Name: Mexican mac and cheese
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 280 grams macaroni pasta; 4 rindless bacon slices (260g), chopped finely; 50 grams butter; 1/3 cup (50g) plain flour; 3 cups milk; 1 cup sour cream; 1 cup (120g) coarsely grated cheddar; 1/2 cup (40g) grated mozarella; 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 225 grams bottled piquillo peppers, drained, sliced; 1 cup corn chips; Coriander, to serve

Mexican mac and cheese

Our take on the traditional mac and cheese is one we're sure you're going to love. We've combined the traditional flavours of Mexican and put it all in one!

Serves 4

Cook

Ingredients

280 grams macaroni pasta

4 rindless bacon slices (260g), chopped finely

50 grams butter

1/3 cup (50g) plain flour

3 cups milk

1 cup sour cream

1 cup (120g) coarsely grated cheddar

1/2 cup (40g) grated mozarella

2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

225 grams bottled piquillo peppers, drained, sliced

1 cup corn chips

Coriander, to serve

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Oil a deep 2-litre (8-cup) ovenproof dish.

2.Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water for 1½ minutes less than cooking time on the packet; drain. Cook bacon in same pan, stirring, until crisp; drain on paper towel.

3.Melt butter in same pan, add flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk; cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in sour cream, cheeses and mustard. Add spices.

4.Combine pasta, cheese sauce, bacon and peppers in a large bowl. Pour into ovenproof dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned. Top with corn chips and coriander.

When matching sauces with pasta, a simple rule is the longer the pasta, the thinner the sauce; the shorter the pasta, the thicker or chunkier sauce.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

Instagram Facebook

Sophia Young Food & Editorial Director - Books