Fall is here in Minnesota and the mornings are crisp and the leaves have turned. Living here in the winter may be awful, but I can see why fall is my wife’s favorite time of year.

After taking our black lab for a 3 mile walk this morning, it was time to warm up with one of my favorite comfort foods. Using a recipe from Hilah Cooking, it was time to make my first batch of macaroni and cheese of the year. This recipe will definitely warm you up – it calls for 4 jalapeños or a can of green chili peppers, giving some kick to the macaroni and cheese. This was perfect as I had 5 jalapeño peppers left from the last CSA box.

Hilah’s recipe is pretty straight forward – watch the video below for how to make it, and she will teach you how to make the roux and béchamel on your way to the finished product. I was worried that four jalapenos would be too much and it would be way too spicy – but it was just right. It warms you all the way through, both the heat of the peppers and the warmth of the mac and cheese. I did dice all of my peppers and did not leave strips as you’ll see in the video. I like my mac and cheese with a crispy topping, so I added some Panko bread crumbs and baked it for just over 10 minutes. Baking it will reduce how creamy it is, so it’s up to you on the tradeoff.

What I love about Hilah’s recipes and cooking channel is the recipes are not complex, great for someone like me who is learning the ins and outs of cooking – but the end result is always tasty. Check out the video below and subscribe to her channel.

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