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Mexican Style Mac and Cheese

This pasta recipe is very quick and easy to prepare, and it’s also a very popular recipe for kids! Mac and Cheese is not a traditional Mexican recipe, but it has somehow been adopted in many Mexican homes and is a favorite at children’s parties and other types of celebrations.
Course Basic Recipes, Side dish
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword best macaroni and cheese recipe, best macaroni cheese recipe, mexican style mac and cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 392kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces “La Moderna” macaroni
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • ¼ of a medium size onion
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 8 cups of water
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper*
  • 8 ounces shredded or cubed cheddar cheese or American cheese
  • 1 cup evaporated milk**
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • Red crushed pepper optional

Instructions

  • Place water, salt, onion, garlic and bay leaf in a saucepan. Turn heat to medium-high. Once the water starts boiling, add the pasta. Cook for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the onion and garlic.
  • Place cheese, roasted bell pepper, evaporated milk and reserved onion and garlic into your blender pitcher. Process until you have a smooth sauce. Set aside.
  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, making sure not to burn it. Once it has melted, add the cheese and bell pepper sauce. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring from time to time. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Mix the pasta with the sauce and cook for another 2 more minutes, just enough time to mix well.
  • Serve immediately. Add some crushed pepper, if desired. If you don’t plan to serve it right away,
  • add a couple of tablespoons of milk when reheating, since the sauce tends to get dry when cold.

Notes

*In Mexico, the canned or jarred red peppers are the ones used for this recipe.
**You can substitute the evaporated milk for regular milk, or better yet, you can use Mexican cream.
To enjoy a completely different take on this pasta, add one chipotle pepper, it’s simply delicious! And one last note: in Mexico, American cheese is usually the one used instead of cheddar cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 3oz | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1220IU | Vitamin C: 26.6mg | Calcium: 402mg | Iron: 0.9mg