Habanero Macaroni Poppers

Thanks again to Lindsay for another great recipe!

Ingredients:
• Elbow Macaroni (mini shells also work well)

• Aged White Cheddar Cheese

• Swiss Gruyere

• Cream Cheese

• Parmesan Cheese

• Breadcrumbs

• Flour

• Butter

• Milk

• All Spice Cafe Cayenne Habanero Hot Sauce

• Jalapeno Peppers

 
Heat 2 cups of pasta (macaroni or mini shells) in a pan of salted, boiling water.  Cook 7-8 minutes until not quite al dente (as pasta will be baked to completion in oven).  In a large skillet, heat 5 Tbsp of butter.  Stir in 3 Tbsp of flour and cook out the “flour taste” for a few minutes.  Slowly add 1 C. milk, whisking constantly to form a rue.  When mixture is creamy, begin adding cheese.  First add 2 oz. of cream cheese, stirring until melted.  Next, add 1.5 C. shredded white cheddar, 1 C. shredded gruyere, and 1/2 C. shredded parmesan.  Once cheese is added, add 1 (or 2, if you like things “spicy”) Tbsp All Spice Cafe Cayenne Habanero Sauce.  This will give the cheese sauce a warmer orange color.  If mixture becomes too thick, add milk, 1 Tbsp at a time to bring to desired consistency.

spicy macaroni? please...

mac n cheese from scratch!

Separately, add 1 tbsp of butter to 1/2 C. breadcrumbs.  (FYI – The photo above is deceiving… I learned “the hard way” that 1 C of breadcrumbs was too much and I had to toss out some extras.)  Ensure the breadcrumbs become coated in butter – this will help them bake up nice and crispy in the oven.  Rinse and chop 1 jalapeno pepper into small cubes.  Stir into cheese sauce.  When the noodles have cooked and the cheese sauce is ready, combine, mix well, and spoon mac n cheese into a buttered muffin tin.  Add buttered breadcrumbs and thin slices of jalapeno pepper on top.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and add 1 drop of Cayenne Habanero hot sauce on top of each sliced jalapeno.  Isn’t that cute? Run a knife around the edges of each popper and gently pry out of the muffin tin.  Serves 4-6.