Green Chile Mac and Cheese and Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Not for the faint of heart or calorie conscious, this pasta is spicy and rich. The poblanos add heat and flavor while the Mexican crema cools things down at the same time. Topped with crunchy Panko crumbs, you'll go back to this mac and cheese again and again.

This recipe took so many tries to get exactly the way I wanted it. I think my testers got sick of eating so much mac and cheese in such a short period of time. The end result is perfection, though and so worth the time it took to get right.

Properly Roasted Poblanos

Roasted Poblanos in Plastic Wrap

Removing skin, seeds and ribs from poblanos.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 50 minutes
Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

3 large poblano peppers
1 cup cilantro leaves
4 green onions, green and white parts chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided (1 teaspoon total for table salt)
1 cup Mexican sour cream (crema) or regular sour cream
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
4 cups shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions until al dente

Directions:

1. Heat oven broiler.
2. Place poblano chiles on a baking sheet and broil, turning several times each, until skin is blackened all over. Alternatively, you can place them directly over a gas flame and turn often until the same is achieved.
3. Remove from oven and turn oven temp to 375 degrees F.
4. Place chiles immediately in plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Remove charred skin from chiles as well as stem, seeds and ribs.
6. Place chiles in a blender along with green onions, cilantro, garlic, salt, crema and evaporated milk. Puree until smooth.
7. Put hot pasta in a large bowl and add pepper jack cheese. Pour chile mixture over top and  blend until all pasta is well coated.
8. Pour pasta into a large greased casserole about 13x8 inches and 3 inches deep.
9. Blend Panko and butter together and top pasta.
10. Bake for 30 minutes until crumbs are golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

For Green Chile Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese

Green Chile Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 50 minutes
Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

3 large poblano peppers
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 green onions, green and white parts chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided (1 teaspoon total if using table salt)
1 cup Mexican sour cream (crema) or sour cream
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
4 cups Pepper Jack Cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large head cauliflower - about 1 1/2 pounds

Directions:

1. Heat oven broiler.
2. Place poblano chiles on a baking sheet and broil, turning several times each, until skin is blackened all over. Alternatively, you can place them directly over a gas flame and turn often until the same is achieved.
3. Remove from oven and turn oven temp to 375 degrees F.
4. Place chiles immediately in plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Remove charred skin from chiles as well as stem, seeds and ribs.
6. Place chiles in a blender along with green onions, cilantro, garlic, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, crema or sour cream and evaporated milk. Puree until smooth.
7. Cook the cauliflower in boiling water seasoned with the other teaspoon of Kosher salt until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat between layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
8. Add pepper jack cheese to cauliflower and pour chile mixture over top and  blend until all cauliflower is well coated.
8. Pour into a large greased casserole about 11x9 inches and 2 inches deep.
9. Blend Panko and butter together and sprinkle over cauliflower.
10. Bake for 30 minutes until crumbs are golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

*Note: You can use frozen cauliflower florets, thawed, drained and pressed between paper towels. You can also find roasted poblanos in the frozen section - about 1 1/2 cups will suffice.