Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Serve count: 8
Ingredients
1 lb elbow macaroni or cavatappi
4 Tbsp butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, warmed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp cayenne (optional)
3 cups shredded Hatch cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
1¼ cups roasted Hatch chilis, stemmed, seeded and chopped, patted dry
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
- Boil the pasta in well-salted water two minutes short of the package time. Drain and set aside.
- Melt the 4 Tbsp butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until it smells like toast but hasn't browned.
- Add the warm milk in three additions, whisking smooth after each. Simmer 4–5 minutes, stirring, until it thickly coats the back of a spoon.
- Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the salt, dry mustard and cayenne, then add 2½ cups of the cheddar and all the Jack a handful at a time, stirring until melted.
- Fold in the chilis, then the pasta. Taste and add salt as needed.
- Spread into the dish. Top with the remaining ½ cup cheddar. Toss the panko with the melted butter and scatter it over the top.
- Bake 20–25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top. Rest 10 minutes — it will thicken as it sits.
Notes
- Warm the milk — cold milk into a hot roux is how you get lumps.
- Turn off the heat — cheese added to a boiling sauce breaks up and goes grainy.
- Make it a meal — fold in shredded rotisserie chicken or crumbled chorizo before baking.
- Shop the season: use the Roasted Hatch Chilis (mild or hot) and Hatch Cheddar Cheese.