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Mexican Mac and Cheese

Author - Serena Wolf
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • cups medium pasta shells uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 ounces chorizo or spicy chicken/turkey sausage of your choice diced
  • 1 ear of corn kernels removed
  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • ½ red bell pepper diced
  • ½ green bell pepper diced
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
  • ½ cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 cups 1% milk
  • ¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack divided
  • cup shredded sharp cheddar divided
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo minced
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon Mexican chili powder
  • ¼ cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
  • For garnish: optional
  • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or pan. When hot, add your corn and sausage. Sauté for 5 minutes until the corn is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned.
  • Add the onion, bell peppers and jalapenos to the pan. Cook for another 4 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Stir in the black beans and pasta shells and remove the mixture from the heat. Set aside while you make your badass spicy cheese sauce.
  • Start by making a roux. (Chillax, a roux is just butter and flour). Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. When it’s melted and bubbling slightly, whisk in the flour. Cook your roux, whisking constantly for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the milk to your roux and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened. Don’t panic if your sauce doesn’t thicken right away, it can take 6-8 minutes. When the sauce is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, lower the heat and whisk in ½ cup Monterey Jack, 1 cup sharp cheddar, chipotle pepper, cumin, and Mexican chili powder.
  • If you cooked your sausage and vegetables in a cast iron skillet or oven safe pan, go ahead and pour the cheese sauce right over the pasta mixture. If not, transfer the pasta mixture to a lightly greased baking pan (I recommend a 9x9-inch) and add the Mexican cheese sauce. Either way, use a spatula to make sure everything is well coated in cheese sauce.
  • Top your Mexican Mac and Cheese with the remaining Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses (¼ cup each) and sprinkle with an even layer of Panko.
  • Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve garnished with cilantro and jalapenos. Fiesta on, dudes.