Warm Up With Green Chile Mac-N-Cheese

One of the traditions in our home is that when the first snow falls, we make mac-n-cheese. Unusually enough, this year it just happens to be the day after Labor Day and a 100-degree weekend. It is weird weather, but it is Colorado.

This year, I decided to go all-in on the dish and make it from scratch on a weeknight. What can I say, I like to live life on the edge. Now, on to the cheesy goodness. This isn't my recipe for the mac-n-cheese, I simply improvised to our taste. I figured a recipe on a site named Chunky Chef, I couldn't go wrong.

Here is what you will need:

• Macaroni
• Butter
• Flour
• Whole milk
• Half and Half
• Cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Green chiles
• Bacon
• Chile powder

You can check out the cooking instructions HERE. I followed them pretty much spot on. However, I opted to change out the cheeses. The Gruyere was expensive, so I substituted Monterey Jack in its place. Peeled and chopped Hatch Green Chiles and cherry wood bacon were also added to the recipe.

Overall, I would say this is an excellent cold-weather comfort food, especially for those who like to spice things up with chile peppers. My one issue with the end product is my fault. The cheese came out kind of gritty as I am not the best at creating a roux that is smooth. In hindsight, I probably should have added the milk and half and half much sooner than I did.

If you give this recipe a try for your family, make sure you let us know how it turned out.

Get the full recipe HERE.

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