Cheesy Southwestern Mac and Cheese

Who doesn't like Mac and Cheese? At its worst its usually still delicious. There are probably thousands of ways to make this magical pasta, but I've adapted this recipe from the way my mother used to make it. There is no baking involved or making a roux. Just get some quality ingredients and mix together. It will come out creamy and delicious. Promise. Add some chiles and hot sauce for a nice southwestern style mac and cheese. Note, this is not for the health conscious.

You will need the following:

1lb Pasta

2 eggs

1 stick of butter

8 oz cheese (I show 16 oz in the photo, which is because I am using half of each type of cheese)

1 tbs of mustard, I like a nice creamy mustard

¼ cup of milk

1 4oz can of Fire Roasted Green Chiles

Hot Sauce

As far as cooking tools you will need:

A cheese grater

Pot

Colander

I like to use two different kinds of cheese in my mac. For this recipe I chose an extra sharp cheddar and a chipotle cheddar. Cut each bar in half, and use approximately 4oz of each cheese. Save the rest for another recipe. I used a food processor to grate the cheese (so fast!) but any old grater will do.

Uh, boil the water and then add pasta. Put some salt in the water before boiling, this will help give some flavor to the pasta. Once the the water reaches a rolling boil dump in all your pasta. Stir occasionally. You may also want to turn down the heat so it does not boil over.

Read the directions on your pasta package, it should give you a cooking time. I tend to pull my pasta out just slightly earlier than the indicated time on the package. This helps ensure a nice al dente pasta. You should always test your pasta before draining to make sure you are happy with the consistency.

When you are ready, pour your pasta into the colander.

Now its time to add our ingredients.

After pouring the pasta into the colander shut off the burner, but place the pot back on the warm burner. Add the stick of butter and let it melt entirely. Once melted, return the pasta into the pot and toss until coated. Add your milk and stir. Next, add your two eggs, mustard, and chiles. Stir. It should begin to look nice and creamy at this point.

Lastly, its time to add the cheese. Add the cheese in small handfuls and stir to melt onto the pasta. Take about 3-4 handfuls to get all the pasta melted in thoroughly mixed into the pasta. And...now its time to eat. You may want to add some salt and pepper to make it perfect. Serve immediately.

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