Southwestern Mac Cheese Recipes

SOUTHWESTERN MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cook macaroni as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, brown meat with bell peppers in large skillet; drain.
• Heat dressing in large saucepan. Add flour; cook and stir 1 min. or until bubbly. Gradually whisk in milk; cook and stir 6 to 8 min. or until thickened. Add cheese, mustard and black pepper; cook and stir 2 min. or until cheese is melted and mixture is well blended.
• Drain macaroni. Add to cheese sauce; mix well. Stir in meat mixture and tomatoes and green chilies. Spoon into casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 25 to 35 min. or until golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 2 min. before serving.

CREAMY SOUTHWEST MAC 'N CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add onions, poblano chiles, jalapeño peppers and chili powder; mix well. Cook 6 min. or until onions are crisp-tender, stirring frequently.
• Add milk and 2/3 of the VELVEETA; cook 3 to 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Stir in macaroni and remaining VELVEETA.
• Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray. Toss shredded cheese with crushed chips; sprinkle over macaroni mixture.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

SOUTHWEST MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except cheese in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer 10 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, until macaroni is tender. Stir in cheese until melted.

SOUTHERN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 350. Butter four 10-ounce ramekins. Cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups cheddar, eggs, half-and-half, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pasta, and stir to combine; divide among ramekins.
• In a food processor, pulse bread and melted butter until coarse crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, top pasta mixture with 1/2 cup cheddar, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until mac and cheese is golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

SOUTHWEST MAC & CHEESE WITH OPTIONAL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Boil the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and return to the pan you boiled it in. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set out six individual, oven-safe ramekins or gratin dishes for individual servings, two 5"x8" baking dishes if you're cooking up one dish with meat and one without, or an 8"x8"/two-quart baking dish if cooking it all in one big batch.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the cheddar, monterey jack, and Parmesan cheeses. Set aside.
• Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, salt, dry mustard, chili powder, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika. Stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes.
• Slowly whisk in the milk. Continuing over medium heat, whisk frequently for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens (as the sauce gets thicker, I recommend going from frequent stirs to constant stirs to help avoid burning).
• Remove from heat, and stir in 2 cups of the cheese. Continue stirring until cheese is melted, then add the green chilies and corn. Stir until combined. Select your version from the options below to continue.