Updated October 17, 2023 :: Inspired by the fan-favorite Red Curry Mac and Cheese from Jack of Cups Saloon in Folly Beach, SC (right down the road from my old house), my version of this amazing mac and cheese is a dead ringer dupe for theirs. If you’re in Charleston – run don’t walk to Jack of Cups and order yourself a plate of their cozy, insanely delicious Red Curry Mac.

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The whole menu at Jack of Cups is very globally inspired, which you can see clearly in the way they work the gorgeous flavors of red curry into a killer Mac and Cheese. It’s food fusion done so very well, and I’m thrilled to share my take on that concept here with you today.

If you can’t make it to Jack of Cups, then I’ve got you covered with this amazing recipe. This one is truly awesome, and I’m SO excited for you to dig in. Plus, it’s easy and fast to boot.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Ever Mac and Cheese

To make the best mac and cheese of your life, here are a few simple things that can transport a basic mac and cheese recipe up and into a whole new level.

Truth be told, I’ve never been much into mac and cheese. It’s totally fine – I don’t have any negative feelings about it – but it’s always just been a little one-note to me. The way to get over those feelings of indifference, I’ve found, is to really amp up the flavor of the sauce. Today, we’re taking our cues from the beloved local (to me) eatery on Folly Beach – Jack of Cups Saloon – and weaving some seriously delicious aromatics into the sauce.

Ginger + Garlic + Red curry paste = incredible flavor base. There’s no way this isn’t going to be good, you know? The only downside is that it might ruin all other basic mac and cheeses for you, henceforth. I’m sorry if that’s the case. It is for me, but it’s an evolution I’m happy to ride. Because this stuff is next-level.

If you can find Cavatappi pasta (the thick corkscrews pictured here), I highly recommend that shape for any mac and cheese recipe, as it tends to stay nicely al dente longer than other thinner cuts – which is good. That thicker pasta dough will make for less mush and more texture when eating. Mac and Cheese, as a food group, tends to fall squarely in the mushy category, and the shape of pasta you use can really help that not be the case.

This is a 30-minute stovetop mac and cheese – not a baked one. This means that the recipe is quick and simple, and will be ready to serve just as soon as the cheese melts into the red curry sauce and you get those noods coated. I prefer a stovetop mac and cheese, as I find baking tends to dry out the sauce too much when dealing in mac and cheese. However, baked versions do have the added bonus of a crunchy topping, typically, and if you want a crunchy topping for our Red Curry version today, then simply reach for some bright and fresh herbs and some roasted peanuts. Specifically – cilantro, scallions, and Thai basil. I didn’t photograph those things on the pasta, as I wanted you to see the dish at its bare-naked best – but I definitely showered my plate with all the things before diving in.

What You’ll Need to Make this Curried Mac and Cheese Recipe

The not-so-inconspicuous presence of the red curry paste, coconut milk, and ginger are the major players in our flavor attack plan here. The ginger, when combined with loads of garlic, really adds so much to a mac and cheese sauce. It’s a really wonderful thing, honestly. Also notable here is the trifecta of cheeses that we’ll use to create a gooey, creamy, and TASTY sauce. A sauce that, incidentally, is not at all dry.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound short-cut pasta (I use cavatappi, but just use what you like)
Salt and pepper, as needed
3 tablespoons ghee, butter or coconut oil
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
5 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4-ounces prepared Thai-Style red curry paste
13.5-ounce can coconut milk
1 cup milk
8-ounces Freshly shredded white cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)
8-ounces shredded mozzarella (pre-shredded is cool)
Optional cheese: 8-ounces shredded fontina

Toppings Suggestions: Chopped cilantro, scallions, Thai-basil, peanuts

How to make this amazing Red Curry Mac and Cheese

This stovetop red curry mac and cheese recipe comes together in a hurry for sure. (Hurried curried mac and cheese?) I have always preferred the super creamy stovetop varieties of mac and cheese over the baked ones. Anytime you put glossy, creamy pasta in the oven, you’re really just drying it out. I can’t see a good reason to bake your mac and cheese, honestly. It takes longer to make, somehow eats drier, and therefore is less delicious as a result of its time spend in the oven. This is just my humble opinion, though. Them’s fighting words, I get it.

People grow up on prized homemade mac and cheese recipes from which they shall never/could never part. Nostalgia is a delicious thing to be sure. But I personally didn’t grow up eating anything other than boxed shells and cheese. So, not only does this mean that I love a stovetop mac – I am also happily free from any long-held need to stick with something solely because of tradition. Sometimes that can be a beautiful thing. And sometimes it can be a lifetime of dry, baked mac and cheese.

I’m a loud and proud stovetop mac and cheese girl for life I suppose. This one is the very best of them, I believe, mostly due to the truly wonderful flavor we’ll build in the sauce But also due to how easy it is to whip up. Seriously – make this the next time you’re cooking for friends and watch them lap it up … just every last noodle. I’ll share some recs for great things to serve alongside this mac below, if you’re so inclined.

RED CURRY MAC AND CHEESE DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions in salty water (like the sea). Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large pan/skillet, set over medium heat, add the ghee/butter/olive oil (whichever fat you’re using), along with the ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about a minute. Sprinkle the flour over top and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the curry paste and stir to blend it in. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the coconut milk and allow things to come up to a gentle bubble. Stir to combine. Stir in the cup of milk. Turn off the heat and stir in all of the grated/shredded cheeses until nice and creamy/smooth. Taste the sauce and season to your liking. Add the pasta into the sauce pan and stir to coat.
Serve the mac and cheese with some chopped cilantro, scallions and/or Thai basil on top and, if you like, some chopped peanuts. Enjoy right away.

How to Reheat this Mac and Cheese with Red Curry

If you have to reheat this red curry mac and cheese, you’ll just need to add a little more milk to the pan to loosen the sauce, and warm over low heat until smooth and oh-so-creamy.

What to serve with Red Curry Mac and Cheese

Despite what some (okay, many) people will tell you, Mac and cheese really isn’t best enjoyed as a main course. It needs supporting characters on the table to really help round out the meal and balance all of that rich, carby goodness. You could make the argument that mac and cheese is to a main course as say, cacio e pepe is to a main course, but in Italy pasta is meant to be serves as one course among others. It needs contorni and secondi and … other friends who can come along for the ride.

As such, I like to spoon big, creamy bowls of this luscious red curry mac and cheese and set them out with a fresh green salad like my Perfect Fall Salad or a cold and crunchy Iceberg Salad. If you’d prefer to serve a side dish situation with your red curry mac and cheese, as opposed to a salad, then allow me to steer your attention in the direction of this lemony asparagus number, or my favorite carrots, or even this easy marinated zucchini.