September 4, 2013 | Posted in:Cooking
Macaroni and Cheese gets a healthy zing by adding some chopped freshly roasted Hatch Chiles
Lisa’s Mac and Cheese
Many cheesy notes: By making the Bechamel sauce and using Fat Free (or 1%) milk and Fat Free half and half, you can cut down on the fat in this very rich dish. I’ve been using a combination of sharp (6 or 7 oz) and extra sharp (4oz) cheddar. Kraft or Publix brand both melt fine, I buy the chunk form and grate it with my box grater. The Kraft pre shredded bags will work, but the coating agent that keeps the shreds from clumping sometimes will keep the sauce from getting really smooth. If you can find a hoop style sharp cheddar (red rind, I can only find it at a Super Walmart in Central Florida) to use in combination with the 6-7 oz of sharp or extra sharp Kraft, you will also get a less grainy sauce, as the hoop melts better. Cabot cheese, sadly, makes a lumpy, grainy sauce…though we love it for snacking.
Béchamel sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup FF milk, heated (though, I also add it from the carton cold)
- 1/4 FF half and half
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Dash of nutmeg
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the FF milk and Half and Half, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat or add cheese. (To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.)
Add to Bechamel sauce:
6-7 oz Sharp cheddar, grated
3-4 oz Extra sharp cheddar, grated (Use whatever combination suits your taste, we like to taste the cheese.)
1 Tbsp prepared deli style ground mustard (Regular “brown” mustard, not spicy mustard. You can also use dry mustard to taste.)
Dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper (you don’t taste, it just cuts through the cheese)
Salt to taste, if needed
1 box of elbow macaroni or medium pasta shells
Hatch Chile variation:
1/2 Tsp smoked paprika
1/2 C – 1 C Chopped, freshly roasted Chiles. *Start off with less chiles, and add more depending on 1) the heat of the chile peppers and 2) if you are serving immediately or for later. The longer the mixture sits, the more the spicy heat builds. I found about 2/3 a cup of roasted Hatch chiles had us all appreciating the heat without it completely overwhelming the mac and cheese. I tasted some a few hours later and it was pretty spicy, which I liked but might be overwhelming if serving to a group.
Mix sauce over low heat until ingredients are incorporated, cheese is completely melted and you have a smooth sauce. (I eyeball the Bechamel sauce, so some times I have more, sometimes less, which is why you may need to add more/less cheese.) Cover and remove from heat. Add Chiles in last.
Boil macaroni shells or elbows (regular or whole grain) until fully cooked. Drain. To that pot, add back most of the drained and cooked noodles. Add at least 1/2 of the warm cheese sauce and stir to incorporate. Noodles will absorb the sauce, so keep adding sauce until you get the right sauce to noodles ratio. Serve and enjoy. If noodles sit too long before serving, add a splash of milk over low heat to get creamy again.
Bag any leftover noodles when cooled and pour any left over cheese sauce into a jar. This way, when you go to make again, the noodles haven’t absorbed all of the cheese sauce. Reheat the noodles and cheese sauce in a pan on the stove, add a splash or two of FF milk to help thin cheese sauce as you are reheating and add a bit of extra shredded cheese (bagged is fine at this point) to get “fresh” mac and cheese days later.
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Lisa Wilk
Hello, I'm Lisa Wilk! I'm a freelance food, wine and travel writer, photographer and presenter based out of Orlando, FL. While covering local restaurants and food events in the #1 tourist destination in the US, I find endless cooking inspiration when dining out. You'll often find me in the kitchen putting my own spin on those elevated chef creations to enjoy at home and when entertaining. I have a love and enthusiasm for wine, wine education and wine pairing. Find me about town teaching and demystifying wine as part of the popular @TheTastyTrio in the popular Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Perfectly Paired program series I've co-developed. Taste, Cook and Sip along with me on Twitter and Instagram at @TasteCookSip and @WineChix! Cheers!
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