Chipotle macaroni and cheese with bacon
I’m roasting chiles and frying up bacon. What am I making, you might ask? What everybody wants to eat after being ill for a few days: chipotle macaroni and cheese. With bacon, of course.
OK, so this might seem a bit heavy for a re-entry into the land of the normal eating, but let me tell you—I’m hungry! And while the best thing I can say about not feeling well is that your skinny jeans are suddenly a viable option in your wardrobe, in the end I’d rather be well than ill. Though who wouldn’t? But let’s talk about chipotle macaroni and cheese, shall we?
My family, much like yours I reckon, has always made homemade macaroni and cheese. Sure, we’d have the box stuff on hand for after-school snacks or donations to the church food pantry, but in my house the real, homemade stuff was what was preferred.
Mom makes her macaroni and cheese in a variety of ways, but my favorite is a casserole of pasta suspended in a luscious sauce comprised of egg yolks, cheese and heavy cream. And just when you think it couldn’t be any more extravagant, she throws in diced, thick ham and tops it off with buttery breadcrumbs.
Yes, this is an excellent dish, but because of its richness I only advise serving it on special occasions. When it comes to a more everyday, simple macaroni and cheese, I turn to a method I learned in the New York Times.
This recipe requires little effort besides pouring cottage cheese blended with milk over dry pasta, tossing in some shredded cheese and baking it for an hour. No endless stirring a sauce or boiling a batch of pasta, which makes it a cinch to make. The Times version kept it plain, but I’ve made it my own by adding chipotle and garlic. And I top it with bacon and cotija, which adds contrast to the oozing cheese and soft pasta.
I realize that my macaroni and cheese may appear as decadent as my mom’s, but feel free to convince yourself that it’s a touch more healthy due to the cottage cheese and all. I do. But you know what? We’re nearing the end of a long, cold winter and sometimes you just need to pamper yourself. And for me, comfort comes clothed in chipotle chiles, cheese, and bacon.
Chipotle macaroni and cheese with bacon
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry elbow pasta
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- Pinch cumin
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 4 pieces cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese (optional but delicious!)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375° F.
- Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch square or round baking pan with the butter. Add the dry pasta.
- In a blender, mix together the milk, cottage cheese, chipotle chile, mustard powder, garlic, cumin, salt and black pepper until it’s smooth. Pour mixture over dry pasta and stir until sauce is evenly distributed.
- Combine the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, then stir in two cups of the shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil and stir the macaroni and cheese a couple of times. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese, chopped bacon, and butter, and cook for another 25 minutes uncovered or until brown and bubbling.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with cotija and serve.
I think I'm going to try this tomorrow! Perfect for this weird rain snow we're having. I think I *might* make a feeble attempt at being healthy by throwing a little spinach or kale in there.
Cathy–I'm always a fan of something that plays well in the sandbox!
The Runaway Spoon–This should definitely make her feel better.
Linda–Quick, get a tissue!
Lydia–It's been one of those winters, I reckon.
Mary–It's a wonderful cheese, I hope you can find it!
Cinde–I've had this with brown rice pasta and it's just as delicious!
Tasty Eats at Home–I know, great idea isn't it? Who knew!
Ya-Roo–Oh, yes. I love the combination of chipotles with black beans. And, um, thank you–I'm working on it!
Bruce Swabb–Enjoy! Heck, I actually enjoy the two together at a barbecue!
Jessica–Thank you, I'm so happy you love them. They're definitely a staple around my house as well.
Maria–I wouldn't use fat free but low fat works, it's just not as luscious. And I usually add more cheese (which probably mitigates the advantage of using low fat!).
Phoo-D–Not pre-cooking the pasta makes this such a cinch!
Deceiver of Men–I like the addition of spinach or kale as greens go wonderfully with bacon and chipotles. And yep, it's perfect food for surviving the snow globe we're living in right now.
I love everything about this recipe. I just made the Cooking Light Bacon Ranch Mac N Cheese for my lunch today.
I followed the direction to the T and it tasted like ass. I ended up adding crushed red pepper and that helped. I wish I would have seen your recipe before!
Thanks for sharing it!
Mmm, this is definitely a southwestern kind of recipe 🙂 I do love me some baked macaroni.