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Rach's fool-proof mac and cheese base gets the Tex-Mex treatment with green chiles and crispy bacon.
Check out Rach's other easy ways to change up her basic mac & cheese base:
Pimiento Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
Garlic Bread Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
For the Green Chile Bacon Mac & Cheese Base:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 ½ cups sharp yellow cheddar, shredded
- 1 ½ cups Cooper's yellow American cheese, shredded
- White pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 2 cups frozen roasted New Mexican Hatch chiles, thawed and chopped (or five 4.5-ounce cans green chilies, drained)
- ½ pound bacon, cooked to very crispy and chopped
- 1 pound pasta, cooked to al dente (Rach likes to use ziti)
For garnish:
- Pickled mild or hot jalapeños
- Chopped cilantro
- Chopped scallions
Yield
Serves: 6 to 8
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
For the basic mac and cheese base, add the butter to a high-sided or deep skillet. Once the butter melts, add the flour and whisk one minute to make a roux. Whisk the milk into the roux. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cheeses and stir until combined. Mix in white pepper, dry mustard, granulated onion and cayenne pepper.
For the green chili and bacon mac and cheese, garnish with jalapeños, cilantro and scallions.
Stir chiles and bacon into the mac and cheese base sauce and toss with pasta. Add to a casserole dish and bake until bubbly and brown on top, about 15 minutes.