Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese

Green chile macaroni and cheese, made with roasted green chiles and a mix of cheeses, is the ultimate comfort food. A velvety and rich cheese sauce infused with garlic, spices, and the heat from the roasted chiles creates the best macaroni and cheese with green chilies! It's like my Green Chile Queso with noodles!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword Hatch Chiles, Macaroni and Cheese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 592kcal

Author Darcey Olson

Cost $15

Ingredients

3 large green chiles, or 8 oz of canned green chiles *Note 1
16 oz elbow or shell pasta
6 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup diced white onion
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
4 oz cream cheese *Note 2
1½ cups monterey jack cheese *Note 3
1½ cups pepper jack cheese *Note 3

Instructions

ROAST THE PEPPERS (IF NOT USING CANNED CHILES)

Place the oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to high broil. Place the green peppers on a baking sheet spaced about 1" apart. Roast for 10 minutes until the skin starts to blister and blacken. Flip and roast for another 10 minutes.
Immediately transfer to a bowl and cover with foil to let steam. After 15-20 minutes, remove the skins and transfer to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to remove the stems and seeds and mince. Set aside.

MAKE THE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 1-2 minutes under what's listed as "al dente" on the back of the box. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
Pour the milk and heavy cream in a microwaveable container and microwave for 60 seconds. Or warm in a small saucepan. Keep the temperature as low as it can go.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions, chiles, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt, and cook until the onions are soft (approx. 4-5 minutes).
Sprinkle the flour over the mix and whisk continuously for 3-4 minutes until it turns a light brown.
Lower the heat to low and remove the pan from the heat for 1 minute to let it cool. Return the pan to the heat and gradually pour in the warmed milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, while whisking to create a smooth sauce. After about 3-4 minutes, the sauce will begin to thicken.
Whisk in the cream cheese, a little at a time, until fully melted. Continue this method with the shredded cheese. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and fully combined. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Add half the pasta and fold it into the green chile cheese sauce. Fold in the rest of the pasta until fully coated. Taste and add extra salt, if desired. Serve immediately for the best texture.

Notes

Note 1 – You can use fresh hatch chiles, Anaheim peppers or poblano peppers.

Note 2 - Cream cheese adds a nice tanginess to the recipe. Feel free to leave it out if you like. No other edits would be required.

Note 3 - Use any 3 cups of meltable cheeses. Great cheese options: Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Mozzarella, Oaxaca, Queso Asadero, and Queso Chihuahua.

Nutrition