I am excited to partner with DairyPure milk to bring you this new recipe. While this post was sponsored, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
We love mac & cheese in our house. I don’t get to make it from scratch as often as I like but I try to make a big batch and then freeze it for later use at least once per month. Since we eat it a lot, I like to try and change it up from time to time and go beyond a basic macaroni and cheese. Recently, I wanted to make some that was geared a little more to the adults in our house and created spicy Italian macaroni and cheese.
Now, this can totally be customized to be a little more friendly to the little ones in your house but I like the little kick that the pepperjack cheese offers. A big bonus for me is knowing that this is a good way to get some extra calcium in thanks to the delicious milk and cheese; two things we ALWAYS have in the house.
Spicy Italian Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients:
16 oz cavatappi pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1 cup roasted red pepper strips
2 1/2 cup milk
1 3/4 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
Let’s Make It:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente; approximately 6 minutes. Drain.
3. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and garlic. Slowly whisk in milk, letting each addition fully incorporate before adding more.
4. Bring a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 cup pepperjack, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2/3 cup asiago cheese.
5. Stir cheese sauce, pasta, crushed red pepper and red pepper strips together. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining pepperjack and asiago cheese.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
I used DairyPure milk for my recipe and have recently switched my kids to drinking it now that it is available nationwide. I love it because it is backed by an exclusive Five-Point Purity Promise, ensuring that the milk
– contains no artificial growth hormones
– is tested for antibiotics
– is continually quality tested to ensure purity
– only comes from cows fed a healthy diet
– is cold shipped fresh from a local dairy
- 16 oz cavatappi pasta
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 cloves roasted garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips
- 2 1/2 cup milk
- 1 3/4 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain.
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and garlic. Slowly whisk in milk, letting each addition fully incorporate before adding more.
- Bring a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 cup pepperjack, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2/3 cup asiago cheese.
- Stir cheese sauce, pasta and red pepper strips together. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining pepperjack and asiago cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Get even more macaroni and cheese ideas from these great posts.
Cajun Mac & Cheese // Pumpkin Mac & Cheese / Turkey and Spinach Macaroni Bites
Natasha Mairs says
this looks so good!! can’t beat mac & cheese
theartinpartyplanning says
This is sure to be a new family favorite! I LOVE mac and cheese and spice!
theartinpartyplanning recently posted…Watermelon Characters
Evija says
This looks so delicious. I absolutely love mac and cheese and would definitely love to add some spice. This is very creative, thank you for sharing and joining our Oh My Heartsie Girl Wordless Wednesday Link Party.. Have a great day, co-host Evija @Fromevijawithlove
Evija recently posted…How to paint and cover a set of dining room chairs – makeover
Alli says
Yum, this looks soooo good. Love coking with this type of pasta. I need to try this soon! Pinning!
Alli recently posted…New Themes: Apostrophe and Canard
AnnMarie says
yum! making this this week! I am always looking for different mac and cheese recipes too. Pinned
Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai says
Mmm… sounds like a tasty twist on a great comfort food. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty – we love partying with you! Hope to see you next Friday. 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai recently posted…Home Matters Linky Party # 39
All that's Jas says
That sounds and looks amazing! Thank you so much for sharing at Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop!
All that’s Jas recently posted…Pear Martini Crisp
Patty from Chili Pepper Madness says
This sounds so good on so many levels. Love spicing anything up with chili peppers. What a great combo.
Patty from Chili Pepper Madness recently posted…Grilled Steelhead Trout with Chili-Rosemary-Lime Butter