Baked macaroni with a sauce of cheddar pepper jack cheese and Mexican chorizo.
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For as long as I can remember, Mexican chorizo has been a staple of our family.
There is almost always something in the fridge; My mom usually uses this sausage to mix with scrambled eggs for breakfast.
This week we tried a chorizo version of mac and cheese. (As if regular mac and cheese wasn’t good enough, hah!)
Aye aye aye, that turned out great! Spicy, creamy, cheesy.
I tossed a few chunks of avocado over mine, which worked well to offset the spiciness of the chorizo, but it’s fine on its own. Assuming you like warmth.
Do you use Mexican chorizo in your cooking? If yes, what do you do with it? Please let us know in the comments.
Chorizo Mac and Cheese
We used El Mexicano brand chorizo for this recipe as it is very soft, almost like a pie. It integrates better with the sauce than other Mexican chorizo styles.
This recipe makes a small casserole, you can easily double the ingredients for a large casserole.
ingredients
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2 cups Elbow Macaroni
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1 Cup milk
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1 teaspoon cornstarch
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4 ounces grated cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
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4 ounces grated pepper jack cheese (about 1 cup)
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6 ounces Mexican chorizo
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1/2 Cup chopped Red onion
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2 tablespoon flour
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2 teaspoon lime juice
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2 tablespoon breadcrumbs
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1 tablespoon butter
method
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Mix the cornstarch with the 2 cheeses in a bowl:
and set aside. The cornstarch keeps the cheese sauce from becoming too stringy.
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Heat milk:
Place the milk in a small saucepan and heat until steaming. Keep warm during recipe preparation, do not boil.
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Cooking Macaroni Pasta:
Place 2 liters of water, salted with 1 tablespoon of salt, in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the water is fully boiling, add the macaroni to the saucepan. Bring back to the boil and cook, uncovered, about 2 minutes less than directed on the package of the macaroni, so they are al dente, cooked, but still al dente.
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Cooking Chorizo and Onion:
While the water is heating and the macaroni are cooking, prepare the chorizo and cheese sauce.
Remove the chorizo from the casing and place in a medium-heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. When the chorizo begins to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium. Cook the chorizo for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chopped red onion and cook the mixture until the onions soften, about 3-4 minutes.
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Drain Macaroni, Preheat Oven:
When the macaroni are cooked but still slightly firm, drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°.
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Make the Chorizo Cheese Sauce:
Add the flour to the saucepan with the chorizo and mix well. Everything will clump together. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot, for 2 minutes.
Add the hot milk one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. When all the milk has been added, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes.
Mix the grated cheese into the chorizo milk sauce.
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Add the cooked macaroni to the chorizo and cheese sauce. Stir in lime juice.
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Bake:
Place macaroni and cheese in a small casserole dish. Make sure the top is level. Dust the top with the breadcrumbs, then brush with the butter. Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve with chopped avocados, crema fresca and chopped cilantro, if you like.
Links:
Green Chile Mac and Cheese here on Simply Recipes
Colombian-Style Mac and Cheese with Chorizo - from My Colombian Recipes
Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Bacon – by Homesick Texan
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 605 | calories |
| 39g | Fat |
| 33g | carbohydrates |
| 31g | protein |
