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??
Spicy Green Chile Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 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.
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Love, love, love Hatch chiles. This is incredible.
You appear to have cracked the Mac & Cheese code with this recipe. It is totally swoonworthy!
Perfect mac n cheese combo, love it! :)
I love all your recipes and this is definitely a new one to try!!
At least your dreams aren’t horrifying!I I once dreamed that a giant crowd of AK-47 wielding friends and relatives came to my house and took my brother and chopped off all his limbs and burned him alive….no joke. But that’s the worst of all my gruesome dreams, and i won’t scar you with all of them! ;)
Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
I still have dreams about forgetting my locker combination in high school….I graduated in 1968. Also a recurring dream about flying (without a plane), and one about my teeth crumbling. But I never dreamed about giving birth to an animal….that was a hoot….thanks for sharing.
Going to need a big bowl of this soon, really soon!
Looks so great I pinned a few times!!
Oh wow, I bet that is AH-mazing! Can’t go wrong with Mac and Cheese!
This is the ultimate comfort dish in a bowl! It’s so creamy and delicious looking. I must try this!
great twist on an old favorite
This looks absolutely delicious! What other pepper could be subsitituted for green hatch chiles? I can’t find them in my area..
Hi Kristen, how about trying Anaheim (California) Chiles or Mexican Chiles. Technically they are all in the same family, but the climate and soil in each area effect the flavor a bit.
Or you could order them from us directly :) We actually sent Sommer the chile she used in this recipe! Anaheim chile is also not the same kind of chile as what we grow here but is a relative :)
The idea to add green chiles to this dish is fantastic!
I totally believe dreams have meaning. Some are clearer than others! And this mac and cheese? Forget about it!
thank you for dreaming a little dream ! can’t wait to try this
This looks absolutely amazing! Pinned :)
Great mac and cheese recipe!
I do remember a lot of my dreams, but they aren’t quite so bizarre! well come to think of it, maybe they are… I guess I just assumed everyone did! This chili mac n cheese looks awesome!
Love mac and cheese!! What a great recipe!!
This is my kind of mac and cheese. I love the little kick and anything topped with avocado is a winner in my book! :)
I have weird dreams too, sometimes…that is, the ones I can remember. But I’ll be dreaming about this mac and cheese today. I love a spicy mac and cheese. Actually, I just love mac and cheese, period. But for my jeans I don’t eat it often.
Love the use of green chilies and avocado in this mac and cheese!
Cheat meal!!!!!!!!!! I had a dream about doughnuts, last night, and that I would marry the boy who brought me the best doughnut. Luckily, Tom showed up with a sticky bun- no nuts and he won my affection with that doughnut.
Love those crazy dreams and your green chile mac looks incredibly creamy!
“That was a proud moment.” That made me laugh!
I used to have a recurring nightmare that a giant, green bunny with sharp teeth just chased me around in circles. It also had grapes (yes, like the fruit) sitting on it’s shoulders. SO WEIRD
But, I am so glad that this came out of one of your crazy dreams – the perfect comfort food! Pinned
LOL! Love it, thanks for making me feel normal. ;)