Tex-Mex Macaroni and Cheese recipe
Yeah... a nice recipe with accents from sunny Texas and Mexico... hence the 'Tex' and the 'Mex' part of its name, but this macaroni and cheese won't be extremely spicy. What can I say, this one is delicious!
What you will need for four hungry cowboys:
* 1 lb. macaroni elbows or rotini pasta
* 1 lb. lean ground beef
* 1 tablespoon flour
* 2 onions, chopped
* 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (also good with butter instead)
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped to small bits
* 2 cups white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 3 Jalapeno chiles, sliced in rings
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, or louisiana sauce for a milder taste; you can skip this for a less spicy mac and cheese...
* 1 cup 15% cream
* 1/2 cup of milk
* 1 lb. sharp orange cheddar; or Monterey Jack cheese; grated
* 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped very finely
* Salt and pepper
How do you make this Tex-Mex macaroni and cheese:
First start by cooking the pasta al dente.
Soak your ancho chiles in hot water for about 15 minutes.
Pull out of the water when it has softened and then chop to small chile bits while discarding the seeds and veins.
Actually if you want this recipe to be extra-spicy keep the seeds and mix with the chiles. Chop your chile with a sharp and wide knife.
In a large saucepan, pour the oil and cook your mushrooms first.
Once nice and brown, drop in the onions bits, the chiles and the meat.
Cook this for about 3 minutes then add the chopped bell peppers in.
Cook until all liquids have evaporated and your meat is nicely browned.
Add the rest of ingredients and spices to the meat; mix well.
Add in the grated cheese and melt it with the rest of the ingredients; mix. Pour the cream in and mix.
Mix in the flour, then pour the milk in last. Add more milk if your sauce is too thick.
Now we add in the pasta; mix very gently until your pasta is perfectly coated in the cheese and meat sauce.
Serve while your Tex-Mex Macaroni and Cheese is hot!