chorizo and chile mac and cheese.
creamy, cheesy mac and cheese with spicy hatch green chiles and crumbly chorizo makes for an easy, delicious weeknight dinner.
Serves: 2-3 Cook time: 15 minutes
Dairy and I don’t vibe well, so I hardly ever eat mac and cheese. But I appreciate a good, creamy mac. Usually I opt for white cheeses to help with the intolerance, but this time I switched it up for a classic cheddar mac-and-cheese. The base is pretty classic: cheddar and monterey jack, mixed into a roux. Monterey jack is one of my favorite cheeses, mild and interesting and really, really tasty. I used mild cheddar along with it, though you can swap in sharp cheddar if you prefer it.
Next I stir in a small can of hatch green chiles, enough to give a pleasant heat to the cheesy noodles. This recipe is easiest if you use canned chiles, but you can always chop up jalapenos or fresh hatch chiles instead. Here’s the thing about that: you should roast the fresh peppers first, and steam off the skin. It’s another 15 minutes, but without steaming the skin off, the mac will taste bitter. Use the can!
You can find the can of hatch chiles in the international aisle near the refried beans and chipotle chiles. It’s a small can, and if you can’t find it, rotel would also do the trick.
Then, of course, the chorizo. Chorizo and mac and cheese is the combination I never knew I needed: creamy, crumbly, a little spicy. I highly recommend finding authentic, cased chorizo from your local Mexican market, and opting for spicy, if possible.
The toppings can be changed up pretty easily, but I recommend parsley or cilantro and something crunchy like breadcrumbs or fried onions. I love a little crunch on my mac and cheese, and my usual go-to is panko. Yum.
This recipe is easy and quick, enough to be a weeknight meal, and pretty filling, too. I listed options for sides below- mostly, fresh veggies- much needed with a meal like this.
chorizo and chile mac ingredients
fusilli: Something new for my mac and cheese adventures: fusilli. We were on vacation in Colorado when Evan ordered a mac and cheese just like this one, and what made it so delicious (I swear) was the shape of the noodle. This is very, very similar to rotini, but a little bit “looser” and longer. Perfect for mac and cheese. You can use a half pound of whatever pasta you like, though- other great options are elbows and cavatappi.
butter: The start of a good roux is the fat, and with mac and cheese, it’s almost always going to be butter. I use unsalted but salted will work fine.
flour: Necessary for making the roux, but not necessary to use all-purpose. You can use whole-wheat or gluten-free with the same result.
milk: Just so you know, I used oat milk for this- the results are the same as regular milk. To cut dairy, you can use oat milk. Otherwise, use a good 1 or 2% milk. You can also substitute half and half or heavy cream, but I’d highly recommend using as much milk (or oatmilk) as you can - half and half or heavy cream will turn out very thick.
cheddar: I used mild cheddar for this because I prefer it, but you can substitute in sharp cheddar if preferred. Mild cheddar offers just that - a mild flavor, which I liked with the chiles. You don’t have to get a super high quality cheese, but I highly, highly recommend freshly grating it! Most grocery stores carry blocks of cheese that are even cheaper than pre-shredded, too.
monterey jack: This can be hard to find, but most grocery stores will have some version of it, whether pre-shredded or in blocks. It’s like a mild white cheddar, kind of, very neutral and creamy-tasting. Again, I recommend buying a block to grate fresh. If you can’t find monterey jack, you can substitute with mozzarella or white cheddar.
hatch green chiles: The easiest way to make this is using the canned chiles found in the international section. I usually find them between the chipotle chiles and somewhere near the refried beans and enchilada sauces. If you can’t find these, most stores will have a chopped jalapeno option- or, if needed, rotel would work fine, too. Rotel includes tomatoes, so be prepared for a little extra chunkiness!
chorizo: I always buy the authentic, cased chorizo from my local hispanic market because the texture and flavor is much better than any commercial grocery store I’ve tried. However, any well-spiced chorizo will do the trick! Try opting for spicy for this recipe- the cheese makes the heat pretty mild!
chorizo and chile mac and cheese pairing options
This could technically be a side dish, but to be honest, it’s pretty filling for that. After all, there is a protein mixed in. I included a few ideas in case you do use this as a side dish - and some ideas for a side dish if this is your main!
steamed broccoli
spinach and red onion salad
rotisserie chicken
stewed collard greens
margarita - with mezcal
prosecco or pinot grigio
barbeque ribs or burnt ends
pulled pork