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5 from 1 vote

Poblano Mac and Cheese

How to make the best homemade macaroni and cheese, with poblano peppers and three cheese for a gooey mac n cheese that makes the South proud.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of elbow macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons salt for macaroni water
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • 8 ounces white cheddar cheese see notes
  • 4 ounces gruyere
  • 4 cups half and half or whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 4 slices tuscan type bread cut into one inch cubes (or use heavy farmhouse bread).

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 F.

Make macaroni.

  • Cook elbow macaroni in large pot of boiling salted water, until tender but firm to the bite, stirring occasionally.
  • Add in the poblano pepper into the boiling water and allow to blanch for four minutes, until nearly soft.
  • Remove pepper to cool.
  • Once macaroni is done, drain and set aside, adding in a tablespoon of butter and stirring.
  • Once poblano pepper has cooled, trim stem, seed and dice into very small pieces.
  • Using a medium sized, heavy duty sauce pan, warm the milk and cream together with the cayenne pepper, black pepper, and nutmeg.

Make roux.

  • In a separate high sided frying pan or dutch oven pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter on medium low heat.
  • Add the flour and continue to stir constantly with a whisk, until a roux has formed, about one minute. It will be smooth and thick.

Make cheese sauce.

  • Add the warmed half and half to the roux.
  • Continue to cook on medium heat until the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Remove from heat. Add cheeses to the roux, reserving 1/2 cup cheese for the top.

AssembleMake macaroni and cheese.

  • Spray your baking pan. Add poblano to macaroni.
  • Put the drained macaroni into the pan.
  • Mix cheese sauce and macaroni.
  • Toast slices of tuscan bread cubes in oven until lightly toasted.
  • Add on top of macaroni and cheese.
  • Bake until bubbly about 30 minutes. Check at 15 minutes. If top is getting to browned, lightly top with foil.
  • This will make (1) 13 x 9.

Notes

If you want to make the mac n cheese spicy, add cooked poblano and substitute white cheddar with pepper jack.
If you do not use the poblano peppers, add in a 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg. Keep the cayenne pepper.