Some might say it’s a little sad… but I really do love mac & cheese. I used to be all about the boxed stuff, but within the last few years, I’ve really taken to finding some delicious and creative recipes that take mac & cheese to a whole ‘nother level.
Just to give you an idea of how good this mac and cheese is, I made this pan full on Monday night, it was gone by Wednesday at lunch. And there were only two of us eating it. It’s still mac and cheese so I won’t go promising that it’s completely healthy, but you can at least feel good about knowing exactly what you’re eating, which is something you can’t say about the boxed stuff.
Alright, you might be thinking, broccoli and cheese, I get that. But green chile? Let me back up. I’m from New Mexico, where we put green chile on everything. I’m not talking about chili you see at a cook off or chili peppers from the produce section, I’m talking about THE New Mexico state vegetable. It’s a type of pepper only grown in New Mexico because of the extreme dessert climate. It can be used similarly to jalapeños or more like a salsa that goes on top of different food. New Mexicans eat it on everything, from breakfast eggs to chicken enchiladas at dinner. I’ve had green chile mac and cheese many a time at a local restaurant.
Ingredients
- 12oz uncooked pasta (gemeli or other twisted pasta)
- 10 oz uncooked broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 1/2 cups fat free skim milk
- 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup uncooked onions, diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 can green chiles
- 1 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray 9"x13" glass dish
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli to water for last 3 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli when complete.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Once melted, add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often until golden brown.
- Remove from heat and transfer to small bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon of parmesan cheese and set aside.
- In same saucepan, whisk together milk and flour until blended, add onion.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in cheddar cheese, mustard, salt and pepper and remaining parmesan cheese. Add can of green chiles.
- Pour over cooked, drained pasta and broccoli. Toss to mix and coat.
- Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle top evenly with bread crumbs.
- Bake until bubbly at edges, 20-25 minutes.
Latest posts by Madison Wetherill (see all)
- Coffee Infused French Toast - July 19, 2017
- $80 PayPal Cash Giveaway - October 14, 2015
- $100 Target Gift Card Giveaway - September 16, 2015
- 16 Fall Dinner Recipes Ideas - September 11, 2015
Could you substitute rice for pasta?