Tex Mex Macaroni and Cheese

We celebrated the 4th of July Texas style this year with a menu of southwestern flavored dishes. This is a delicious twist on traditional mac and cheese that showcases the flavor of roasted poblanos.

Prepared by: David
Serves: 6-8
Source: Robert Del Grande

You will need:

Softened unsalted butter for the baking dish
1 lb. poblano chiles (4 to 6 chiles)
Olive oil for the chiles
6 white corn tortillas (5-1/2 inches in diameter)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups half-and-half
3 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. dried elbow macaroni
8 oz. Monterey Jack, grated
8 oz. sharp Cheddar, grated

Prep:

Make the pasta: Boil water, salt it well and cook the macaroni until al dente, Drain well.

Roasting the peppers: Heat the broiler on high. Rub the poblanos lightly with olive oil and broil them as close to the element as possible on a baking sheet lined with foil, turning as needed, until the skins are blackened all over. Transfer to a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic, and let cool to room temperature. (David did this the night before and refrigerated them overnight.)

Make the chilie mixture: Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove and discard the charred poblano skins, the stems, and the seeds. Chop the chiles roughly and put them in a food processor. In a hot dry skillet over medium-high heat, lightly toast the tortillas until they’re just softened and give off a toasted corn aroma, 30 to 60 seconds per side (don’t let them become crisp). Roughly chop the tortillas and add them to the chiles in the food processor, along with the cilantro leaves. Pulse until finely chopped but not puréed.

Make the egg mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, salt, and pepper until well combined. Stir in the chopped chile mixture.

Add the pasta to the egg mixture, along with two-thirds of the grated cheeses; stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a buttered baking dish about standard pyrex dish size (4qts) (The key is for the dish to be shallow so that there is more surface area). Scatter the remaining grated cheeses evenly over the macaroni. Bake until browned and bubbling, about 40 minutes.

Let rest ten minutes before serving