Poblano Macaroni & Cheese

When I saw that one of the recipes for Week 2 of The Homesick Texan Spotlight & Cook-Off was for Poblano Macaroni & Cheese, I knew I had to try it.  I love Macaroni & Cheese and I love Poblanos, so having them both together in one delicious recipe sounded like a match made in heaven.  Like peanut butter & chocolate.  Beans & rice.  And limón y sal.  (Lime & salt.) 

And a perfect match they were.  I may not be a Homesick Texan, but I am a homesick Gringa and the smoky, spicy goodness of this macaroni and cheese, seasoned with ancho chile powder and ground cumin, is everything Tex-Mex should be.

I couldn't get enough.

I will definitely be making this again! 


Poblano Macaroni and cheese



Poblano Macaroni & Cheese
(from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain)

Ingredients:
  • 2 poblano chiles
  • 8 oz. elbow macaroni (I used two 200gr. packages of serpentina tricolor)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1-3/4 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder or chicken bouillon
  • 1/4 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 12 oz. grated Manchego or Chihuahua cheese

Directions:
Roast the poblano peppers directly over an open flame, until the skin has charred and blistered.  Place the poblano peppers in a plastic bag for 5 to 10 minutes.  (This causes the chilies to sweat, making it much easier to remove the skin.)

Roasting Poblanos


Remove the charred skin from the poblano peppers, along with the seeds and stem.  Chop the poblano peppers into small pieces.  (This would be a good time to chop the cilantro and grate the lime zest.)

poblanos, cilantro and lime zest


Boil the macaroni/pasta in a pot of boiling, salty water for about 5 minutes.  You want the pasta to be "al dente".  

serpentina tricolor
Don't you love my Serpentina Tricolor

While the pasta is cooking, generously grease a baking/casserole dish with butter.  Drain the pasta and pour it into the baking dish; set aside.

serpentina tricolor 2


And now for the cheese sauce...

Preheat oven to 350F.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low heat.  Add garlic and sauté one minute.  Stir in the flour and let cook until a light golden brown. 

roux


Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps from forming.  Let cook until the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the chicken bouillon, chili powder, ground cumin, lime zest, cilantro and chopped poblanos.  Season with salt and pepper.

poblano cheese sauce prep


Add half of the cheese and stir until melted. 

Poblano cheese sauce


Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir until well combined. 

Poblano Mac n cheese prep


Top with remaining cheese. 

Poblano Mac n cheese prep 2


Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes.  Enjoy!!!

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese 2


*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef.




Photobucket

14 comments

  1. Yummmo! I'm with you, M n C including poblanos sounds delicioso.  Great step by step as well.  Can't go wrong with this one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm jealous...I've never seen that kind of pasta here...it looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, I love the look of yours with the tri-color mac...and the sproingy spirals.  Looks fabulous, Leslie! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. what fun pasta, and a great job with this recipe... for some reason, your plating takes this to another level, makes if look like an entirely different recipe from the others... great job

    ReplyDelete
  5. My fav is beans/rice and I LOVE poblanos, so I knew I was gonna love this mac/cheese..love your pasta!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can't wait to try this! Mmmm my mouth is watering!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your tri-color pasta is so fun--love the added color. I agree, this was a wonderful recipe--a perfect combination of ingredients.
    ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the use of the different colored pasta. You did a fantastic job on a lovely recipe. Glad you enjoyed it too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love the mac and cheese!!! And your pasta is awesome,where'd you find it?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I added grilled chicken on top of mine...awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I added alittle bit of heat I chopped up some Jalapeno It was awesome

    ReplyDelete
  12. I made this recipe, it was fabulous!!

    ReplyDelete