Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese is the perfect way to kick up your favorite comfort food dish. Made with green chile salsa verde and homemade macaroni and cheese, this Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese will be your new favorite way to treat yourself to mac and cheese.
Nothing says comfort food like homemade macaroni and cheese.. I mean, how do you not immediately feel all warm and fuzzy just thinking about that perfectly baked pan of ooey gooey cheesy goodness? Um… you don’t! So whats a girl to do when you want something a little more .. extra? Macaroni and cheese is a staple in this household but making homemade macaroni and cheese can sometimes leave you wanting a bit more spicy, a bit more flare .. a bit more walking on the wild side of good old fashiond mac and cheese. So why not spicy up that easy macaroni and cheese recipe with a whole lot of southwest flavor.. that’s right, I am talking about Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese!!! Lets take that perfect pan of easy homemade macaroni and cheese and lets add some green chile salsa verde to it so we have the perfect upswing to yoru favorite classic comfort food dish. Trust me, you are going to L-O-V-E this Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese just as much as you do your original.
I understand that is a bold statement to make but I believe that with one bite, you will come around to my way of thinking. Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese is the new way to love your mac and cheese.
WHAT IS GREEN CHILE SALSA VERDE?
Mexican green chile salsa verde or ‘green sauce’ is generally prepared with tomatillos, serrano chiles, cilantro, garlic and onion. It is very easy to make and can be as spicy or mild as you prefer. The green color mostly comes from the tomatillos, which are a small green fruit. You can make homemade green chile salsa verde very easily or find a pre-made jar of salsa verde where you find taco seasonings and such in your local supermarket.
CAN BAKED GREEN CHILE MACARONI AND CHEESE BE FROZEN?
Yes! To freeze your Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese, transfer the macaroni and cheese to a buttered 9-by-13-inch freezer-to-oven baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. To cook, bake your Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese still frozen and covered with foil at 350° for 1 hour. Remove foil and broil for 2-3 minutes for the crunchy brown cheese topping, if that is what you like. Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese can be frozen for up to 2 months.
HOW DO YOU MAKE GREEN CHILE MACARONI AND CHEESE?
Easy! To make Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese, start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling , cook your macaroni for four (yes.. four!) minutes, drain and set aside. In a large skillet, add your butter and melt over medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for 3 -4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add in minced garlic and cook for one minute before adding in flour. Whisk together and let cook for 1 – 2 minutes before pouring in the milk. Whisk together and break up any flour clumps with your whisk. Add in spices, salt and pepper and bring to a low boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium and stir in the green chile salsa verde. Add in 3 cups of cheese (reserve 1 cup for topping) and continue to stir until cheese has melted.
Add in your cooked pasta and stir to combine.
Move your Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese to a 9 x 13 baking pan, sprinkle with reserved cheese and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese sit for 10 minutes before serving.
That’s it!! So in just over 30 minutes you have a steaming, cheesy pan of Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese, the perfect kicked up version of your favorite macaroni and cheese comfort food. Looking for more green chili salsa verde meals? Check out my Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken. Want more mac n cheese? Don’t forget to try my Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Ham!
Enjoy!
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Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 large sweet onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 16 ounces green chile salsa verde
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese divided
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling , cook your macaroni for four (yes.. four!) minutes, drain and set aside. In a large skillet, add your butter and melt over medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for 3 -4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in minced garlic and cook for one minute before adding in flour. Whisk together and let cook for 1 – 2 minutes before pouring in the milk. Whisk together and break up any flour clumps with your whisk. Add in spices, salt and pepper and bring to a low boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium and stir in the green chile salsa verde. Add in 3 cups of cheese (reserve 1 cup for topping) and continue to stir until cheese has melted.
- Add in your cooked pasta and stir to combine. Move your Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese to a 9 x 13 baking pan, sprinkle with reserved cheese and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese sit for 10 minutes before serving.
I made this for a luncheon at work and everyone loved it! It was nice and creamy, even after reheating the next day. I definitely recommend!
Macaroni and cheese with green Chile Verde sounds perfect for my taste buds. I love spicy touch to it and also with loads of cheese in it.
What a clever way to kick up mac and cheese. All my kids and grandsons would wipe that pan clean. We all love spicy and this would elevate the traditional dish. I’ve put jalapeños in my cheese sauce put the green chile salsa is really a great idea. You can have that as a pantry staple.
You had me at green chile I’m usually not a mac and cheese fan, but my kids would finish a pot of it easily. Now this green chile salsa verde mac and cheese is definitely tempting and I want a serving of it immediately. Looks soooo flavorful and yum
I’m all for creamy and cheesy. Always been a fan of salsa verde but never had it with mac and cheese. Definitely wanna give this a try. Saving for later. Love how cheesy this looks.
Mac and cheese is a staple in our home I love trying new versions and this one goes right to the top of the list!
Your recipe looks so cheesy! (That’s a good thing.) My son loves mac and cheese as well as things with some heat or spice so he might enjoy this.
Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. This looks amazing and I cannot wait to give it a try. Love the addition of green chiles…I use them all the time in Mexican food.
Nothing like a cook homemade mac n cheese and then adding green chile, you are talking my love language. Looks so good and cheesy wish I had a bowl now! It is like mac n cheese meets enchiladas, yummy!
Mac and Cheese is not famous in the Philippines, so I just learned to cook it when I came here in the USA, so this variation is a must try. And the ingredients are available in my pantry…can’t wait to try this.