Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese

So this might take me a while to get to the recipe as there are about five stories that go into this dish. First, we had dinner at a friends house last weekend and the fare was fajitas. I was going to bring black bean corn salsa and brilliantly garlicky guac (guac turned into pico but that is another story) and then make rice cooked in Hatch Green Chili enchilada sauce (it just sounded so good). But I failed to specify the ingredients I needed to the person buying them, ergo no sauce. The next night we went to my parent’s house and I walked into my bedroom and there was a can of the missing ingredient sitting on the dresser. I laughed and texted my Ervetta (the person doing the shopping the day before) who happened to be in the ER with an extremely broken toe. Needless to say – she did not care much. But I was excited because now I get to make the dish I had envisioned. Fast forward to this weekend, we are heading out to the lake to have Easter with D’s family. D says that I can figure out what I am making in the car and we can stop at the HEB in Marble Falls. This complicates things for me because I am not sure what staples I need to bring, so I pack two grocery bags (yes I pack food to take with me in case the store doesn’t have it) and see the sauce and say – why not? IN goes the sauce, out goes D, Foster Brown, and I on the road. His brother was making flank steak so I started turning the wheels and gave D his options – knowing which one would get picked (the options were roasted mashed sweet potatoes, green beans and hatch green chili mac and cheese – no brainer). We decide on mac and cheese (shocker I know), hit the grocery and relax at the lake for a while before I start cooking. As it turns out, this was the best choice for a side because it ended up being the only thing we ate for dinner. =)

Notes: Use a tubular or shell shaped pasta (I prefer penne). Use good quality cheese for best taste and texture. The cheese needs to be aged over two years to melt properly. Sorry, but you gotta spend the extra $2 here. You can sometimes find canned diced tomatillos (HEB has them), feel free to sub these instead of using the fresh ones in a time crunch. I use less milk than I call for – I sub chicken broth for health reasons. Feel free to use as much butter as you want – again, health reasons limit my usage. You can run the chilis, onions, garlic, and tomatillos through a blender to puree them until smooth if you like. I prefer to leave them as is for a texture contrast and burst of flavor. Spinach is optional and only there because I literally put spinach in everything! Finally, feel free to use spiced corn chips as a topping instead of panko. Central Market has a wonderful chile corn chip crust that would be fantastic (pre-made) or you can make your own. I use seasoned panko because, generally, I am trying to get it in the oven and I always have panko.

Update: This dish has now become a regular part of my cooking rotation. I was asked to make it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, giving me the impression that it is has now become a new tradition. I also tend to make this for large group gatherings as it feeds a ton of people in a very tasty way and really is not difficult at all to prepare (and can be made in advance). Fourth of July and Memorial Day will never be the same…

Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Serves 12 – 18

Two pounds pasta of choice
One to two cans Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
Two Hatch Green Chilis – roasted, skins removed, and minced (if not in season sub Jalapeno, Serrano, or Poblano)
Three Tomatillos, hush removed and boiled or roasted
One cup Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1.5 cups Queso Asadero, shredded
One cup Jalapeno Jack Cheese, shredded
Two cups Oxaca Cheese
Two Onions, sliced and diced
3-4 large handfuls of Spinach
one-half lime, juiced
One cup whole milk (I used less for health reasons but the sauce did not come out quite as creamy)
3 tbsp butter
Six to ten large cloves garlic, minced
One pint of Cherry tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
Pinch salt
Good amount of black pepper
One cup Chicken Broth
Two to three heaping tablespoons of Wheat Flour
Sriracha (optional)
Parmesan, shredded or grated (optional)

Cook pasta in salted water according to instructions.

Saute (seasoned) garlic, shallots, and flour with butter – stirring well to make a light roux. Add roasted peppers and continue to saute. To the pan, add the Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce, milk, and chicken broth – stir well and reduce slightly. After the tomatillo has been boiled it should be soft, coarsely chop it and add it to the pan. Continue simmering. Remove from heat and put the sauce into a food processor and puree until smooth (this step is optional – if you do not mind chunk then by all means skip – I did). Return the sauce to the hot pan and add in a small handful of cheese (this needs to be done in batches) and stir until melted. Repeat this step until cheese is gone and sauce is thick and gooey. Add lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Combine the pasta, tomatoes, spinach, and sauce in a greased oven-safe dish. Stir well. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese if using (feel free to butter your bread crumbs to get them extra brown and delicious – I usually skip this step out of deference to my remarkably expanding derrière). Drizzle the topping with Sriracha to kick up the heat factor if desired. Bake, uncovered, in an oven that has been pre-heated to 375 degrees. Bake until the top is golden brown and the sides are bubbling up. About 45 minutes.