Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Somedays I need a little comfort and spice all in the same meal. Green Chile Mac and Cheese is always the answer. Spicy Mac and Cheese with hatch chiles nestled throughout, then sprinkled with cool southwest toppings, is a calm-you-down and pick-me-up all rolled into one!

The other day I woke up with the craziest dream. I was at the park with my dog Kona, who is way too lazy to fetch. I kept throwing the ball for him and he would just slide down on his back legs, rather slowly I might add, and then look at me with a disgusted expression.

Then all at once he jumped up and ran toward the ball. When he came back his face had changed into the face of one of my close friends. That’s when I woke up, shaking my head. Typical of my dreams, it was very life-like, but made no sense.

For years I’ve had really vivid (and random) dreams. I’ve always wondered why…

Once I dreamed I gave birth to a raccoon. That was a proud moment.

Another time I dreamed my entire backyard was a 300 foot water slide that ended in the back of my house. You could slide right into the living room.

As a child I used to have a reoccurring dream that my pet gerbils turned into Mickey and Minnie Mouse while I was sleeping.

Then there was the time I dreamt Lt. Dan had three heads.

See? They’re all weird. Sometimes fun, but weird.

My mom used to tell me (when I woke up from a terrifying nightmare in a cold sweat) that it was because I had such an active imagination. She said that creative people always had colorful dreams.

But over the years, I’ve noticed more and more of my friends don’t ever remember their dreams… even the creative types.

So why do I remember mine? And why are they so bizarre?

I’ve done a little research on this, but the evidence is inconclusive.

Could be…

• Indigestion
• A need to make a decision about something
• A suppressed fear
• A novel trying to make its debut
• Symbolism for something going on in daily life

Who knows.

What I can tell you is that sometimes a really good recipe idea comes out of a dream.

Green chile mac and cheese was birthed out of a dream where I was building a castle out of spicy mac and cheese. In the dream I kept licking my fingers and burning my tongue. It was actually a fairly unpleasant dream, yet when I woke up, all I could think about was spicy mac and cheese.

I happened to have a stash of hatch chiles in my freezer at the time, so this green chile mac and cheese recipe came into existence. New Mexican Hatch Chiles offer such intense flavor and heat, they make a perfect pairing with sharp cheddar cheese.

The cool toppings are, of course, to insure you have something to offset the spice… so you don’t burn your tongue. Yet if you select your hatch chiles carefully (or buy them pre-marked like mine) you can get chiles that are mild or medium heat to suit your tastebuds.

I love this dream-induce mac and cheese, and even though I don’t always know what my dreams mean, I’ll be sure to keep watching for more inspired recipe ideas!

What About You?

Do you remember your dreams?

Do you think dreams have meanings?

Any weird ones you want to share so I don’t feel alone in this??

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Spicy Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Green Chile Mac and Cheese is always the answer. Spicy Mac and Cheese with hatch chiles nestled throughout, then sprinkled with cool southwest toppings, is a calm-you-down and pick-me-up all rolled into one!

Servings: 8

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 1 pound Delallo Macaroni
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup hatch green chiles chopped
• 1 medium onion peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 pound shredded sharp cheddar cheese off the block, not pre-shredded
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 chopped avocados
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

• Place a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once boiling cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• In the same pot, add the butter, chiles, and onions and saute over medium-high heat until the onions are softened. Whisk in the flour, followed by the milk. Once the mixture starts to simmer cut the cream cheese into cubes and stir in. Stir continuously, adding the shredded cheddar to the pot. Once the cheese sauce is smooth, add in the macaroni and turn the heat off. Stir to coat and salt and pepper to taste.
• To Serve: Scoop the spicy mac and cheese into bowls and top with chopped tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 734kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 44g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Cholesterol: 109mg, Sodium: 699mg, Potassium: 743mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 1425IU, Vitamin C: 15.6mg, Calcium: 608mg, Iron: 2.1mg

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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