Hatch Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese
Hatch Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese is smooth, creamy and flavorful with the subtle bite of Hatch Green Chiles.
When I first moved to Colorado I had such disdain for green bell peppers that I kept my distance from all peppers that were green. I’m so grateful I took a leap of faith one day and righted that wrong. I love this Hatch Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese; although it took trying a Poblano pepper to change everything!
I spent over thirty years living in the Midwest and South; neither of them had been known for having a culture that included foods with ‘heat’ so I had quite the learning trajectory. At a Super Bowl party though years ago, I tried this Chile Relleno Casserole and was shocked to find it had ‘green’ peppers in it and I LOVED IT!
Now I love a wide variety of peppers from jalapeño to poblano to Serrano and in the past several years the list has grown to include the peppers from Hatch, New Mexico. Still, no green bell peppers for me; nope, that will NEVER change!
Chiles grown in and around Hatch, New Mexico, are called Hatch chiles, but no one type of chile is specific to that area. The peppers grown in the valley, and along the entire Rio Grande, from northern Taos Pueblo to southern Isleta Pueblo, are a signature crop to New Mexico’s economy and culture.The chile pepper is also New Mexico’s state vegetable.
The New Mexico green chile pepper flavor has been described as lightly pungent similar to an onion, or like garlic with a subtly sweet, spicy, crisp, and smoky taste.
When ripened, the red pepper retains the flavor but adds an earthiness and bite while aging mellows the front-heat and delivers more of a back-heat.
The spiciness depends on the variety of New Mexico chile peppers. I get a bushel full roasted every year at a roadside stand and varieties aren’t mentioned, simply Hot, Medium, or Mild. I’m a Medium!
A full bushel will equal about 12 lbs of roasted chiles so I package and freeze about half of that and neighbors eagerly buy the remaining ones. Someone asked what I did with them and the list was easy and endless.
Add to scrambled eggs, salsa, chicken dishes, salad dressings, pork marinade, and more. For me, I NEED to make this Chile Relleno Casserole; it is simply amazing. I first tried this a bazillion years ago at a Broncos football game and that activity remains a perfect time to offer it to guests.
If they are not offered in your area; simply find a green chile with medium heat, an Anaheim or Poblano for instance. Roasting them is easy…either set them directly on top of a burner on a gas stovetop, under the broiler element inside your stove (watch carefully!) or on top of the grate of a gas grill and char them all over.
After they’re charred, remove them and put them into a plastic bag and zip it or tie it up tightly to allow the steam and heat to loosen the outer charred membrane.
Once they’ve cooled, it’s easy to clean off the char, cut them open and clean out the seeds before using. Or keep the seeds if you want to up the heat quotient…but be careful!
This basic recipe is one I’ve had for so long I don’t recall where it came from; I think a neighbor must have shared it with me when I lived in North Carolina. Adding the Hatch Green Chiles was perfect; next time I might add bacon too!
It’s simple but a great blend of ingredients (and I usually double it and it disappears!). It is super cheesy, what my kids used to call ‘goopy’ mac and cheese and we like it that way.
If you like a drier version; just bake it longer and add the bread crumbs halfway through baking. For my version, I made the crumbs separately and spoon them on top after it’s baked in the oven; I love the contrast of texture between the smooth creamy Hatch Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese and the super crunchy topping. Absolute perfection!
If you LOVE mac and cheese like I do; you might also try this Smoky Gouda with Bacon version. It’s equally delicious.
You might like these other recipes with one of my favorite green peppers!
- Sausage and Hatch Green Chile Pizza on Naan Bread
- Hatch Green Chile and Cheese Soup
- Chile Relleno Casserole
- Chile Relleno Soup
- Roasted Poblano Pepper and Corn Soup
PIN IT! ‘Hatch Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese’
Hatch Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
For Topping
- ¾ sleeve coarsely crumbled crackers Ritz style
- 1 Tbsp Butter
For Macaroni and Cheese
- 3 cups uncooked macaroni
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 10 oz. ricotta cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 8-10 oz. Mexican Shredded cheese grated
- ¼ to ½ cup coarsely chopped Hatch Green Chiles roasted and cleaned
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the crumb topping, melt the butter in a medium saucepan until melted. Add the crumbs and cook on medium heat until just toasted; 4-5 minutes.
- Cook macaroni as directed until just al dente; drain and set aside.
- Lightly grease the inside of an oven proof baking dish.
- Beat eggs until combined and add milk, ricotta cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and Mexican cheese blend and stir until thoroughly combined. Add macaroni and chopped Hatch green chiles and mix until well blended.
- Pour mixture into the baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. (See
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Let stand 5 minutes. Top with the toasted bread crumbs and serve.
You list Mexican shredded cheese as an ingredient. What kind of cheese is that exactly? There is no mention of it in the instructions. Is it added to the beaten eggs along with the other ingredients or is it used to top the casserole?
I buy a Kraft Product Pamela that is labeled as Mexican Cheese; it’s a combination of four cheeses. If it’s not available to you; just use either Cheddar or a combination of Cheddar and Monterey Jack. http://www.kraftrecipes.com/products/kraft-mexican-style-four-cheese-4934.aspx
The shredded cheese should be mixed with the other ingredients; eggs, milk, ricotta, etc. I’ve fixed that mistake on the recipe…my apologies, that’s a biggie! Hope you enjoy it…now I’m craving it again!
I know the cheese combination you’re referring to and will add it accordingly. Have had lots of success with your recipes and green chile is abundant now, perfect for tomorrow’s dinner.
Oh how I love hearing that! I’ve got a ton of them on hand now too; just had a full basket roasted and gave half to neighbors and another half are frozen in 1 lb packages for future use.
I have a seriously decadent recipe that I use them for; it was served at a football game party I went to many years ago when I hadn’t been in Denver long. I stayed clear of most green chiles because I didn’t like green pepper and it opened the door for me to recognize how different they are from a bell pepper. It might be something that appeals to you too?
https://creative-culinary.com/chili-relleno-casserole/
You did send that out recently and I’m planning to make it soon. I live in NM and we put green chile on just about everything, so always on the lookout for new recipes.
I will try this. I’m in Vegas and we can only get the hatch peppers in September. I got a box roasted and put them in the freezer. Also bought some to dry to make pepper dust. My husband is a big fan of HOT! Thanks for sharing tne recipe.
I freeze a bunch too; we just love the flavor of them. And you’re welcome…hope you enjoy it as much as we do!