Chef Cayt has taken your basic mac n cheese and dressed it up with green chiles and pepper jack cheese. We love this elevated comfort food for its perfect balance of creamy, cheesy goodness and smoky, peppery heat. Made in only 20 minutes, this easy meal is perfect for busy weeknight dinners!
For more delicious green chile recipes, try our Slow Cooker Green Chile Pork Stew.
Why Our Recipe
- Ready in only 20 minutes and made in one pot for easy cleanup.
- Make it a whole meal by adding leftover pulled pork or ham.
- Green chiles and Pepper Jack cheese add just the right amount of spice and smoky heat.
Once you try this homemade mac n cheese, you won’t go back to boxed! Seriously, this recipe is so simple and easy, and it’s made in only 20 minutes. This creamy cheese sauce is made in the same pot that the noodles cook in, using the pasta water as the base. This simple hack not only keeps cleanup to a minimum, but the starches from the pasta water give the sauce the perfect velvety consistency.
Ingredient Notes
- Elbow Macaroni: Any short pasta like fusilli, penne, or shells work well but elbow is a mac n cheese classic!
- Diced Green Chiles: If you want a spicier kick, you can opt for hot green chiles
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar gives a great base flavor to this mac. Freshly shredded melts better than pre-shredded cheese, which contains additives to prevent clumping.
- Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese: The peppers in this cheese add just the right amount of heat paired with the green chiles. Substitute with Monterey Jack for less heat.
- Heavy Cream: You can substitute with half-and-half, but the sauce won’t be as thick and creamy.
- Chicken Broth: Using a low-sodium option allows you to best control the flavor. It’s a great chef tip.
- Ground Mustard: Easily found in the spice section of the grocery store. If you don’t have ground mustard, you can use Dijon mustard instead.
Add a Protein
This smoky mac n cheese pairs perfectly with leftover pulled pork. You can also use leftover or store-bought ham, or even bacon.
If you’re not a fan of pork, shredded chicken or beef are great options as well. Serve on the side or mix it in to beef this dish up.
The Right Pot
Because this recipe uses one pot to cook the noodles and make the sauce, we use a 6 quart pot with an 8 inch diameter, which boils the liquid just long enough to cook the noodles leaving you with enough water to make the cheese sauce.
Use whichever big pot you have on hand, but keep in mind that with a tall and narrow stock pot, there will be less evaporation due to less surface area, which may leave your sauce a little more runny. On the other hand, if you use a wide braising pan, the water will evaporate too quickly, leaving not enough pasta water to make the cheese sauce.
Make sure that when the noodles are done cooking, the liquid just barely below the noodles. If this isn’t the case and too much liquid has evaporated, add about a 1/2 cup more of chicken broth before making your sauce.
Adjust the Heat
Green chiles are considered to be moderately hot—spicier than green bell peppers, but not as spicy as jalapeños.
For less heat: You can opt for mild canned green chiles and use Monterey Jack instead of Pepper Jack cheese.
For more heat: Swap out the mild green chiles for hot green chiles or canned diced jalapeños. Add a dash of hot sauce of a touch of cayenne pepper for extra heat.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
For best results, reheat leftovers in a saucepan on low heat. Add a splash of milk to keep it from drying out, and stir occasionally to ensure that they heat through evenly.
If using a microwave, reduce power to 50% if possible and reheat in 30 second increments until warmed through.
