This creamy green chile macaroni cheese with mild cheddar and Monterey jack cheese starts on the stovetop and finishes under the broiler and is the best kind of cold weather comfort food.

Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese

Cooking inspiration is everywhere and, in the case of this creamy green chile macaroni and cheese, the bolt of inspiration struck this time in the frozen aisle. Or, more specifically it struck while I was visiting family and a package of frozen green chile macaroni and cheese from Trader Joe’s materialized and I gathered ’round for a taste. For a frozen mac and cheese it was pretty good – a cheese sauce flavored with not too spicy green chile along with tender pasta, but seeing as I live almost an hour away from the nearest Trader Joe’s and have no desire to drive that far and deal with the parking lot and all the people (is that store ever not busy?) I set out to make my own once I got home.

And while it’s not as convenient as the Trader Joe’s version it has other redeeming qualities like a velvety smooth cheese sauce and a cheesy topping that bubbles under the broiler until a golden crust forms, two features that are hard to achieve in the microwave. And, of course, it’s flavored with earthy green chiles that add warmth but not a lot of spice.

Some Ingredients You’ll Need

It starts with macaroni that you’ll want to boil for a few minutes less than what’s listed on the package. It will finish cooking in the sauce once you’ve made it. You can boil the pasta first, drain it, and set it aside or pull double duty and make the sauce while the pasta boils.
Instead of adding the canned green chile in at the end, I added it to the butter (along with all the juices) as it melted in the pan so it became part of the roux that thickens the sauce. This way, the green chile flavors the whole sauce. Cook it with the flour and butter until it turns into a thick paste and the raw flavor of the flour cooks off.
Add whole milk and half and half to the roux very slowly, whisking continuously, so the sauce is smooth.
At this point, I like to cook the sauce with a wedge of onion and whole smashed garlic. That way, you get a smooth sauce that’s flavored with the onion garlic without chunks of the veggies in your sauce. It will take about five to ten minutes over medium heat for the sauce to thickens enough that it coats the back of a spoon. Once it’s thickened you can discard the onion and garlic.
I used mild cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses because I didn’t want a strong cheese to overpower the flavor of the green chile. Add the shredded cheese to the sauce in batches until it melts and the sauce is smooth and creamy. For a pop of freshness stir in some chopped cilantro, add the cooked macaroni, stir it all together and transfer it to an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Top the macaroni and cheese with some more shredded cheese and pop it under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and a golden crust forms.

So, my recommendation? For a quick lunch or snack grab a package of Trader Joe’s mac and cheese if you’re lucky enough to live near one (and patient enough to deal with the crowds), but for a cozy dinner make a batch of my homemade green chile macaroni and cheese with a crisp salad on the side to balance out the richness. It’s the best kind of cold-weather comfort food.

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