Jalapeño Broccoli Mac and Cheese Recipe
Try this Jalapeño Broccoli Mac and Cheese Recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Jalapeño Broccoli Mac and Cheese Recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 21.8243016804137 g
- Cholesterol 37.877343772491 mg
- Fat 13.8207967946812 g
- Fiber 2.21965176284008 g
- Protein 7.30397692719875 g
- Saturated Fat 8.29745470022168 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (254g)
- Sodium 149.069195589825 mg
- Sugar 19.6046499175736 g
- Trans Fat 1.40824303759738 g
- Calories 231 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil your macaroni until al dente, according the package. When there is 30 seconds to a minute left on the cooking time, add the broccoli to the boiling water. When the macaroni is finished and the broccoli is bright green, drain, rinse with cold water and set aside until your sauce is finished.
- In the same pot or a large sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for about three minutes, until completely smooth and incorporated. Pour in 1 cup of the milk in a thin stream while whisking. It might start out lumpy, but keep whisking and it will smooth out into a thick paste. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth. Keep on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add the salt and pepper, diced jalapeños, and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add the drained pasta and broccoli and gently mix. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed and enjoy hot.
Building the Roux Foundation
Bubbling white cheddar and pepper jack cling tightly to ridged tubular pasta while bright green florets offer crisp textural contrast. Creating a stable cheese sauce requires cooking butter and flour together for exactly three minutes to eliminate raw starch flavors before introducing dairy. Whisking cold milk into the hot flour paste in a thin stream prevents stubborn lumps from forming during the emulsification process.
Timing Broccoli Blending
Tossing broccoli florets directly into the boiling pasta water during the final sixty seconds of cooking preserves their vibrant chlorophyll color and firm crunch without requiring an extra pot. Rinsing both the drained macaroni and broccoli under cold running water halts internal cooking immediately so the vegetables retain integrity when folded into the heavy sauce.
Managing Pepper Heat
Capsaicin concentrations reside primarily in the white membranes and seeds of fresh jalapeño peppers, meaning removal of these internal ribs yields milder warmth throughout the dish. Grating block cheese manually rather than purchasing pre-shredded varieties ensures smooth melting performance because commercial bags contain cellulose coatings that inhibit uniform emulsion.
