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Mexican Mac and Cheese

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5 from 2 reviews

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!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 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
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon salt + more to taste
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Stir to combine and turn heat to medium-high.
  3. Bring to a simmer, stirring every few minutes so the noodles don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

Nutrition

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/mexican-mac-and-cheese/