This One Pot Mexican Street Corn Mac and Cheese comes together in about 20 minutes and is made with REAL ingredients. Ditch the blue box in favor of this easy, vegetarian weeknight dinner with a twist, that your family will love!
You'll Love It
- The flavors are insane! The lime zest might be throwing you off, but I SWEAR it is SOOOOO freaking good! It combines with the creamy mac and cheese and the salty, nutty Cotija and it's totally *chef's kiss*! It literally tastes like elote mixed with mac and cheese and your taste buds aren't going to know what him 'em!
- It's has a short list of REAL ingredients! No "processed cheese product" or preservatives you can't pronounce! You can also use whatever noodles you've got hanging around in the cupboard AND this stovetop mac and cheese is made with mostly pantry ingredients!
- It will be ready in about 20 minutes! The best part about one-pot pasta (other than only dirtying one dish!!) is the amount of time it takes to cook. From start to finish you're looking at just 20-25 minutes. You'll have to stir the pasta every few minutes so the noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan, but you can easily get some other stuff done while it's simmering on the stove or just take a break from the hustle and bustle of the day and take some big, deep breaths!
Benefits of One Pot Pasta
- It cooks in one pot! If you've never made a one-pot pasta before, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!
- You'll find tons of them on my site: Mushroom Stroganoff, Mediterranean Pasta, Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese, Gorgonzola Pasta, Stove Top Mac and Cheese, One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo, Lemon Garlic Pasta, One Pot Sausage Rigatoni...shall I go on?!
- Why so many one-pot pasta recipes? Because - I. LOVE. THEM. By the time you bring water to a boil, cook the pasta, strain it, make the sauce, and then combine the sauce and the pasta you're looking at probably 45-50 minutes of active preparation PLUS you have tons of dishes to wash!
- One-pot pasta means everything goes in at the same time, cooks together in about 20ish minutes and you've got ONE POT to wash!
- PLUS all that liquid gold starchy pasta water stays right in the pot instead of getting poured down the sink. So it coats every noodle and leaves you with the creamiest sauce ever.
- Have I convinced you that one-pot pasta is the best yet??!?!
Instructions
Add butter, pasta, cheddar, pepper jack, corn, half and half, veggie broth, chili powder, garlic powder, lime zest, salt, and pepper to a large pot.
Stir to combine and turn heat to medium-high.
Bring to a simmer, stirring every few minutes so the noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low or medium-low and gently simmer for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente and sauce is smooth and creamy. Stir every couple of minutes while it's cooking.
Top mac and cheese with cotija and fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Tips
- The cook time may vary depending on what kind of noodles you use. I used large shell noodles and 8-10 minutes of simmering was just right. If you find that your noodles are not quite done but your sauce is getting too thick, just add more liquid. Half and half, veg stock, or even milk will work to loosen it up in no time!
- Be sure to stir this one-pot mac and cheese every few minutes so that the noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Some pans are stickier than others (I like to use my favorite large saute pan when cooking this mac and cheese because it can go from stovetop to dining table and still look nice). Stirring the noodles while they cook will also ensure that they cook evenly in the sauce.
- Feel free to use other kinds of cheese! If you like it spicy, try using more pepper jack in place of some of the sharp cheddar cheese. If your family isn't into heat, you can replace the pepper jack cheese with more sharp cheddar or even American or Monterey jack cheeses. 12 oz. of cheese is the sweet spot, but feel free to mix it up with whatever you've got on hand!
Family Favorites
- One Pot Mediterranean Pasta
- One Pot Mac and Cheese
- One Pot Caprese Mac and Cheese
- One Pot Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese
- One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
Mexican Mac and Cheese
This One Pot Mexican Street Corn Mac and Cheese comes together in about 20 minutes and is made with REAL ingredients. Ditch the blue box in favor of this easy, vegetarian weeknight dinner with a twist, that your family will love!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 16 oz. large shells pasta, uncooked
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 12 oz. frozen corn
- 16 oz. half and half
- 32 oz. vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- zest of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon salt + more to taste
- fresh cracked pepper
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Add butter, pasta, cheddar, pepper jack, corn, half and half, veggie broth, chili powder, garlic powder, lime zest, salt, and pepper to a large pot.
- Stir to combine and turn heat to medium-high.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring every few minutes so the noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce heat to low or medium-low and gently simmer for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente and sauce is smooth and creamy. Stir every couple of minutes while it's cooking.
- Top mac and cheese with cotija and fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Notes
The cook time may vary depending on what kind of noodles you use. I used large shell noodles and 8-10 minutes of simmering was just right. If you find that your noodles are not quite done but your sauce is getting too thick, just add more liquid. Half and half, veg stock, or even milk will work to loosen it up in no time!
Be sure to stir this one-pot mac and cheese every few minutes so that the noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Some pans are stickier than others (I like to use my favorite large saute pan when cooking this mac and cheese because it can go from stovetop to dining table and still look nice). Stirring the noodles while they cook will also ensure that they cook evenly in the sauce.
Feel free to use other kinds of cheese! If you like it spicy, try using more pepper jack in place of 8 oz. of habanero cheese. If your family isn't into heat, you can replace the pepper jack cheese with more sharp cheddar or even American or Monterey jack cheeses. 12 oz. of cheese is the sweet spot, but feel free to mix it up with whatever you've got on hand!
Keywords: Mexican mac and cheese, stove top mac and cheese, mac and cheese with corn, one pot mac and cheese
Hannah
Made this for dinner tonight and it's so yummy! I substituted some less spicy cheese because I am a wimp and it's still good 🙂
★★★★★
Amanda
Just made this and it was delicious and easy! I was a little concerned before making it that it might not be great because I haven't had a lot of luck with mac and cheese cooking like this, but the sound of it persuaded me into making it. And it was great! Super easy to throw together, it just took a little longer for the sauce to thicken enough.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
WOOHOO! So glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Amanda! I know what you mean - there's a lot of mac and cheese recipes out there, but this one is super easy and delicious! Thanks so much for leaving a review - I really appreciate it! 🙂