Mac and cheese is possibly one of the greatest dishes ever created. The simplicity of pasta with cheese is beloved all around the world, from Italy to the U.S. to the Caribbean. And, it’s from Jamaica that this recipe for honey mac and cheese hails.

The combination of honey and cheese is common in many parts of the world and is particularly popular in parts of Europe. The sweetness of honey with the smoothness of cheese is a unique experience of flavor and texture. In this Jamaican mac and cheese recipe the two marry perfectly -along with a little bit of chili pepper- for a really tasty dish that feeds a crowd.

To start this recipe you’ll need to make a 1-pound box of elbow macaroni, penne, or cavatapi pasta and drain it. Then you sauté half an onion before making a simple white sauce using flour and milk.

Add the flour to to the onions, stirring constantly with a whisk, and cook for about 1 minute so that there is no “flour” taste in the finished recipe.

Then very slowly add in the milk, also whisking the the whole time. To that you add in the spices. For this recipe you’ll need need the aforementioned honey along with black pepper, mustard, chili powder, and one habanero pepper (diced). If you want something less spicy you can use a small jalapeño pepper instead.

Then add part of the cheese to the sauce and stir. Pour this over pasta in a 9×13″ casserole dish or baking pan. Top with the remaining cheese and the 1/4 cup crushed cheese crackers. If you don’t have cheese crackers on hand you can use croutons or breadcrumbs, but the cheese crackers add extra cheese flavor.

After that you bake for 25 minutes or until the top is bubbling and beginning to brown and all the cheese is melted.

The finished result is creamy and tangy, with just a bit of heat and sweetness and a little crunch on top. Try this incredible Jamaican honey mac and cheese and taste for yourself how well all these flavors come together.