Kicked Up Mac and Cheese Recipe

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Most Helpful Positive Review

Oct 01, 2007

This recipe is awesome!! We all loved it, even my one-year old. (I did cut back on the hot pepper sauce). I put the chili powder (and a little less) into the sauce and used a mix of 2% and 1% milk. I used more pasta too, probably 2.5 cups and I could have used more, but I like an extra cheesey, saucey sauce opposed to a drier sauce. We had broccoli with this and spooned some of the extra sauce over that. I used radiatore pasta in this and it was wonderful. Shredded my own parm, used Tillamook Pepperjack and Tillamook Extra Sharp Reserve White Cheddar cheese. Used a bit extra of all the cheeses. LOVED it!!! I used crushed garlic croutons in place of bread crumbs and butter. We couldn't get enough. I will make this again.

—What a Dish!

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 30, 2007

I thought this recipe came out REALLY dry. After second thought, I'm not really sure why the baking time was so long--I think that's what dried out the cheese. Kinda disappointing texture after seeing the great reviews. Next time, I'll add alot more cheese and cook less because I did really love how spicy it was.

—Sara Rogers

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141 Ratings

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Oct 19, 2009

I made this tonight as a test for a dinner party next weekend. 1. I used 2% instead of whole milk. Do not do this as it breaks and makes for a chalky texture. 2. I used pepper cheddar instead of pepper jack since I had it on hand; probably no significant difference. 3. The pasta amount is definitely a typo. I used more like 2.5 cups. 4. Personally, the hot sauce heat level was fine or too low, but I did not love the vinegar aspect it added. Next time I will do a combo of jalapenos and cayenne. 5. I will add more mustard next time and mix the chili powder into the sauce. 6. I added parmesan to the bread crumb/butter mixture and melted in the microwave instead of in a pan. Worked beautifully and saved me a dish to wash. Overall, this is a really good recipe. I may just have a piggy husband, but 8 servings is debatable.

—rabidkitten

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Dec 26, 2008

Hyperpuppy, I bow to your cooking genius. How I wish I could give this one ten stars. It is that good, folks. If you like traditional comfort food with a big twist, this is your ticket right here. I added some Oscar Mayer bacon bits. For my own personal tastes the next time I make this, I will add another 1/2 cup milk. I will also add the chili powder to the cheese mixture. I think I tasted too much chili powder. Otherwise this is my favorite recipe from this webstie.

—smt10131969

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Mar 21, 2005

This is awesome mac & cheese! I made it for our group of adult friends and they've requested it again and again. I use 1 box of pasta, thinking the 1 1/2 cups of pasta on the recipe must be a typo.

—BLOUBIRD

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Jun 12, 2008

This was amazing - the compliment I got was "steakhouse worthy". I did use 1% and 2% milk instead of whole, and I left off the crumb topping and instead put a little extra cheese on top (left off the extra butter and added the red pepper to the mac). Towards the end of the baking, I turned on the broiler to get a nice brown/crispy layer. Had great flavor and will DEFINITELY make again!

—RWLEVINSON

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Jul 23, 2008

As I'm eating leftovers for the third day in a row on this one, I have to say, this was delicious. I accidentally doubled the mustard, but it still turned out great, and I did use a whole box of pasta after seeing the reviews and noting how much sauce I had. Delicious. I'm on the mission to create the perfect mac & cheese, so I'll continue experimenting, but this was a perfect start to me and I'm pumped to use some of the ingredients here. Also - I used a combo of panko and italian breadcrumbs for the topping. Delish!

—EDUNCAN02

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Oct 15, 2007

This makes an excellent change from basic mac&cheese. I used about 3/4 of a box of elbow macaroni, then cut the hot sauce down to 1 teaspoon and added a can of Rotel tomatoes to compensate...yum! This reheats well with an extra splash of milk. Next time I'll leave off the breadcrumbs since I don't think that really added anything, and throw in some ground beef for a complete meal.

—yayforsprinkles

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Nutrition

Calories
352 kcal
18%

Carbohydrates
19.6 g
6%

Cholesterol
69 mg
23%

Fat
23.3 g
36%

Fiber
1 g
4%

Protein
16.4 g
33%

Sodium
690 mg
28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Kicked Up Mac and Cheese

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 352
Calories from Fat: 209

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23.3g 36 %
** Saturated Fat 13.8g 69 %
** Cholesterol 69mg 23 %
Sodium 690mg 28 %
** Potassium 208mg 6 %
Total Carbohydrates 19.6g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 1g 4 %
Protein 16.4g 33 %
** Sugars 5g
Vitamin A 19 %
Vitamin C 3 %
Calcium 52 %
Iron 11 %
** Thiamin 11 %
** Niacin 32 %
** Vitamin B6 6 %
** Magnesium 9 %
** Folate 24 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.