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.
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.