Southwest Mac N Cheese Recipes

SOUTHWESTERN MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cook macaroni as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, brown meat with bell peppers in large skillet; drain.
• Heat dressing in large saucepan. Add flour; cook and stir 1 min. or until bubbly. Gradually whisk in milk; cook and stir 6 to 8 min. or until thickened. Add cheese, mustard and black pepper; cook and stir 2 min. or until cheese is melted and mixture is well blended.
• Drain macaroni. Add to cheese sauce; mix well. Stir in meat mixture and tomatoes and green chilies. Spoon into casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 25 to 35 min. or until golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 2 min. before serving.

SOUTHWEST MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except cheese in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer 10 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, until macaroni is tender. Stir in cheese until melted.

SOUTHWEST MAC & CHEESE WITH OPTIONAL CHICKEN

Steps:

• Boil the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and return to the pan you boiled it in. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set out six individual, oven-safe ramekins or gratin dishes for individual servings, two 5"x8" baking dishes if you're cooking up one dish with meat and one without, or an 8"x8"/two-quart baking dish if cooking it all in one big batch.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the cheddar, monterey jack, and Parmesan cheeses. Set aside.
• Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, salt, dry mustard, chili powder, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika. Stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes.
• Slowly whisk in the milk. Continuing over medium heat, whisk frequently for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens (as the sauce gets thicker, I recommend going from frequent stirs to constant stirs to help avoid burning).
• Remove from heat, and stir in 2 cups of the cheese. Continue stirring until cheese is melted, then add the green chilies and corn. Stir until combined. Select your version from the options below to continue.

SOUTHWESTERN SKILLET MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain and keep warm.
• Spray a large nonstick skillet with Pam.
• Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat.
• Stir in the onion, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, and salt.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles, and water; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
• Add the macaroni and cheese, stirring to combine.

CREAMY SOUTHWEST MAC 'N CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add onions, poblano chiles, jalapeño peppers and chili powder; mix well. Cook 6 min. or until onions are crisp-tender, stirring frequently.
• Add milk and 2/3 of the VELVEETA; cook 3 to 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Stir in macaroni and remaining VELVEETA.
• Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray. Toss shredded cheese with crushed chips; sprinkle over macaroni mixture.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

SOUTHWEST MAC-N-CHEESE

Steps:

• boil pasta shells according to package directions.
• brown ground beef in large saucepan or skillet with minced garlic and cumin.
• Drain fat.
• mix taco seasoning and water and pour over meat, stir well over medium/low.
• add rotel, beans, corn and Tabasco to pan and continue to cook over medium until all ingredients heated through.
• add pasta shells to pan and stir.
• pour cheese sauce from package over all and stir over medium until heated through.
• Serve with additional Tabasco to taste.

SOUTHWESTERN PASTA & CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute pepper and onions in oil until tender. Stir in the flour, chili powder, chipotle pepper, salt and cumin until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese until melted., Drain pasta; toss with sauce. Stir in bacon and cilantro. Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

SOUTHWEST MACARONI AND JACK CHEESE BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Add milk and cream cheese to a large sauce pan, heat over medium high heat and stir until cheese melts.
• Add chili peppers, salt and cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
• Spoon half the macaroni into the baking dish and top with half the cheese.
• Add the remaining macaroni, cheese and top with the nacho chips.
• Bake 30-35 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and lightly browned.