Nacho Macaroni and Cheese
Sunnyside Cook
Elbow pasta in a lively creamy sauce with a kick and a crunch
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup bottled thick and chunky salsa verde --I used medium heat
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese coarsely grated and divided (see below)*
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more-- to taste
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 1 cup large corn tortilla chips
Instructions
- Get out the baking dish for the macaroni. I used a deep pie dish, but an 11 X 7 baking dish could work, too.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan.
- While the water is coming to a boil, grate the cheese. Using a fork, mix 2/3 (8 ounces) of the grated cheese with 4 teaspoons of flour in a medium size bowl. Put the remaining 1/3 (4 ounces) of grated cheese to the side.
- Next, blitz the cilantro leaves with 4 on and off pulses in a food processor. Add salsa verde and blitz for 4-5 pulses, until well mixed.
- When the water in the pot is boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt. Add elbow macaroni to boiling water and cook for about 6 minutes, until firm to the bite. Drain in a colander.
- Place the empty pasta pot over a medium- low heat and add the milk and whipping cream. Heat until simmering, then whisk in the grated cheese and flour mixture. Continue to whisk for about 1 1/2 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted.
- Add the drained macaroni to the pot, stir well to coat the elbows with the sauce, and season the mixture with black pepper to taste.
- Transfer half of the macaroni mixture to the baking pan. Dollop about half the cilantro-salsa mixture on top of the macaroni. (It can look like an abstract painting.) Sprinkle 1/2 cup of remaining grated cheese over this layer. Spoon the rest of the macaroni mixture on top and dollop remaining salsa onto it. Top with chips, covering surface of macaroni completely. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over the chips.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and chips are toasty. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Don’t use packaged pre-shredded cheese for this recipe. The cellulose used to keep the shreds separate in the packaging may make the cheese sauce grainy.
Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit (March 2007) from the BA test kitchen--Lena Cederham Birnbaum, Janet Taylor McCracken, Selma Brown Morrow, and Sarah Tenaglia.