Mexican Mac and Cheese Cups.
Hellllooooo?
Anyone still out there? I thought maybe you ate yourself out of house and home with some s’mores jar cakes. I know I did. Good thing my real house isn’t made out of s’mores. Though that would be delicious. And fattening. Sticky too. And easy to huff and puff and blow down.
So… we have a little bit of mac and cheese here today. Allow me to tell you about it. After all, I do believe that I can speak with authority on the cheesy subject.
But first, two things of utter importance:
I realllllly hope that Water for Elephants is as good as the book. Movies never are. If it isn’t I might die. Or just… emotionally eat a lot of buttery popcorn out of a grease-stained bag or something. Sheesh.
All this mac and cheese stuff has me reminded of Mother Lovett and her delicious heart attack inducing casserole that she made each holiday. Her cheese sauce was perfect and whole wheat noodles were merely a blip on the radar… if she even knew what they were in the first place. Butter and flour were staples. She washed her hair in the sink, then pinned it up with old-fashioned pink rollers. She once used lip liner to pencil on her eyebrows. Mauve lipliner. She wore girdles. She spent a large chunk of our wedding reception trying fix her girdle and not reveal Victoria’s real secret to the world. True story.
But girdles and mac and cheese? Don’t go together. Noodles and cheese and peppers and onions and cumin and chicken and other stuff? Do go together. Try it. I beg of you.
Baked in individually portioned ramekins, this creamy and gooey mac and cheese is laced with shredded chicken and other taco-like ingredients, such as red onions and green peppers. It has a crusty, crunchy topping that lies gently over some burnt, bubbly brown cheese. Which is the best kind of cheese, in case you were wondering.
Eat
up.
Yes.
Mexican Mac and Cheese Cups
makes 6 ramekins (3 inches wide x 2 inches tall)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cups dry whole wheat elbow noodles
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup corn (frozen is fine, just thaw and dry)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro for garnish
The quickest and easiest way to make this is by using pre-cooked chicken, so cook your chicken however you like – grill, bake, broil, boil – and shred it. I also think this would work with very lean ground beef (to reduce the grease). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta water, bring to a boil, and cook noodles.
While noodles are cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and peppers and saute until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and corn and cook for another minute. Add shredded chicken and cumin, chili and cayenne, mixing to combine. Turn heat down to low. [Whenever pasta is done, just make sure to drain it and add it to the chicken/pepper mix.]
Heat a small saucepan on medium heat and add butter. Once butter is sizzling, add flour and whisk to create a roux. Cook flour mixture for about 1-2 minutes, whisking continuously. Add milk and turn heat down medium-low. Add cheeses and stir, allowing cheese to melt and and sauce to thicken. It will take about 5-8 minutes for sauce to thicken – keep and eye on it and stir every minute or so to ensure the bottom is not burning. Once sauce is thick, add it to the chicken and pasta and mix to combine.
Spray ramekins with non-stick spray and add about 1 1/2 cups mac and cheese to each. Top with bread crumbs and additional cheese if desired. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is golden. Serve with cilantro.
So good. So, so good that I had to try more than one ramekin. Portion sizing my arse.
141 Comments on “Mexican Mac and Cheese Cups.”
I would absolutely be eating more than one portion size of this stuff! It looks great!
I’d like this for lunch please. Sure beats school lunch of frozen chicken tenders and instant mashed potatoes.
I love this! So going on the menu soon, I adore mac and cheese. :) I love all the flavor combinations in this recipe.
gosh, this looks amazing! I am new to your blog and love it!
Jessica!! I have been out of town a couple of days… coming back and your site it just making me soooo hungry! Don’t have enough time to make the goodness you are showing us here.
And your pics are gorgeous! How do you get your colours to be so vivid? Mine are never as vivid!!!! :(
Keep up the good work!
A mac n cheese hybrid with mexican food? This is my Husband’s dream meal. Another reason why he should have married you instead of me.
I can’t say for sure, but I’m pretty sure you came into my dreams and created this just for me. Macaroni & cheese & taco anything are pretty much my true loves. Well aside from chocolate, cookie dough, garlic, peanut butter, Alfredo sauce, buffalo chicken… well anyway, you get the idea. Bottom line, this creamy ramekin of deliciousness will be appearing in my home ASAP. I can almost taste the spices, and feel the cheesy coma. :) I feel like I owe you one.
Perfect little portion-controlled amazing-ness :) Looks delish!
This sounds amazing! Nothing says cheese like Mexican food.
But please, bring back the sweets! The s’mores recipe is calling to me…
The boys LOVE mac and cheese. I make it all the time, but I never do variations other than the cheese. I will definitely make this for them. They will love it!
I would love this! Ben wouldn’t!
They look wonderful!
The shot with the boiling hot cheese being poured over the noodles…you are brave. Or have a really strong left hand and a steady right hand to pull off that picture. Don’t even tell me you set up a tripod for that shot :)
I wish! I don’t have a tripod… yet.
These look so delicious and so cute!
I want to read Water for Elephants before seeing the movie, but I already don’t have high hopes because of Robert Pattinson. He is just so robotic in any movie I’ve seen him in.
