New Mexico loves green chile. We eat it in and on everything – like breakfast burritos, green chile stew, enchiladas, green chile tacos, and green chile cheeseburgers. Green Chile Mac and Cheese is an easy and delicious way to add more green chile to your life. The chile gives it a little heat, and the tomatoes add a little tang. Together, the meal is lighter than pasta and cheese sauce alone, and an easy meatless option for dinner or a great side dish to just about anything. I like Monterey jack and white cheddar cheese, but you could choose just one type of cheese, or stick to the orange cheddar cheese. Macaroni and cheese from scratch is so easy you’ll wonder why you ever bought the boxed stuff. Start with a base of butter and flour, add a cup of milk and cook until it thickens. Then add in the grated cheese of your choice and watch it quickly melt in to form a smooth thick sauce. You can mix everything together in the original saucepan and eat it immediately, or you can reserve a little of the cheese to sprinkle on top and bake it in a small casserole dish until the cheese on top melts and browns slightly. Either way, the addition of green chile and tomatoes will elevate your old mac and cheese.
Green Chile Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz. elbow macaroni pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 4 oz. Monterey jack cheese
- 4 oz. white cheddar cheese
- 1 or 2 4 oz. cans green chile
- 2 green onions
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Using a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil and cook macaroni according to package directions. 8 oz. are half of a 1 lb. box of pasta. Double the recipe if you want to cook the entire box.
- While the noodles are cooking, shred the cheese using a cheese grater and slice the tomatoes in half. Reserve a little of the cheese to the side if you plan to sprinkle it on top and bake the dish before serving.
- Drain the noodles and set aside.
- Returning to the medium saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook and stir over medium high heat for about a minute. Add in the cup of milk and continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens, just a couple of minutes more. Add in the grated cheese and stir until it melts in.
- Add the pasta back into the pot along with the onions, tomatoes and green chiles. Stir until everything is well combined and the pasta is evenly coated with cheese.
- From here, you can serve immediately or transfer the contents to a baking dish. If you choose to bake it, add the reserved cheese on top and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and browns slightly on top.
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