This creamy, cheesy Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food with a Southwestern twist. Featuring fire-roasted Hatch chiles and a rich, velvety cheese sauce, it's bold, flavorful, and perfect for potlucks, holidays, or weeknight dinners. If you love a little heat with your mac, this recipe is a must-try!
Is there anything better than homemade mac and cheese? Yes there is: roasted hatch chile mac and cheese. And y'all, this stuff is good. Like really good.
Hatch green chiles are one of my favorite ingredients to work with. They are packed with flavor and come in a variety of heat levels so you can tailor this recipe to your personal spice preference. For optimum flavor broil then in the oven for a few minutes per side. Then remove the skin, chop and add.
If hatch green chiles are not in season you can also use canned chiles. Just be sure to drain them before adding. You could also use fresh jalapenos or habaneros for this recipe.
Now for the pasta. I love using gemelli but this recipe is also great with cavatappi, macaroni, shell pasta or even rotini. Feel free to use what you have on hand and enjoy!
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What are hatch green chiles?
Hatch green chiles are a unique pepper that were originally grown in the Hatch Valley in New Mexico. These chiles are typically in season from around mid-July to early October and have fantastic flavor!
TIP: If you can't get your hands on any fresh green chiles you can substitute with canned green chiles or use a different fresh chile of your choice.
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Equipment
- Large pot: For boiling the pasta.
- Heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven: For making the cheese sauce. I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven!
- Baking sheet or cast iron skillet: For roasting the chiles.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9 x 12 casserole dish: I love this 4 qt dish from Le Creuset!
Ingredients
- Pasta: I love using gemelli pasta for this recipe you can really use any short pasta that you have on hand. Rotini, macaroni, cavatappi and fusilli all work, just to name a few.
- Hatch green chiles: If it is between the months of July and October I highly recommend using fresh hatch green chiles for this recipe. If you can't get your hands on any then canned chiles will work just fine.
- Butter: I typically use Kerrygold salted butter for this recipe but unsalted works too.
- All-purpose flour
- Salt & pepper
- Cumin: I absolutely love the flavor that cumin gives this dish. If you're not a fan feel free to omit but I highly recommend it.
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cheese: I typically use a mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. You could also incorporate pepper jack, gruyere or even gouda if you prefer.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to tell is to simply take a bite. Because you'll be baking this mac and cheese, you'll want the pasta on the firmer side of al dente. Begin checking it about 2 minutes before the package instructions say. The pasta should be easy to chew but still have a bit of a bite.
One good way to tell if your sauce has thickened is to use the spoon test. Place a wooden spoon into the sauce and then use your finger to draw a line in the middle of it. If the line immediately fills in cook a bit longer. If it remains in tact you are good to go.
It really depends on the heat level of the chiles you use. Hatch green chiles range from relatively mild to pretty hot. Luckily they are usually labeled as such at the store so you know what you're getting into. Be sure to pick a pepper that suits your personal preference.
If you use canned chiles then it should say how hot they on right on the label.
I typically use quite a hot chile and while the mac and cheese definitely have a solid kick, it doesn't burn your head off.
Yes! If fresh Hatch chiles aren't in season, canned or frozen fire-roasted green chiles work well. Just be sure to drain them before adding.
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Made this Hatche Green Chile Mac and Cheese recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- 2 Large Pots
- 1 Baking sheet or cast iron skillet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- whisk
- 9 x 12 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 4 fresh Hatch green chile peppers Substitute two 4 oz cans of diced green chiles, drained
- 1 lb gemelli pasta Substitute another short pasta (macaroni, cavatappi, rotini, etc.)
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups freshly shredded Monterey jack cheese
Instructions
Roast the Hatch green chiles
- Set the oven to broil. Wash and dry the chiles then prick a few times with a sharp knife. Place the chiles on a baking sheet or cast iron skillet and broil in the oven for about 3-5 minutes per side until the peppers are charred. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then remove the skins (they should just peel right off). Cut off the tops of the skinned peppers and remove the seeds. Then dice the peppers and set aside.
Make the mac and cheese
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a full rolling boil. Then cook the pasta until al dente (begin testing about 2 minutes before the time on the package instructions to ensure you do not overcook the pasta). Once cooked, drain the pasta into a colander and set aside.
- While the pasta is boiling begin making the cheese sauce. Add butter to a heavy bottom pot or dutch oven and melt over medium high heat. Once the butter has melted add in flour and whisk over medium high heat for about a minute to cook off the raw flour taste. Slowly stream in the milk while continuously whisking. Whisk until it is smooth with no lumps. Then bring the sauce to a low boil over medium high heat while whisking frequently so it does not scorch. This will take around 5 minutes. Once a boil has been reached turn the heat down to low and cook fro an additional 2-3 minutes until thickened. Then add salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano. Stir to combine. Remove the pot from the heat and add in about 3 cups of grated cheese along with the roasted diced chiles. Stir until everything has melted together.
- Add cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Then pour the mac and cheese into a 9 x 12 casserole dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes until the cheese is melted. If you want you can broil for a minute or two so get the cheese even more golden brown. *Be careful not to overdo the broil or the cheese will burn and the sauce could curdle*.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Gloria
Mac and cheese is always a winner. Adding a little heat from the chili is a great idea.
Angela
I made this tonight and added hatch chilis that I roasted and the flavor was the bomb! The only issue was the cheese curdled. Why did it curdle?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Angela - So glad you liked the flavor! The most common reason for cheese to curdle in a mac and cheese is that the bechamel sauce (the milk/butter/flour mixture) was too hot when you added the cheese. You want to bring that to a low boil, and then simmer on low for a few minutes before removing it from the burner completely. That's when you'll want to add the cheese. If that's not the reason, did you by any chance broil it at the end for a bit? Sometimes if you leave this under the broiler for more than a minute or so it can affect the cheese texture. And my last question would be what kind of cheese did you use? I recommend freshly grated cheese as the pre-shredded stuff has a powder on it that prevents it from melting in the bag. That powder can also prevent it from incorporating well in a cheese sauce. I hope this helps!
Andréa Janssen
We love mac and cheese in our family. But sometimes it's just a bit blend. The chili was a great addition.
Lindsay
This was SO GOOD, reminded me of all the green chile flavored things out West!
Elizabeth
I’ve never actually used hatch green chilis before, but after reading this I’m going to try this recipe at the weekend because they sound amazing!
Lucy
What a fantastic variation of Mac and cheese. I love the kick from the chilis.
Jennifer
Topped with jalapeño panko and bacon... delicious
Chris F
Hatch Green Chile Mac and Cheese
https://jamjarkitchen.com/2022/09/12/hatch-green-chile-mac-and-cheese/#comment
This recipe calls for 4 fresh Hatch green chile peppers OR, 2 cans of green chiles, drained.
What size of can? 4, 7, or 7.5 oz.?
Thank you.
jamjarkitchen
Hi there! Sorry about that. I was referring to the 4 oz cans. Hope that helps!