Poblano Macaroni and Cheese
Why I Love This Recipe
I absolutely love the poblano flavor is this dish! Some variations you might want to do: substitute some of the cheddar with pepper Jack cheese and maybe add some bacon!! And maybe top it with some crushed tortilla chips for a nice crunchy topping. YUM!
Ingredients You'll Need
2 poblano (aka pasilla) chiles
8 oz elbow pasta (2 cups)
2 TB unsalted butter
4 cloves minced garlic
2 TB flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 cups grated while cheddar cheese (12 oz) (feel free to substitute orange cheddar)
1/2 cup Cotija cheese
Directions
Under the broiler, roast your poblanos until blackened. This will take about 5 minutes per side. And we're not talking about 2 sides. It could be 3 or 4 sides....depending on the shape of your chili. Don't rush the process....but keep an eye on things.
Once they're roasted, stick em in a plastic bag and let 'em steam for a while....say...20 minutes. Remove from the bag and peel off the skin, remove the stem and seeds
Then cut that roasted baby into 1" long pieces. Set aside
While all this is going on....cook your pasta according to package instructions. But don't over cook them....maybe a little less than al dente. You don't want pasta paste once everything's said and done
About now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 375' and grease a casserole dish. If your pasta is done....pour it into the prepared dish and let it sit there while you make cheese the sauce
Next, you're going to start on your roux. Over low heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic and cook for about a minute tops...I recommend stirring the whole time so your garlic doesn't burn. Burned garlic is rather yucky. Whisk in the flour and cook, while whisking, until it becomes a light toasty brown color. This part is important. The browning of the flour reduces the floury taste
Whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens....yet is still "fluid". Remove from heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro and poblano chiles
Next, you're going to take half of the shredded cheese
Slowly add the cheese to the sauce and stir until it melts and is well combined. At this point, if your sauce is too thick, add a little milk....about a teaspoon at a time. Which I did have to do. If the cheese won't melt because your sauce has cooled down too much....put the pan back on the stove over a low heat
Pour the sauce over the pasta then top with the remaining cheddar cheese
Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until its bubbly and brown. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese and serve