thepioneerwoman
Queso Mac and Cheese
This creamy queso mac and cheese is baked with melty cheddar, pepper jack, jalapeños, and a crunchy tortilla chip topping for pure comfort food joy.
👥 8 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h⏳ Prep: 30 min👤 Ree Drummond📖 thepioneerwoman
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●baking dish
- ●oven
- ●pot
- ●bowl
- ●whisk
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook about ⏱️ 2 minutes less than the package directions instruct. Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup pasta cooking water.
3
Place the crushed tortilla chips in a medium bowl. In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Pour the melted butter over the chips, tossing to coat. Add ½ cup of the white cheddar and ½ cup of the pepper jack and toss to combine.
4
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the same pot and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic, jalapeño, onion, mustard powder, pepper, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, 3 to ⏱️ 5 minutes. Add the evaporated milk and bring to a simmer. Gradually whisk in the processed cheese and the remaining 1 ½ cups white cheddar and 1 ½ cups pepper jack. Whisk in the reserved pasta cooking water. Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat. Fold in the diced tomatoes with green chilis.
jalapeño, seeded and chopped1evaporated milk2 (12-ounce) cans
5
Spoon the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with the tortilla chip mixture and a sprinkle of chili powder.
Chili powder, for sprinkling
6
Bake until bubbly and hot, 20 to ⏱️ 25 minutes. Allow to sit for at least ⏱️ 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve with hot sauce.
Hot sauce, for serving
Nutrition Facts
calories
781 Calories
fat Content
44 g
fiber Content
6 g
sugar Content
12 g
sodium Content
974 mg
protein Content
35 g
trans Fat Content
0 g
cholesterol Content
121 mg
carbohydrate Content
58 g
saturated Fat Content
24 g
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