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–+ servings
a big bowl of mac and cheese with herbs and toasted breadcrumbs

Creamy and Smokey Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Simple and quick to make, this stovetop mac and cheese recipe packs in a ton of flavor and lovely textures.
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Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 1148
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb elbow pasta or another small tubular shape
  • 12 oz evaporated milk
  • 1 large eggs
  • 1 lb medium sharp cheddar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 poblano pepper roasted, peeled and stemmed, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp mustard seed ground
  • 3 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika ground
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch made into a slurry by whisking it in with a few tablespoons of water
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs toasted in a skillet and seasoned with salt for garnish
  • cilantro minced (for garnish)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Roasting your poblano pepper:
  1. To roast your poblano, set it over a lit burner on your stove top. Turn it every few minutes until it is fully blackened on all sides. Wrap it in aluminum foil to steam out for about 15 minutes before peeling and finely chopping the pepper.
Making your Mac and Cheese:
  1. Salt a boiling pot of water and cook pasta until al dente.
  2. Strain pasta (reserving 1 cup of pasta water) and add back to the pot. Add poblano, mustard seed, paprika, chipotle peppers, tomato paste and about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir to combine
  3. Stir in 2 eggs, condensed milk and butter until fully combined.
  4. Stir in cheese and cornstarch slurry until fully melted and combined. If the sauce breaks, stir in more water until you get desired consistency. Salt to taste.
Toasting your breadcrumbs:
  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and stir around your breadcrumbs for a few minutes until they've browned up nicely and are nice and fragrant. Lower the heat if necessary to avoid burning them. Season with salt and pepper when finished and set aside on a plate.
  2. Serve in a bowl, garnished with toasted panko breadcrumbs and minced cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 1148kcalCarbohydrates: 111gProtein: 51gFat: 56gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 947mgPotassium: 862mgFiber: 8gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 4332IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 1093mgIron: 4mg

Notes

  • Don’t like peppers, just remove it from this recipe and you’ll be set
  • Just want a simple mac and cheese, remove the peppers, tomato paste, paprika, mustard seed and chipotle peppers and you’ll have a more classic style version on your hands.

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