The other night I made this roasted poblano mac and cheese. This is variation on mac and cheese that includes lot of roasted poblano peppers along with some spices like smoked paprika and Cajun mix. I loved the extra dimension these additions bring to this mac and cheese.
I’m not going to lie, this recipe has a lot of cheese, because it is mac and cheese and you need it. I did sub out 2% milk for the cream though and it was perfectly creamy and good, so that is option if you are trying to make this a bit more health conscious. I also used gluten free pasta, and you can use any pasta variation that is good for your needs.
The combo of cheeses used in this recipe can also be adapted to your tastes. I used a smoked bacon gouda and a sharp cheddar. You could also use all cheddar, or regular gouda, or whatever cheese you like that melts well. I also highly recommend my go to mac and cheese recipe. Enjoy!
Roasted Poblano Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 cups pasta of your choice
- 4 poblano peppers
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup AP flour
- 2 1/4 cups cream or milk you can use any kind of milk and any fat level
- 2 tsp mustard powder or 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/3 cup smoked gouda cheese I used smoked bacon gouda
- 2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt more to taste
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to broil. Rinse poblano peppers and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and place under the broiler for 10-15 minutes, flipping a few times to blacken the skins and roast the peppers. Reduce oven to 350 and place the charred peppers in a bowl covered with a towel and allow to steam for 10 minutes.
- Stem and seed the peppers and rub off the charred skin as much as you can. Finely chop the peppers (or leave a bit larger dice if you like).
- Cook the pasta according to the directions but subtract 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water and toss with a little oil until ready to use.
- In a saucepan, heat the butter until melted, then whisk in the flour. Cook for a minute or two, whisking gently. Slowly add the milk/cream while whisking, a little at a time to prevent lumps. Whisk in the mustard, mascarpone, cajun spice, paprika and salt and some fresh black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and bit by bit whisk in the cheeses. Place back onto the heat and whisk until smooth. Season with more salt if needed, then add the chopped poblanos.
- Pour the sauce onto the cooked pasta and mix well. Pour into a deep dish pie plate or a 9×13 pan or whatever you want to bake it in. Spread the panko on top and bake for 30 minutes. Heat the broiler again and broil the top until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned, then remove from the oven.
- Cool for 5 minutes then serve.
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