southwest mac and cheese
(1 rating)
I decided to kick up the flavor of my macaroni and cheese by adding spicy cheese and the chorizo. The crunch on top gives an added texture to this dish.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
Oh this took mac-n-cheese to a new level! It was wonderfully creamy. Then you would get a bite of the chorizo and the the crunchy topping. This recipe is a little spicy but not enough to overpower the flavors.
— The Test Kitchen
@kitchencrew
►
(1 rating)
yield
8 serving(s)
prep time
20 Min
cook time
35 Min
method
Bake
Ingredients For southwest mac and cheese
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6 slicesourdough bread
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1 1/2 cshredded pepper jack cheese
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1 cshredded chipotle gouda
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1 1/2 cshredded mexican blend cheese
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1 Tbspcanola oil
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1/2 cchopped sweet onions
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4 ozspanish chorizo, chopped into small pieces
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6 Tbspbutter, unsalted-divided use
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3 Tbspall purpose flour
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2 3/4 tspkosher salt-divided use
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1/4 tspground black pepper
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1/2 tspgarlic powder
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4 cwhole milk
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10 ozuncooked dry, medium shell pasta
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1 tspchili powder
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3 Tbspfinely chopped cilantro
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1/2 ccrushed nacho chips
How To Make southwest mac and cheese
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1Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Trim and discard crust from bread then cut bread into 1/4 inch cubes. Line 10 by 15-inch baking sheet with foil. Place cubes on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until dry. Remove from oven and put in a medium mixing bowl, set aside.
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2Place all the shredded cheeses in a gallon plastic storage bag, seal and shake bag to combine.
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3Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
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4Heat oil in a 8-inch non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add chopped onions to skillet, sauté for 3 minutes, add chorizo, sauté for 3 minutes. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon to paper towels.
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5In a 2-quart sauce pan melt butter, remove 3 tablespoons of the melted butter and sprinkle over bread cubes. Stir flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, pepper and garlic powder into saucepan with melted butter. Gradually stir in milk, bring to a boil, stir constantly. Reduce heat, simmer for 1 minute then remove from heat.
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6In 4 or 5 quart pot bring 2-quarts of water with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add pasta, return to a boil cook for 6 minutes, pasta should be slightly under cooked, pour into colander, drain. Return pasta to cooking pot, sprinkle with chili powder, add white sauce and stir to gently to combine. Add cooked onion and chorizo and 3 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture, stir to blend all ingredients, cheese does not have to melt.
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7Add crushed nacho chips, cilantro, and remainder of the cheese to bread cubes and toss to combine.
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8Pour pasta into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle bread mixture over top and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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