Nothing is quite as comforting as a homemade mac and cheese. Creamy cheddar cheese with a crunchy panko topping is a staple in our home. We recently went through a kitchen remodel and were not able to use our over or sink for over 5 weeks! During that period, we leaned quite heavily on the variety of frozen microwavable offerings that Trader Joes sells. This hatch chile mac and cheese is inspired by their frozen version. I don’t know about you, but it is torture for me to only eat 6oz of their amazing smoky mac and cheese.
For this recipe you can use either fresh hatch chiles that you roast yourself or you can use a few of the 4oz canned green chiles sold in the grocery store on the Mexican aisle. Roasting chiles can be done one of two ways. If you have a gas stovetop, you can set the chiles over an open flame (check level) and continue turning them until all sides are charred. Then wrap them in aluminum foil. After 5 minutes, peel the charred skin off the chiles, cut the tops and remove the core and seeds. Raw hatch chiles have a harsh taste to them but when roasted, they provide a smoky, earthier flavor profile. The cilantro on top provides a splash of green and helps me tell myself this dish is not totally unhealthy. If it has herbs on it, it’s basically a salad!