I know. I’m not a fan of his either.
These sound delicious!! I love the story about the lip liner and Victoria’s real secret – LOL! Your grandmother was amazing!! :)
oh my word i need this for breakfast! hopefully i’m not the only one…but if i am, more for me!
You are not the only one! I was thinking the same thing :)
I am so with you about Water for Elephants! I read it while standing in line for 3.5 hours for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, so it’s very dear to my heart!
Oh I love that!
What a great post! I love your sense of humor, Jessica. The mac & cheese looks amazing…my daughter will love this!
Are you for real? How do you come up with this stuff? This is just calling for a Cinco de Mayo celebration!
I totally forgot about Cinco De Mayo. Guess I’m just in time!
Great idea Molly!! I am so focused on Easter I totally forgot that Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, yessss!
These sound delicious! I love hearing your stories about Mother Lovett.
Jessica! This looks so delicious!!!! I loved the book, also. I love Reese though, so I’m willing to sit through it for her, regardless!
I love her too!
Love this idea! I can definitely get behind anything with Mexican flava! Great idea on portion control. ;)
YUM! I love variations on macaroni and cheese… it’s in my top 5 favorite foods so mixing it up is always awesome!
They look divine!! I have been craving chicken a lot lately. Three of my favorite sin one: pasta, Mexican, and cheese! Yum :)
YUM! I tend to throw a Southwestern/Mexican twist on 90% of the things I make, and this sounds delicious. I’ve done a few different variations of a mac ‘n cheese, but I like that this is in little cups, since I have no self control and usually eat much more than I should :)
Yum! My boys would love it. Thanks for sharing.
Yum!! These are my two favorite foods! Mac & Cheese and Mexican! Yum :)
I’m in love with this recipe. And with Mother Lovett, who I just read all about.
You need to test them for quality control. Sometimes a whole batch needs to be tested. You’re just doing it for the greater good.
Very true.
Hate how movies are never as good as books! I always leave the theater disappointed and angry that I just spend 12$!!
I’m usually a fan of most mexican-ish dishes :) This one looks like a true winner. And who doesn’t love individual portions? Super awesome. Mac N Cheese is a BIG deal where I live and I think this one would stand out
mexican food + mac and cheese = two of my favorite foods, yes yes yes!!
Excellent!!!
You know how when you’re little you get to choose your birthday dinner (OK I still choose my own at 26) Well next year THIS and the Mason Jar S’mores are going on mine. No meat, no veggies. Just this. I’ve only got 5 months to go.
Yum, I think I’m going to make this tonight!
If you do, let me know how it is!
those mexican mac n cheese cups are beautiful….I want those soooo bad!
oh my gosh, I am in lust!
This looks so yummy!!! We love anything Mexican-inspired, so this is making it to the menu very, very soon. Thanks for sharing!
Love the twist on traditional mac and cheese!
Mmmm I approve – especially since the veggies aren’t any funky ones ;)
That looks beautiful, and so yummy! Adorable in the individual ramekins! :) I think that might have to go on my menu for next week – seems at least one or two of your recipes have been on the menu the past couple weeks!
What are portions? I mean, if I bake ONE cake, that is one portion, right?
Why yes. That sounds about right.
I love all the ways you use ramekins. These look delicious and I think husband would approve!
You just made one of my comfort foods THAT much better! So excited to try these!
Wow, these look fantastic! I love playing around with mac & cheese recipes to create something totally new!
I have those very same ramekins :)
and look you even got some veggies in with the Mac and Cheese ;) I wanted to eat myself out of house and home with the smores but sadly I haven’t made it to the store to buy marshmallow’s…yet ;)
You gotta get on that!
I love you.
that is all.
A few things:
A. My post today is also a delicious mac&cheese- great Jessica’s think alike ;)
B. I could not agree more on the Water for Elephants subject. I will boo loudly and throw gummy bears at the screen if it does not live up to my expectations. For reals.
C. Burnt brown bubbly cheese, is, in fact, the best kind of cheese.
I am obsessed with mac and cheese (who isn’t?) and this looks amazing! And..I’m pretty sure my grandma wears a girdle too! Haha!
This is so clever! Looks great!
Also, I agree about Water for Elephants. I never read fiction but I loved the book and I love Reese so I can’t wait to see it, hope it doesn’t disappoint!
oh my gosh jessica! i already have my meal plan ready for next week, but something is getting bumped for this recipe. my fiance will be in HEAVEN! (and it doesn’t hurt that i will too!)
Oh, this looks fantastic, as usual! I have the same feeling about the Water for Elephants movie . . . I read an interview with Reese in Vogue yesterday and the writer didn’t seem to think it was her best performance, but I’m hoping they’re just being dumb because I need it to be amazing. Really really.
Also, you were in my dream last night, crying and surrounded by a kitchen full of jellybeans and cupcakes with frosting in your hair. And Mr. How Sweet was eating chicken breasts like they’re finger food. He seemed unperturbed by this scene. I have no idea what is going on in my subconscious, but apparently you’ve entered it. I am now officially creepy.