Jalapeño Mac and Cheese

Bring 2 liters (8 cups) of heavily salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 225g dry elbow macaroni, stir once to prevent sticking, and cook for 6 minutes (2 minutes shorter than the package’s al dente recommendation, as pasta will cook further during baking). Drain pasta fully and set aside; do not rinse, as residual starch helps the cheese sauce cling to noodles.

Place a 3-quart oven-safe skillet on the stovetop over medium heat (175°C / 350°F stovetop setting). Melt 42g (3 tablespoons) of the unsalted butter, and once foaming subsides, whisk in 24g (3 tablespoons) all-purpose flour. Cook the roux for 2 full minutes, whisking constantly, until it is pale golden and smells lightly nutty, with no visible raw flour lumps.

Slowly stream in 480ml whole milk and 120ml heavy cream while whisking nonstop to prevent lumps from forming. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer (small bubbles forming only at the pan edges, no rolling boil) over medium-low heat, cooking 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (a finger drawn across the coated spoon leaves a clean line that holds its shape). Stir in 3g garlic powder, 1.5g smoked paprika, 5g kosher salt, 0.5g black pepper, the 2 tablespoons reserved jalapeño brine, and 85g cubed softened cream cheese, whisking until the cream cheese is fully melted and smooth. Remove the pan from heat, then stir in 280g (2.5 cups) of the shredded cheddar in 3 small batches, stirring until fully melted between additions.

Add the drained, partially cooked macaroni and 113g diced pickled jalapeños to the cheese sauce, folding thoroughly with a silicone spatula for 1 full minute until every noodle is evenly coated in sauce, and jalapeño pieces are evenly distributed throughout the pan. Use the spatula to smooth the top of the pasta mixture into a flat, even layer.

Melt the remaining 15g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter in a small microwave-safe bowl by heating on high power for 20 seconds. Toss the melted butter with 30g panko breadcrumbs and the remaining 60g (1/2 cup) shredded cheddar until the crumbs are evenly coated in butter and cheese. Sprinkle this crumb mixture in a thin, even layer across the entire top of the mac and cheese, covering all bare patches of pasta.

Place the skillet on the middle rack of an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F), and bake for 12-15 minutes until the sauce is vigorously bubbling around the pan edges and the crumb topping is deep golden brown and crispy. Remove the pan from the oven, and let the mac and cheese rest for 5 full minutes at room temperature before serving to allow the sauce to set and thicken.