Southwest Macaroni And Jack Cheese Bake Recipes

SOUTHWESTERN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain macaroni; stir into beef mixture., Preheat oven to 375°. Transfer macaroni mixture to 2 greased 2-qt. baking dishes. Top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly and heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Serve 1 casserole. Cool the second; cover and freeze up to 3 months., To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator 8 hours. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°, 20-25 minutes.

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.

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.

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.

SOUTHWESTERN BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the garlic and onion; drain.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat mixture, chili powder, black beans, corn, sour cream and salsa. Stir until well blended.
• Into a 9x13 inch baking dish, spoon enough of the beef mixture to cover the bottom. Arrange half of the crushed tortilla chips on top of the meat mixture and layer with 1 cup of Cheddar cheese. Spoon another layer of the meat mixture on top of the cheese layer, cover with remaining chips and layer with 1 cup of cheese. Spread final layer of meat mixture on top and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top. Top with diced tomato and green onions.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

SOUTHWEST TUNA MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions to "al dente", then drain and rinse with cool water, and let drain again.
• Meanwhile, combine soup, mayonnaise and milk, and stir until smooth.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and slightly grease a 2 quart glass baking dish.
• Mix macaroni, soup mixture, cheddar cheese, salt & pepper, and flaked tuna thoroughly in a large bowl.
• Pour mixture into baking dish, sprinkle bread crumbs evenly on top, and then dot with margarine on top.
• Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

MACARONI AND CHEESE BAKE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan, heat soup and milk over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and stir in macaroni. Pour macaroni mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Place a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of cheese slices over macaroni. Repeat.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

SOUTHWEST PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in milk. Stir in spinach and oregano; set aside. , In a nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the picante sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain pasta; stir into meat mixture., In a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer half of the meat mixture and all of the spinach mixture. Top with remaining meat mixture. , Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with olives and onions. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.