Green Chili Mac and Cheese
This green chile mac and cheese is easy to make and absolutely delicious. You’ve heard chili mac with pepper jack or other sauce. Perfect for nights when you want to add a little spice to your dinner menu. Serve this green chile mac and cheese with your favorite protein for the ultimate weeknight meal. Plus, you only need two pots for this recipe, making clean up a breeze.
Tips and Tricks
- Cook your pasta al dente. It will continue cooking in the pan with the cheese sauce.
- If your cheese sauce gets too tight, reduce the heat and add some pasta water to thin it out.
- If using smaller pasta cuts, you’ll need closer to 10 ounces of cooked pasta.
- Add some minced jalapeno on top for an extra kick of flavor and spice.
- You can even add some hot sauce to the cheese sauce if you love a lot of spice.
How to Make Green Chili Macaroni and Cheese
Boil a pot of water season it with salt and cook the pasta al dente. Be sure to reserve about ½ cup of pasta water to thin out the cheddar cheese sauce if it gets too tight. Using a colander, drain the remaining water and set the pasta aside.
Add butter and flour to a saucepan over medium high heat. Once it begins to bubble and forms a roux, reduce the heat to medium low and slowly add the chicken broth and milk.
Once well combined, add the cubed Velveeta and shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Whisk until melted and well combined. Next, add the green chiles and stir well. If the sauce gets too thick add some pasta water to thin it out.
Add the cooked pasta, season with cracked black pepper or white pepper and a touch of salt to taste. Serve hot with freshly minced jalapeno on top.
What Spice Makes Green Chile Mac Better?
You don’t need a lot of spices to make mac and cheese taste delicious, especially if you are adding new ingredients. I tend to add a dash of cracked black pepper to my mac and cheese because it gives it an almost smokey flavor towards the end, adding depth to all the saltiness from the cheese.
Are Green Chiles the Same as Jalapenos?
No, green chiles are not the same as jalapeno peppers. If you can’t find green chiles in the produce section, check in the canned goods aisle as well. It’s worth going a few extra steps to get green chiles for this recipe.
If you want my advice, don’t try to substitute one for the other. You’ll be disappointed no matter which one you’re substituting.
In this recipe, I use green chiles as it gives the mac and cheese a delectable flavor profile with only a tiny bit of heat at the end.
Which is Hotter, Green Chiles or Jalapenos?
Hands down, jalapenos are hotter than green chilies. Not only that, but they also have a completely different flavor profile.
Green hatch chiles are mild and almost sweet-tasting, while jalapenos add a spicy kick with a strong pepper flavor, especially when cooked.
If you can find green chiles fresh, it’s always best to use those and chop them up for the dish. Fresh ingredients will impart a better flavor overall, but it’s not bad to use canned if you can’t find them fresh at your local grocery store.
Storage
Store leftover macaroni and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave with a touch of broth to reconstitute the cheese sauce. Looking for more recipes?
- Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes
- Taco Macaroni and Cheese
Green Chili Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8-10 ounces pasta, cooked al dente
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons AP flour, all purpose
- 1 cup 2% milk
- ½ cup chicken broth, or bone broth
- 6 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces green chilis, canned with juice
- cracked black pepper
- salt, to taste
- ½ cup reserved pasta water, use as needed, keep in mind the water is salted so use it carefully
Equipment
- 1 pasta pot
- 1 saucepan
- 1 colander
Instructions
- Boil a pot of water, season it with salt and cook the pasta al dente. Be sure to reserve about ½ cup of pasta water to thin out the cheese sauce if it gets too tight. Using a colander, drain the remaining water and set the pasta aside.
- Add butter and flour to a saucepan over medium high heat. Once it begins to bubble and form a roux, reduce the heat to medium low and slowly add the chicken broth and milk.
- Once well combined, add the cubed Velveeta and shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Whisk until melted and well combined. Next, add the green chiles and stir well. If the sauce gets too thick add some pasta water to thin it out.
- Add the cooked pasta, season with cracked black pepper or white pepper and a touch of salt to taste. Serve hot with freshly minced jalapeno on top.
