Southwestern Macaroni & Cheese |
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Prep Time: 60 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes |
Ready In: 75 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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In 'Mother's Best, 150 Favorites from Mother's Bistro and Bar' Ingredients:
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for salting the pasta water |
1 lb fusilli or 1 lb rotini pasta |
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or 2 tablespoons canola oil |
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 cup) |
1 cup finely diced bell pepper (preferably green and red) |
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed |
3 cups heavy cream |
2 cups firmly packed shredded monterey jack cheese (about 1/2 pound) or 2 cups monterey jack pepper cheese (about 1/2 pound) |
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded (or diced, about 1 chicken breast) |
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper |
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish |
1/4 teaspoon minced chipotle chile (from canned chipotles in adobo) |
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion, for garnish |
Directions:
1. Bring a medium (6- to 8-quart) pot of water to a boil; salt it generously; stir in the pasta and cook according to package directions; drain(do not rinse, or you'll rinse away starches that will help thicken the sauce) and return to the empty pot.
2. Meanwhile, place a large (12- to 14-inch) saute pan over med-high heat for several minutes.
3. When hot, add the butter or oil, onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos; saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the heavy cream; bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer until the cream is reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.
5. Add in the cheese and chicken; stir well and cook over med-high heat until the cheese has melted and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Stir the sauce into the cooked and drained pasta in the pot; place over medium heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken the sauce and allow the pasta to absorb the flavors, stirring now and again; if too thick, add a little more cream.
8. To make the garnish-in a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and minced chipotle.
9. Serve the macaroni and cheese in individual bowls topped with a dollop of the chipotle sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.
10. **Alternative-if you like the smoky-spicy flavor of the spices but want to avoid the extra fat in the sour cream garnish, just add a teaspoon of the sauce from the canned chipotles in adobo to the macaroni and cheese itself and skip the garnish altogether.
11. **OR, can use chipotle chile powder, New Mexico chile powder, or regular chile powder, to taste, instead of the canned chipotles.
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