Photo Cred: Steve Johnson, Flickr
Mac and cheese is one of America’s favorite dishes, but you don’t have to get stuck in a rut of the traditional mac and cheese recipe. This cheesy, gooey, delicious comfort food can be made even more fun by using some out-of-the-ordinary ingredients. Whether you’re looking to make easy baked mac and cheese or homemade creamy mac and cheese, you absolutely must try using these 10 ingredients.
Yancey’s Fancy Horseradish and Smoked Bacon Cheddar
Made from pasteurized processed cow's milk, this cheese has a soft and springy texture, which makes it a great melting cheese. Hickory wood smoked bacon and real ground horseradish are blended to create a smooth, creamy, and zesty cheese. We pretty much guarantee you that no one you know will have ever tried mac and cheese like this!
Yancey’s Fancy Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce Cheddar
Hot is an understatement when describing this cheese. Ingredients such as habanero peppers, jalapeno peppers, cayenne peppers, and hot wing sauce give this cheddar a serious spicy kick. Combine Yancey’s Fancy Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce Cheddar with mozzarella and other cheeses to make the taste a little milder. Either way, it will be a mouthwatering dish!
Espelette Pepper
Professional chefs love to use Espelette Pepper, a red chili pepper from the Basque region of France. Add some of this sweet and smoky condiment to your mac and cheese recipe and you’ll open up a whole new world of flavor.
Chiquilin Hot Paprika
Paprika is an interesting spice because it is more savory than it is spicy. Chiquilin Hot Paprika, therefore, is a more intense version of the beloved seasoning. Chiquilin Hot Paprika is made in Spain from fresh pods of the mild Ñora Peppers. These peppers are smoked over oak logs to add smoked flavor and aroma.
Matouk Calypso Sauce
Matouk Calypso Sauce starts out with a very mild taste, but as it makes its way across your palate it takes on a vinegar body with a hot pepper finish. This escalation from sweet to spicy is what will make Matouk Calypso Sauce a unique, complex ingredient to use in your homemade creamy mac and cheese. The taste develops and intensifies the more you eat!
Walden Farms Hickory Smoked BBQ Sauce
Mac and cheese often accompanies other BBQ dishes, so why not just cut to the chase and add some Walden Farms Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce? Make sure not to put too much, though, as you don’t want to overwhelm the taste of the cheese.
Huy Fong Foods Sriracha
Sriracha is an amazing hot condiment because it can be used on virtually any food. If you want to bring heat to your baked mac and cheese, put a moderate amount of sriracha sauce in with your recipe! The spiciness will be addicting.
Blue Mountain Country Curry Powder
Blue Mountain Country Curry Powder is a mild curry powder that will give you the authentic taste of the West Indies. This is a great spice to use if you don’t want to take the heat level over the top, but still want to make a unique recipe that people will drool over!
Sanniti Ground Chipotle Pepper
Chipotle is robust and slightly spicy, but it is most known for its incredible smoky taste. Simply sprinkle it in and stir! The amount you use is up to you, based on your preferred heat level.
Asaro White Truffle Oil
If you’re aiming to make easy baked mac and cheese but still want to obtain a rare flavor, drizzle some truffle oil on top of the breadcrumbs. White truffle is a delicacy with rich yet subtle flavor and a pleasurable, earthy aroma.