Recipe: Deliciously Trashy Mac and Cheese with an Extra Hit of Mustard and Pickled Jalapeños

Serves 4

-1 tablespoon kosher salt for pasta water

- 12 ounces small elbow macaroni

- 8 ounces evaporated milk

- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce

- 4 to 6 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt

- ¼ cup Dijon mustard, or to taste

- 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon paprika, or to taste

- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

- 6 ounces jack cheese, shredded

- 1/3 to ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan or similar hard grating cheese

- Salt to taste

- About ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

- ¼ cup pickled jalapeños, chopped or sliced

1. Bring about 6 quarts water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup cooking water, then drain. Pour macaroni back into hot pan and cover.

2. Meanwhile, pour evaporated milk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge. Remove from heat and whisk in hot sauce, sour cream or yogurt, mustard and paprika.

3. Pour sauce over the macaroni and add cheese in batches. Mix until macaroni is coated and cheese is melted. Add a little of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce. Taste and add salt if necessary. Add ground pepper and pickled peppers. Serve immediately. Or pour the mixture into a 2-½-quart baking dish and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until top is just beginning to turn brown in spots.

From "Macaroni & Cheese" by Marlena Spieler