A savory and spicy twist on an American classic! This Chili Crisp Mac & Cheese is creamy with a spicy kick from chili crisp topped with crunchy furikake bread crumbs— the perfect fall comfort dish.
Nothing is more comforting than a warm bowl of mac and cheese. It’s so nostalgic, like a warm hug for your stomach.
Mac and cheese is one of my favorite pasta dishes, but I wanted to zhuzh it up a bit!
This mac & cheese is made the same way as the traditional method but with an addition of some chili crisp when creating your roux and topped with nutty and crunchy toasted furikake breadcrumbs, YUM.
It adds the perfect amount of heat I need, I may never go back to plain mac and cheese.
What you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted for this since the cheese and chili crisp are seasoned enough for my taste
- Chili Crisp: My favorite brands are Fly by Jing, Momofuku, and Laoganma
- All-purpose flour: To create the velvety roux base
- Milk of choice: I used whole milk, but plant-based milk is excellent too!
- Elbow pasta: A traditional pasta shape, but feel free to have fun and use other pasta shapes. I recommend ones with grooves to help catch all the yummy sauce!
- Shredded white cheddar cheese: I used white cheddar for the color of the sauce, but regular cheddar cheese will taste just as yummy
- Pinch salt and pepper: Just a smidge to taste!
- Panko breadcrumbs: For the toasted breadcrumb topping, panko breadcrumbs are much crispier!
- Furikake rice seasoning: This adds umami and savoriness to the breadcrumb topping
- Sesame oil: For toasting the breadcrumbs
How to make this Chili Crisp Mac and Cheese:
- Cook your pasta according to the package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, make your sauce. In a pan, melt the butter, and add the chili crisp and flour. Once you get a thick, paste-like consistency, add the milk and cheese.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix.
- In another pan, heat the sesame oil on medium heat and toast the breadcrumbs and furikake until golden.
- Top the pasta with the toasted furikake breadcrumbs and enjoy!
Watch how to make this Chili Crisp Mac and Cheese
More Favorite Recipes
- Crispy Chili Oil-Fried Eggs with Creamy Ramen
- Bulgogi Beef Banh Mi
- Chicken Katsu (Japanese Fried Chicken Cutlet)
- Furikake Rice Krispies
- Kimchi Tomato Soup
- Gochujang Stew
I hope you enjoy this recipe for this chili crisp mac and cheese! Please leave me a star rating and comment to let me know your thoughts! Happy cooking, xoxo!!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons FBJ Chili Crisp
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 cup elbow pasta
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- Pinch salt and pepper, to taste
For Furikake Breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons furikake rice seasoning
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a pot of water, cook the elbow pasta noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set it aside.
- In another pan, heat butter and chili crisp on medium-high heat until the butter is melted.
- Add the flour to the melted butter/chili crisp and stir to create a roux, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the milk to the roux and cook until the sauce thickens. Add the shredded white cheddar cheese and stir to create a silky, smooth cheese sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and mix to combine.
- In a small pan, heat the panko bread crumbs, sesame oil, and furikake seasoning on low heat. Toast the breadcrumb mixture just until it is golden brown.
- Top the chili crisp mac & cheese with the toasted furikake bread crumbs and enjoy!
Did you try this recipe?
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