Fiesta Mac and Cheese
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 626
- Total Fat
- 31
- Saturated Fat
- 17
- Carbohydrates
- 62
- Dietary Fiber
- 4
- Sugar
- 9
- Protein
- 25
- Cholesterol
- 76
- Sodium
- 727
- Total: 50 min
- Active: 25 min
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed (about 1 1/2 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Two 4-ounce cans diced green chiles
6 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for the pan
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotles
1 cup cubed processed cheese, such as Velveeta
2 cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups freshly grated pepper jack cheese
One 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and chiles, undrained
1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
Chili powder, for sprinkling
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until just undercooked. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onion turns golden brown and the corn begins to blister, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the green chiles to combine. Set aside.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking to combine. Let the roux cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Pour in the milk, whisking constantly, followed by 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook the white sauce until thick and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the half-and-half and adobo sauce. Add the processed cheese, 1 cup of the Monterey Jack and 1 cup of the pepper jack and continue to cook, stirring, until the cheese all melts. Add the cooked macaroni and stir to coat. Fold in the diced tomatoes and chiles.
- Butter a 9-by-13-inch disposable foil pan. Layer with half of the macaroni mixture, then half the corn mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with the corn mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Monterey Jack and 1 cup pepper jack over the top. Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips all over the cheese, then sprinkle with chili powder.
- To bake immediately, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake until bubbly and hot, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle over the chopped cilantro and serve.
- To freeze the casserole for later, let cool completely, then cover with aluminum foil, fold over the edges to seal and freeze.
- If cooking from frozen, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook, covered, for 50 minutes, then uncover and bake until light brown and bubbly, about another 20 minutes. Sprinkle over the chopped cilantro and serve.