Poblano Macaroni & Cheese

When I saw that one of the recipes for Week 2 of The Homesick Texan Spotlight & Cook-Off was for Poblano Macaroni & Cheese, I knew I had to try it. I love Macaroni & Cheese and I love Poblanos, so having them both together in one delicious recipe sounded like a match made in heaven. Like peanut butter & chocolate. Beans & rice. And limón y sal. (Lime & salt.)

And a perfect match they were. I may not be a Homesick Texan, but I am a homesick Gringa and the smoky, spicy goodness of this macaroni and cheese, seasoned with ancho chile powder and ground cumin, is everything Tex-Mex should be.

I couldn't get enough.

I will definitely be making this again!

Poblano Macaroni & Cheese
(from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain)

Ingredients:

2 poblano chiles
8 oz. elbow macaroni (I used two 200gr. packages of serpentina tricolor)
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1-3/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon mustard powder or chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
12 oz. grated Manchego or Chihuahua cheese

Directions:
Roast the poblano peppers directly over an open flame, until the skin has charred and blistered. Place the poblano peppers in a plastic bag for 5 to 10 minutes. (This causes the chilies to sweat, making it much easier to remove the skin.)

Remove the charred skin from the poblano peppers, along with the seeds and stem. Chop the poblano peppers into small pieces. (This would be a good time to chop the cilantro and grate the lime zest.)

Boil the macaroni/pasta in a pot of boiling, salty water for about 5 minutes. You want the pasta to be "al dente".

Don't you love my Serpentina Tricolor?

While the pasta is cooking, generously grease a baking/casserole dish with butter. Drain the pasta and pour it into the baking dish; set aside.

And now for the cheese sauce...

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Stir in the flour and let cook until a light golden brown.

Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps from forming. Let cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in the chicken bouillon, chili powder, ground cumin, lime zest, cilantro and chopped poblanos. Season with salt and pepper.