Best Cheesy Mexican Mac Recipes

CHEESY MEXIMAC (MEXICAN MACARONI & CHEESE)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350*F. Coat an 11x7x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook 5 minutes. Add scallions and cook an additional 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook, simmering 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add half of the shredded cheese to milk mixture; whisk until smooth. Stir in corn, then combine in large bowl with pasta and scallions. Pour half into prepared dish; top with half of remaining cheese. Repeat, ending with cheese.
• Bake at 350*F for 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

CHILI MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Set aside cheese packets from dinner mixes. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add macaroni; cook until tender, 8-10 minutes., Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook and stir beef and onion over medium heat until beef is no longer pink, 8-10 minutes; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomatoes and green chiles, tomato sauce and seasonings. Drain macaroni; add to beef mixture. Stir in contents of cheese packets, sour cream and 1 cup cheese., Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, 20-25 minutes.

MEXI-MAC SKILLET

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, cook and crumble beef with onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes., Stir in seasonings, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn and water; bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until macaroni is tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese.

MEXICAN MAC-N-CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the butter, corn, onions, red peppers, garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt to a medium saucepot set over medium-high heat. Saute until the onions are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the cumin, chile powder, cayenne pepper and flour and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, to make a roux, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the cold milk in a steady stream, stirring vigorously until the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until starting to thicken, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack. Cook until the sauce is smooth and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the scallions, pepper and rigatoni and mix well to combine.
• Pour the into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle the panko evenly over the top and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove to a cooling rack and let rest for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Garnish with the cotija, jalapeno and cilantro. Serve immediately.

EXTRA CHEESY MEX MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in the breadcrumbs until coated, then the chile powder and thyme; season with salt. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub 1 tablespoon butter in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook as the label directs, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute; do not brown. Add the milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking until smooth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup each mozzarella, cheddar and manchego. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the pasta and remove from the heat. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Mix the remaining 1 cup each mozzarella, cheddar and manchego in a medium bowl. Sprinkle over the pasta. Top with the breadcrumb mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is golden, about 12 more minutes. Serve immediately.

EASY MEXICAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• SPRAY crockpot with cooking spray.
• DUMP pasta, then all other ingredients (except garnishes) in your crockpot.
• COOK ON HIGH for at least 45 minutes without disturbing; from that point on, stir every half hour or so, checking to see if the pasta is done (based on the reviews it can take anywhere between 45 minutes and two hours). When your pasta is cooked, proceed to Step #4.
• SERVE -- topped generously with green onions and crushed tortilla chips! Be sure to turn off the crockpot or switch to the warm setting, so the pasta doesn't get mushy.