Go Back
+ servings
spicy hatch chile macaroni and cheese

Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese

Spicy macaroni and cheese with hatch chiles, pepper jack and cheddar, and cayenne pepper.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 453 kcal

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 16 ounces pasta shells (or similar pasta)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Sauce
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 medium Hatch chile (or 2 jalapenos)
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 cups whole milk (or 2%)
  • 2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 4 ounces Velveeta Cheese, cubed
  • Salt to taste
Topping
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¾ cup Rice Chex cereal (or panko crumbs)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

Pasta
  • Cook the pasta according to the package directions in a pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt. When cooked, drain the water, reserving 2 cups for the sauce.
Sauce
  • Melt the butter in an extra-large pan, add the chiles, and cook until they wilt. Add 1/3 cup of flour and stir to make a roux. Add more flour, if necessary, to make a paste. Cook, constantly stirring, until the flour lightly browns. Whisk in the milk, stirring until the sauce thickens.
  • Stir in the black peppers, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. Add the Velveeta cubes and stir to melt them. Add the pepper jack and cheddar a little at a time while stirring.
  • Then add some pasta water to thin the sauce. Pour in the cooked pasta and mix. Again add pasta water (if needed) to make the macaroni easy to stir.
  • Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. Pour the pasta into a 9 x 13-inch dish coated with cooking spray.
Topping
  • Place the cereal, salt, and cayenne pepper into a resealable bag. Squeeze out the air and seal. Use a rolling pin to crush it into crumbs.
  • Add the butter and squeeze the bag to mix it with the crumbs. Spoon the topping evenly over the macaroni.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned. If the topping starts to brown too much, add a sheet of aluminum foil (sprayed with cooking spray) to the top.

Notes

Reheating

Add milk to the leftover macaroni and stir until well combined. Then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Gluten-Free

To make this recipe gluten-free, follow these steps:
  1. Use gluten-free pasta, such as Barilla Gluten Free Elbows.
  2. Use gluten-free flour such as Cup4Cup in the sauce.
  3. Use only crushed Rice Mix in the topping. 
Gluten-free pasta needs more pasta water added to the sauce because it absorbs more water (than regular pasta) when the macaroni bakes.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 453kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 19gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 639mgPotassium: 282mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 889IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 446mgIron: 1mg
Keyword hatch chile mac and cheese, hatch chile macaroni and cheese, macaroni and cheese recipe, spicy macaroni and cheese recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!