Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Green Chili and Sweet Corn Mac and Cheese

We tend to watch a little of the Food Network while getting ready for bed at night which often leads to discussions of ideas for meals which we promptly forget in the morning. The other night I was teasing Matt that he needed a journal next to the bed to write those things in so he went & got a post-it & wrote that night's ideas down. This dish was one of those ideas. I think we were watching Diners, Drive-ins & Dives but have no idea what inspired this.
Green Chile & Corn Mac & Cheese
Anyway, this is one heck of a mac & cheese. The corn adds a wonderful sweetness & a bit of texture. The green chiles add a very subtle chile flavor & scent. We added a little cayenne for the slightest heat at the back of the throat, add more if you like things spicier. Mac & Cheese is a favorite around our house & I think this variation will be going into rotation a lot.

Green Chili and Sweet Corn Mac & Cheese

12 oz elbow macaroni
2 T unsalted butter
2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 c heavy cream
1 c milk
6 oz queso quesadilla (or a mild melting cheese like monterey jack)
3 oz sharp cheddar
4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
1 c fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels (about 2 cobs worth)
pinch dry mustard
1/2 t cayenne (or more to taste)
salt & pepper
panko

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook macaroni according to directions. Drain & set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour & stir for 1 minute, do not let it brown. Add cream & milk a little at a time while stirring. Cook while stirring until smooth, hot & slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Turn heat to low & stir in cheese. Stir until completely melted. Stir in chiles & sweet corn. Season with mustard, cayenne plus salt & pepper to taste.

Mix the cheese sauce together with the cooked macaroni in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle panko over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Serves 6

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

18 comments:

Giff said...

looks good Kat :) I'm not familiar with buying canned green chiles -- are they pickled? doesn't sound like they are hot -- are they anaheim or new mexico peppers?

kat said...

Giff - They are in the Hispanic or Mexican section of the grocery store. No they are not hot at all but I'm not sure which type of pepper they use. They are not pickled. Ortega says they are fire roasted.

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

What a great grown up mac and cheese.

Tangled Noodle said...

I hope that after this awesome dish, you and Matt will get a big ol' binder for those bedside food inspirations! Chopped green chiles are a delicious addition - I use them in a chicken chili and the mild flavor is excellent with creamy textures. But I love the sound of sweet corn and panko adding a nice bit of 'crunch' to the whole thing! Another great recipe and, with the weather so dreary for the next couple of days, a must-make!

Stacey Snacks said...

Yikes......this looks decadent!
creamed corn with macaroni!
how could this not be good?

grace said...

i love those little cans of green chiles--they're so convenient to add to any number of dishes. they certainly improve your typical mac & cheese--great dish!

Beth (jamandcream) said...

Ultimate comfort food

kimberleyblue said...

this looks like heaven! i could dive right into that bowl of cheesy goodness...mmm...

Justin said...

now i'm thinking i could add corn to mac & cheese all the time

Leslie said...

ohhh yum...what a wonderful take on the normal mac and cheese!!!

Lori said...

This looks creamy and delicious.I would love to have this for lunch today.

Maris said...

Sounds good! For me watching Food Network at work leads to nighttime snacking :)Good idea to write ideas down!

Anonymous said...

i think maybe you should try using fresh green chilies and then you wouldnt need to add the cayenne pepper... the caning takes away a lot of the flavors of green chilies..

Mudah said...

Chopped green chiles are a delicious addition - I use them in a chicken chili and the mild flavor is excellent with creamy textures.

Alicia Foodycat said...

I love mac & cheese - and this one looks like a fantastic, sophisticated variation!

Have a lovely holiday in India.

Deborah said...

Those flavors sound perfect together - don't know why I haven't seen it done before!

Anonymous said...

Canned green chiles come mild, medium or hot--at least here in the Southwest. They will do in a pinch, but for the "real deal" use fresh roasted green chiles. They can also be mild, medium or hot but the flavor is far and beyond canned chiles. Better than canned (but still not as good as fresh) are frozen green chiles. It's chile roasting season now in New Mexico and the smell of roasting chiles will make you drool! Once it gets a little cooler we will definitely try this mac & cheese as it sounds incredible!

Christina Kim said...

i am just getting caught up on blog posts from a couple weeks ago, and i am glad i came across this one!!! i just love love mac and cheese, and reallly love the southwestern flair of this one. yum!!

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