Mac and Jack Cheese

KPD's Note:

This is my take on a southwestern mac and cheese made with Monterrey jack! If you were pressed for time, you could just omit the crushed tortilla chips and mix the cheese in with the pasta and serve without baking! I think this dish would also be great with cooked chicken or ground beef! Enjoy!

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 7 ounces pasta shells , cooked and drained
• 2 cups half-and-half or 2 cups milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
• 1 (4 ounce) can green chilies , chopped and drained
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups monterey jack cheese , shredded and divided
• 2⁄3; cup nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips , crushed (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat half-and-half over medium-high until it comes to a boil, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add cream cheese, stirring constantly until smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in green chilies, salt and pepper, and pasta. Toss to coat.
4. Spread half of pasta mixture into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Top with 1 cup cheese. Repeat once more with remaining pasta and cheese.
5. Sprinkle crushed chips over casserole. Bake at 350F degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden!

Reviews

[Mommy2two]

The flavor of this was exactly what I was looking for, it just wasn't as creamy as I had hoped it would be. I will probably add about 1 cup of a plain white sauce to this to get the consistency I want. We didn't add the green chiles as I didn't have any on hand, and we made a Ritz cracker topping instead of the chips, and it was great! I served this with some sauteed chicken breasts (seasoned with salt and pepper and sauteed in a little olive oil) and some peas. It was delicious! Thanks for posting this recipe!