Habanero Mad Mac

Kick Up the Spice

The Food Network's Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking prepare favorite hot dishes.

From the kitchen of Rachel Fontenot

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Servings:4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Cook Time: 30-60 min

This mac and cheese is full of cheese and spices. To make the dish hotter you can adjust the amount of habanero and/or powder.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons of diced fresh habaneras

8 ounces of Mac sauce (recipe below)

1/2 cup of cheese mix (recipe below)

1 teaspoon of habanero powder

8 ounces of bowtie pasta

3 tablespoons of hell fire crunch (recipe below)

3 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese

For the mac sauce:

1 cup diced white onion

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 quart Heavy Cream

1 quart Half and Half

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

2 teaspoons Gran Onion

2 teaspoons Granulated Garlic

For the cheese mix:

1 cups of shredded mozzarella

1 cups of shredded parmesan

1 cups of shredded cheddar jack cheese

Mix together well.

Cooking Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat til oil ripples. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh habaneros. Heat until they turn yellow. Add two ladles of mac sauce which is about 8 ounces, 1/2 cup of cheese mix (equal parts shredded cheddar jack, parmesan, and mozzarella) and 1 teaspoon of habanero powder to mix. Stir pan constantly until all cheese is incorporated and sauce thickens. Then add 8 ounces of bowtie macaroni. Once everything is mixed together portion the mac into a bowl. Top each dish with the hell fire cruch topping. Sprinkle a 2 ounces of Parmesan cheese on top. Place in oven until cheese starts to slightly brown, about 4-5 minutes. Top with a fresh stemed habanera.

For the Hell Fire Crunch:

A tablespoon of habanero powdered per 1/2 cup of Doritos In a blender place Doritos and powder in and pulse a few times until well blended.

For the mac sauce:

Sauté onions for 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté until translucent. Add 1 qt cream and spices. Stir until spices are incorporated. Add remaining ingredients. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes, until everything is thoroughly heated and all spices have been incorporated.

Tips: To make the dish hotter you can adjust the amount of habanero and/or powder

This recipe was styled by chef Karen Pickus for Good Morning America.

Recipe courtesy Rachel Fontenot for Habanero Mad Mac and Joyce Maloney for the mac sauce.