Poblano Macaroni and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- Servings: 8
- 2 poblano (aka pasilla) chiles
- 8 oz elbow pasta (2 cups)
- 2 TB unsalted butter
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 TB flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 4 cups grated while cheddar cheese (12 oz) (feel free to substitute orange cheddar)
- 1/2 cup Cotija cheese
DIRECTIONS
- Under the broiler, roast your poblanos until blackened. This will take about 5 minutes per side. And we're not talking about 2 sides. It could be 3 or 4 sides....depending on the shape of your chili. Don't rush the process....but keep an eye on things.
- Once they're roasted, stick em in a plastic bag and let 'em steam for a while....say...20 minutes. Remove from the bag and peel off the skin, remove the stem and seeds
- Then cut that roasted baby into 1" long pieces. Set aside
- While all this is going on....cook your pasta according to package instructions. But don't over cook them....maybe a little less than al dente. You don't want pasta paste once everything's said and done
- About now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 375' and grease a casserole dish. If your pasta is done....pour it into the prepared dish and let it sit there while you make cheese the sauce
- Next, you're going to start on your roux. Over low heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic and cook for about a minute tops...I recommend stirring the whole time so your garlic doesn't burn. Burned garlic is rather yucky. Whisk in the flour and cook, while whisking, until it becomes a light toasty brown color. This part is important. The browning of the flour reduces the floury taste
- Whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens....yet is still "fluid". Remove from heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro and poblano chiles
- Next, you're going to take half of the shredded cheese
- Slowly add the cheese to the sauce and stir until it melts and is well combined. At this point, if your sauce is too thick, add a little milk....about a teaspoon at a time. Which I did have to do. If the cheese won't melt because your sauce has cooled down too much....put the pan back on the stove over a low heat
- Pour the sauce over the pasta then top with the remaining cheddar cheese
- Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until its bubbly and brown. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese and serve