cheesy sauce.
- Drain the macaroni, return to the pot and pour over the cheese sauce. Stir to combine. Serve in bowls and top the mac and cheese with your deliciously spiced garlic pickle onions.
FAQs
What spices go in mac and cheese?
Mac and cheese is the perfect foundation to take on all kinds of different flavours. You really can try anything you like. I love really herby mac and cheese, and then to add contrast with the toppings.
If you like it how, you can spice it up by adding 1tsp of chilli flakes to your cheese sauce. You could even finish it with a drizzle of chilli oil.
What herbs go best in mac and cheese?
Woody and earthy herbs work so well in creamy dishes. For me a combination of woody rosemary and aromatic thyme are the perfect combination for infusing throughout the cheese sauce and adding a rich flavour.
A fun variation is to fry sage leaves until they go crispy, then to break those up into the cheese sauce. This works incredibly well when adding bacon to your mac and cheese… one to show in another recipe!
Can it be reheated?
The cheese sauce can become quite solid once it cools. So when it comes to re-heating your spicy mac and cheese, add it to a pot on low-medium heat and add a splash of milk. This will help to loosen up the sauce once more. After heating through it will be perfect to enjoy once more.
To reheat your onions, you can either microwave them or add them to a frying pan on low heat and warm them through.
More comforting recipes
If you like the sound of this recipe, here’s some more comforting meals that I think you will love as well:
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1 comment
Ultimate comfort winter food. Love this recipe.