Macaroni and Cheese with Green Chiles
Scrumptious creamy and thick macaroni and cheese made with green chiles, two kinds of cheese and topped with crispy tortilla chips.
This creamy macaroni and cheese made with two types of cheese is quick and easy to make, with no fuss added.
It’s made in a pan on the stove top rather than baked in the oven which reminds me of the boxed mac n cheese that I made all the time when I was in college.
I can even remember buying extra boxes of the macaroni and cheese back then when it was on sale.
I liked to mix things in the mac n cheese like hamburger or veggies.
Not a very elegant looking dish but it was so good at the time.
About the Ingredients
Since I just can’t help myself from adding just a little something to my macaroni and cheese, this version has diced green chiles in it to jazz it up just a bit.
The chiles add a mild green chili flavor that tastes wonderful along with the creamy cheese and pasta mixture.
The small cans of diced green chiles are a great pantry item to have on hand for all kinds of things like omelets, quesadillas, hamburgers, or nachos.
Or even macaroni and cheese for goodness sake.
For a crunchy topping, crumbled tortilla or corn chips can be added just before serving.
This dish is best when served warm right after making it.
And it’s okay for the chef to do taste tests. Lots of them.
Let’s check out the ingredients.
Green Chili Macaroni and Cheese – elbow macaroni, canned (cooked) diced green chiles, extra sharp cheddar cheese, hot pepper jack cheese, butter, ground cumin, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, and half & half
Garnish and an Added Crunch – crumbled tortilla or corn chips (the chips used in the recipe were made by frying thin slices of corn tortillas in canola oil)
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.
For the Cheese:
Shred the cheese…
…and set aside.
For the Pasta:
In a medium to large size pot, bring water to a boil and add salt.
Add the pasta and stir.
Cook the pasta until its al-dente according to package instructions.
Drain the pasta and set aside (but don’t rinse it or the starch on the pasta will rinse off; the starch helps the cheese sauce stick nicely to the pasta).
For the Green Chili Macaroni and Cheese:
To a medium to large size pot, add the cooked macaroni.
Heat the pan on low heat and add the butter,
granulated garlic and salt,
pepper,
and cumin.
Next add the green chiles (including the juice from the can),
and gently stir.
Add the half & half…
…cheddar cheese, and
the hot pepper jack cheese.
Carefully do a quick taste test and add more salt if needed.
Turn the heat up slightly and stir until the desired consistency is reached.
Serve warm and top with crumbled tortilla or corn chips.
Or top with crispy thin chips made by frying thin slices of corn tortillas in canola oil.
Thank you so much for stopping by CCC!
SUBSCRIBE TO CCC
Don’t Miss a CCC Recipe! Subscribe now to Coupon Clipping Cook and get an email each time we have a new post. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO COUPON CLIPPING COOK.
Macaroni and Cheese with Green Chiles
Ingredients
For the Macaroni:
- 1 cup dry (uncooked) elbow macaroni
- Water for boiling pasta
- 2 teaspoons salt
For the Green Chili Macaroni and Cheese:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 cup half & half
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded hot pepper jack cheese
- 1 can (4 ounces) cooked diced green chiles
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 dashes ground cumin
- 1/2 cup thin tortilla strips crumbled tortilla chips, or crumbled corn chips (for garnish)
Instructions
For the Macaroni:
- In a medium to large size pot, bring water to a boil and add salt.
- Add the pasta and stir. Cook the pasta until its al-dente according to package instructions.
- Drain the pasta (but don't rinse it or the starch on the pasta will rinse off; the starch helps the cheese sauce stick nicely to the pasta).
For the Green Chili Macaroni and Cheese:
- To a medium to large size pot, add the macaroni. Heat pot on low heat and add butter, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and green chiles (including the juice from the can). Gently stir together.
- To the pan, add half & half, shredded cheddar cheese, and shredded hot pepper jack cheese. Stir together.
- Carefully do a quick taste test and add more salt if needed. Turn the heat up slightly and gently stir until the desired consistency is reached.
- Top with thin tortilla chips, crumbled tortilla chips or corn chips.
- Serve warm.
Comfort Food Recipes
Comfort Food Recipes you may like:
Candied Yams (Sweet Potatoes) with Pecans and Marshmallows
Candied Sweet Potatoes (Canned Yams), with Walnuts and Marshmallows
Baked Herb and Parmesan Potato Slices
Biscoff Cookie Butter Blondie Brownies
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Easy Skillet Smoked Sausage with Caramelized Barbecue Sauce
Recipes with Cheese
Here are more recipes with cheese…”Easy Macaroni and Cheese with Cavatappi Pasta” and “12 Recipes that Say Cheese” and “Jalapeno and Cheese Taquitos“.
Pasta Recipes
More Pasta Recipes:
Mostaccioli Pasta with Blue Cheese and Bacon