This is not your Mama’s macaroni & cheese… but it is a definite crowd pleaser!

I love comfort food… I mean, who doesn’t? It evokes warm memories of home and family and a simpler time… which is why we crave it on rainy, cold days and when life throws us a curve ball.

I love to eat this on its own as a meal, but it’s also great paired with my Drunken Country Ribs… I’ll post that recipe at a later date.

Ingredients
1 pkg Creamette jumbo elbow macaroni
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Mexican blend
1/2 cup  shredded Swiss or Jarlsburg cheese
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons butter
2 tsps of salt
1 tsp pepper
Cholula Original hot sauce (or whatever your favorite is – this is one of mine)
salt & pepper to taste
1 sm can Ortega Diced Green Chilies (if you like it really spicy you can use their diced jalapeños instead)
1 sm sweet onion – diced
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs – they’re made from bread after the crust is removed, which gives them a light airy texture. If you can’t find Panko, Corn Bread Crumbs are great)

Preparation

Sauté diced onion in 2 tablespoons butter until translucent. Don’t overcook, they’ll be cooking longer in the oven.

Fold in bechamel sauce and green chilies and stir until all noodles are covered and ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Add more salt and pepper if needed and Cholula Hot Sauce to *taste.
*I always take a taste a spoonful before baking to make sure it’s spicy enough or to see if it needs more salt or pepper.

Ready To Cook?
*Sprinkle Panko across the top until evenly, but not completely covered. Bake at 375º for 20 minutes or until cheese is slightly brown & crunchy around edges (you know this is the best part!)

*For a more golden crunchy topping… sprinkle a few drops of olive oil in a bowl and toss panko crumbs until evenly (but lightly) coated. Then sprinkle on mac & cheese.

The Perfect Bite
Who are we kidding? Every bite of this is a perfect bite!

The Perfect Pairing
With its zesty Mexican flavors the perfect beverage for this dish is an ice cold bottle of Negra Modelo.

Did You Know? You can reduce the amount of tears you shed while cutting onions if you use a really sharp knife and a cold onion. A dull knife used on an over-ripe room temp onion will make you cry a river of tears. I always use sweet onions because they’re less tear-inducing than yellow or white onions. Also, for a little more complicated but cry-proof solution… check out this video.