New Orleans Mac and Cheese
by Sommer Collier — on Feb 2, 2026 I take everything I love about my classic, creamy baked macaroni and cheese and give it a bold Creole twist in this New Orleans mac and cheese. Made with four melty cheeses, the “holy trinity” vegetables of Louisiana cooking, and just the right kick of Cajun seasoning, this rich Southern comfort dish is perfect for holidays or whenever I’m craving something indulgent and unforgettable.
I know you don’t need me to tell you how iconic mac and cheese is. Seriously, this American food staple might as well be considered its own food group! Even though it’s often served as a humble side, when done right, it takes center stage on the dinner table. Today, I’m sharing with you a prime example of how easy it is to elevate my best homemade mac and cheese recipe with just a few key ingredients. This fabulous New Orleans mac and cheese is made with the “holy Trinity” veggie blend of onion, celery, and peppers, three cheeses – well, four, actually, when you consider the crispy Panko breadcrumb and parmesan cheese topping – and a good spoonful of spicy Cajun seasoning to tickle your taste buds.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Comfort Food with Pizzaz – The combination of cheese + carbs is the basic macaroni & cheese staple that you know and love. However, My New Orleans mac with tender veggies and fiery Cajun spice turns everyone’s favorite classic recipe into something a bit more flavorful and exciting!
Choose Your Heat – As the A Spicy Perspective name might indicate, I like my food with a good dose of spiciness. I use Cajun seasoning in this recipe, which includes cayenne pepper for a mellow but powerful heat. You can swap the Cajun for Creole seasoning for a similar Southern flavor, but with way less spiciness. And if you need to lower the temp even more for a kid-friendly version, swap out the pepper jack with more shredded cheddar cheese.
Made to Share – Trust me, you’re going to want a lot of this Cajun pasta to go around. So I made the recipe to yield 8-12 servings, depending on whether you’re serving it as a side or main entree. It’s a great non-boring dish for potlucks and parties, or to make as part of your weekly meal plan and enjoy for an easy dinner or lunch.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Small dried pasta – I love using noodles that have some curl and a nook and/or cranny for the cheese sauce to get into. I’m using twisty cavatappi pasta, but other types of pasta, like fusilli, rotini, or small elbow macaroni, also work well.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter, so I have total control over the amount of salt in the dish.
- Veggies – If a recipe is going to be considered “New Orleans”-style, then it has to include the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking: Diced onion, celery, and red bell pepper. I’ve also got garlic in here for an extra oomph of savory flavor.
- Milk – I like whole milk, but feel free to use 2% if you like.
- 3 Cheeses – Speaking of a trinity, my Cajun mac and cheese recipe includes a fantastic combination of cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded pepper jack cheese. For a milder flavor, substitute pepper jack for Monterey Jack.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour to make a thick, smooth roux as a base for the cheese sauce.
- Cajun seasoning – Use your favorite store-bought blend, or whip together my Cajun seasoning with a few pantry staples.
- Optional topping – I use a combination of Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese to make a crispy topping for the New Orleans mac and cheese. You can skip this, if you want, but I don’t recommend it!
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Boil the Pasta – The best way to do this right every time is to follow the instructions on the box. They know best! But cook the pasta on the low side of the cooking time, and check it a minute or two beforehand. You want pasta that is al dente, not completely cooked through and soft.
When it’s almost ready to drain, I use a ladle to scoop out about 3/4 cup of the pasta water and pour into a heat-safe cup or bowl. Then I drain the pasta in a large colander, and set it aside while the Trinity and cheese sauce come together.
Sauté the Veggies – Things are going to come together pretty quickly, so I get the oven preheating to 425 degrees while I prep the veggies and other ingredients.
Once everything is prepped and good to go, I spray a large 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, and set it aside. Then I set a large pot over medium heat on the stove top. I use the same pot that the pasta was boiled in, so YAY! one less dish to clean. I add the butter and onions, celery, pepper, and garlic to the hot pot and sauté them for about 5 minutes, until the veggies start to soften.
Create the Roux – Next, I sprinkle the flour and Cajun seasoning over the cooked veggies. I continue to stir and saute everything for another few minutes, creating a thick paste-like roux. Yes, it takes a bit to get the consistency and golden color just right, but do not skip this step! Otherwise, you run the risk of having a gritty cheese texture, and no one wants that.
Add the Milk – As soon as the roux hits the right golden brown, I lower the heat to, well, low, and very, very slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly. Then switch to a spoon or spatula and continue stirring.
Now the Cheese – Next up, I add the three cheeses in stages: Cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and pepper jack cheese. Stir these in one at a time, fully incorporating each cheese before adding the next.
Add the Pasta – When the sauce is smooth and creamy, I stir in the cooked and drained pasta. I want every ‘lil piece of noodle coated in this gorgeous spicy cheese sauce!
