Categories: Casserole, Macaroni and Cheese, Main Dish, Tex-Mex
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt , plus more for salting the pasta water
- 1 lb fusilli or 1 lb rotini pasta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion , finely diced (1 cup)
- 1 cup finely diced bell pepper (preferably green and red)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper , stems and seeds removed
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups firmly packed shredded monterey jack cheese (about 1/2 pound) or 2 cups monterey jack pepper cheese (about 1/2 pound)
- 1 cup cooked chicken , shredded (or diced, about 1 chicken breast)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream , for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon minced chipotle chile (from canned chipotles in adobo)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion , for garnish
Directions
-
Bring a medium (6- to 8-quart) pot of water to a boil; salt it generously; stir in the pasta and cook according to package directions; drain(do not rinse, or you’ll rinse away starches that will help thicken the sauce) and return to the empty pot.
-
Meanwhile, place a large (12- to 14-inch) saute pan over med-high heat for several minutes.
-
When hot, add the butter or oil, onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos; saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
-
Add the heavy cream; bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer until the cream is reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.
-
Add in the cheese and chicken; stir well and cook over med-high heat until the cheese has melted and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.
-
Season with salt and pepper.
-
Stir the sauce into the cooked and drained pasta in the pot; place over medium heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken the sauce and allow the pasta to absorb the flavors, stirring now and again; if too thick, add a little more cream.
-
To make the garnish—in a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and minced chipotle.
-
Serve the macaroni and cheese in individual bowls topped with a dollop of the chipotle sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.
-
**Alternative—if you like the smoky-spicy flavor of the spices but want to avoid the extra fat in the sour cream garnish, just add a teaspoon of the sauce from the canned chipotles in adobo to the macaroni and cheese itself and skip the garnish altogether.
-
**OR, can use chipotle chile powder, New Mexico chile powder, or regular chile powder, to taste, instead of the canned chipotles.