Go ahead and take the pot off the heat so the sauce doesn’t continue to cook and thicken too much.
Prepare for Baking – Now, I combine the Panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
I scoop the pasta and cheese into the prepared baking dish, and smooth it out evenly. Then sprinkle the topping over the top (which makes sense, right?).
Bake and Chill – Into the oven goes the casserole to bake for only about 10-15 minutes. The pasta and sauce are already cooked, so really all we’re doing is heating the whole thing up and getting that topping beautifully brown and crispy.
Once it comes out, I let the baked pasta rest for several minutes before serving. The cheese thickens and melds with the noodles as the dish cools slightly. *Drool*
Want a pop of freshness to go with all of that ooey-gooey cheesy goodness? Sprinkle a handful of chopped fresh scallions or parsley on top before serving.
Expert Tip
The key to making your spicy mac and cheese super silky smooth is to focus on cooking the roux properly, then to lower the heat when you add the cheeses. Skipping either one of these steps can give the cheese sauce a weird granular texture.
When you cook the flour in the roux, it will break down and create a rich, nutty flavor and act as a thickening agent. But if you only cook it a minute or two, it could leave a granular texture, so take your time. When you add the cheese to the sauce, if the heat is too high, it will curdle the cheese as it melts. Therefore, turn the heat on low as you add in the milk, then slowly add the cheese over low heat while stirring continuously.
Serving Suggestions
Cheesy macaroni is one of those marvelous Americana dishes that pairs as a side with almost any main, or, if done right, can itself star as a main dish.
If I’m serving Cajun mac and cheese as a side dish, I usually pair it with Southern comfort food main dishes like grilled blackened chicken, easy baked spiral ham, or crunchy and delicious cornmeal-crusted fried fish.
But honestly, this mac is SO satisfying and cheesy that I often serve it as my main protein with down-home veggie sides, like:
- Fried Okra
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- Spicy Collard Greens
- Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
Storing and Reheating
Let the New Orleans mac and cheese come to room temp before transferring to an airtight container or covering the baking dish tightly with plastic cling wrap. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, and are great to reheat in the microwave and enjoy for lunch or dinner.
It’ll also keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Again, transfer the cooled leftovers into an airtight container, then wrap the container in a layer or two of aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope, nope, nope, don’t ever rinse pasta! It messes with gluten and turns noodles into an icky mess. Simply drain the pasta well before adding it to the cheese sauce.
This is a fabulous recipe to make in advance and store overnight in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Either way, if you plan to make it ahead of time, I suggest assembling it in a disposable foil pan, so it can go straight from cold into a hot oven.
I make the recipe as directed, but skip making the Panko topping just yet. Then I wrap the pan in a few layers of plastic wrap, and if I’m refrigerating overnight, pop it into the fridge. But if it’s going in the freezer, I wrap the pan in a couple of layers of aluminum foil, too.
When I’m ready to get this thing going, I make the Panko bread crumb mixture as the oven preheats. Then I bake the unwrapped pan straight from the fridge, adding another 10 minutes to the bake time. You can thaw a frozen pan of New Orleans macaroni and cheese overnight in the fridge, or bake from frozen with another 15-20 minutes added to the cook time.
Sure! As-is, this Cajun mac and cheese recipe makes 8-12 servings and is baked in a large 9×13, or 3-quart, dish. Simply halve the amount of ingredients and bake the macaroni and cheese in a smaller 9×9 pan for 4-6 servings.
More Pasta Recipes
New Orleans Mac and Cheese
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound small dried pasta cavatappi, fusilli, rotini
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 3 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes
- 2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- Optional Topping –
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Set a large pot of salted water on the stove top and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, stir, then cook according to the package instructions. Once the pasta has reached al dente, scoop out ¾ cup of pasta water and save for later. Drain the pasta and let it cool in a colander.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set out a 9 x 13 (3-quart) baking dish. Grease the dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Place the same pot back on the stove top over medium heat. Add the butter, onion, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Stir and sauté the vegetables for 5-6 minutes. Then sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, followed by the Cajun seasoning. Continue to stir and sauté, creating a roux, for another 3-5 minutes. Don't skip on this part! The roux needs to be well-cooked in order to not create a granular texture in the cheese sauce.
- Now turn the heat to low. Slowly pour in the milk stirring to incorporate the roux into the liquid. Once all the milk is in the pot, add the cream cheese, shredded cheddar, shredded pepper jack cheese. Stir on low until all the cheese has melted into the sauce.
- Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well to incorporate. Stir in the reserved pasta water and turn off the heat.
- In a small bowl combine the panko and parmesan cheese. Carefully pour the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the panko mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the top is golden brown and bubbly around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow the mac and cheese to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm, as-is, or with the sprinkling of fresh parsley or chopped scallions over the top.
