This Mexican Mac and Cheese Recipe turned out so good! Our church small group, while we were meeting in person (pre COVID-19), would have theme dinner nights. One that came up a lot was Mexican Night. I always try to bring something different, and I was just craving macaroni and cheese, so I decided to create this mac and cheese with a Mexican flavor-inspired twist.
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As someone who grew up in Wisconsin, I love cheese. I’m probably not supposed to eat as much as I do, but, I mean, it’s cheese…. The area I grew up in had a large Hispanic community and I always loved the Mexican food and the flavors that we had at our potlucks.
This Gluten Free Mexican Mac and Cheese combines some of my very favorite flavors and has a delightful little kick to it (you can add more spice if you want to; I keep mine a little tamed for the sake of my family). You’ll love this mouth-watering twist on a classic!
This Chili Lime Mango Carnitas is Delicious! Serve it with homemade corn tortillas for gluten-free tacos!
When making this recipe with gluten free ingredients, keep in mind that gluten free pasta can be finicky, and it is very easy to get an unpleasant consistency. To avoid this, have all of your ingredients prepared ahead of time and cook the pasta using the tips in the recipe. If you are using regular pasta, you have less to worry about when it comes to texture.
Gluten Free Mexican Mac and Cheese Recipe | Creamy Macaroni with Mexican Flavors
Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white onion, minced
- 1/2-1 jalapeño, de-ribbed/de-seeded/minced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tomatillo, diced
- 1 green tomato, diced (optional — I did not use it this time for the pictures, but I have added it in the past)
- 4-oz. can fire-roasted green chilies (mild or hot)
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt (to taste)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 lb. white American cheese (sliced or shredded)
- 10-oz. Cacio Queso Fresco
- 5-oz. can evaporated milk
- 1-1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 16-oz. package Barilla Gluten Free Elbow Pasta, cooked (you can also use corn pasta or regular pasta)
Our Baked Macaroni with a Kick is also Gluten-Free, and it is so tasty for family dinner.
Here’s how to make this mouthwatering Mexican Mac and Cheese Recipe:
1. As mentioned above, work quickly and have everything prepared ahead of time for best results.
2. Start boiling the water.
3. When the water is just about boiling, melt the butter in a separate large skillet or pot.
4. Add the garlic and onion to the butter and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn translucent.
5. As the garlic and onion cook, place the pasta into the salted boiling water and reduce to medium-high heat. *Cook this pasta 2-3 minutes less than the time on the package, stirring occasionally.
Copy my kitchen! Check out the skillet, induction burner, spoons, and knives!
6. While the pasta cooks, stir the jalapeño, tomatoes, tomatillo, and fire-roasted green chilies into the onion and garlic mixture and sauté another 2 minutes.
7. Whisk in the cayenne pepper, salt, milk, and evaporated milk.
8. Turn down the heat. Slowly add the cheeses, a little at a time, so they melt and the sauce temperature is maintained, whisking until the sauce is smooth. The queso can take a bit to smooth out, so I add that first.
9. The pasta should be finished cooking at this point. You will want to drain the pasta immediately when it is finished cooking, then return it to its original pot until you are ready to add it to the sauce. This helps to maintain the pasta’s consistency.
10. Stir the cilantro into the cheese sauce, then fold in the cooked pasta until coated.
Gluten Free Mexican Mac and Cheese
This Mexican Mac and Cheese Recipe is your favorite creamy macaroni and cheese with a Mexican inspired twist! You'll love the combination of spicy Mexican flavors and creamy queso mac 'n cheese. Oh, and it is gluten free!
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white onion, minced
- 1/2-1 jalapeño, de-ribbed/de-seeded/minced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tomatillo, diced
- 1 green tomato, diced (optional)
- 4-oz. can fire-roasted green chilies (mild or hot)
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt (to taste)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 lb. white American cheese (sliced or shredded)
- 10-oz. Cacio Queso Fresco
- 5-oz. can evaporated milk
- 1-1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 16-oz. package Barilla Gluten Free Elbow Pasta, cooked*
Instructions
- 1. For freshest results, due to the finicky nature of gluten-free pasta, you will want to work quickly and have all of your ingredients pre-prepared and ready to use.
- 2. Begin to boil salted water for the pasta in a pot.
- 3. When the water is just about boiling, melt the butter in a separate large skillet or pot.
- 4. Add the garlic and onion to the butter and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn translucent.
- 5. As the garlic and onion cook, place the pasta into the salted boiling water and reduce to medium-high heat. *Cook this pasta 2-3 minutes less than the time on the package, stirring occasionally.
- 6. While the pasta cooks, stir the jalapeño, tomatoes, tomatillo, and fire-roasted green chilies into the onion and garlic mixture and sauté another 2 minutes.
- 7. Whisk in the cayenne pepper and salt, then slowly add the cheeses bit by bit, so they melt and the sauce temperature is maintained.
- 8. Once the cheese has about melted, add the evaporated milk and regular milk and whisk until smooth. Turn off the heat.
- 9. The pasta should be finished cooking at this point. You will want to drain the pasta immediately when it is finished cooking, then return it to its original pot until you are ready to add it to the sauce. This helps to maintain the pasta's consistency.
- 10. Stir the cilantro into the cheese sauce, then fold in the cooked pasta until coated.
- Enjoy immediately!
Notes
*As mentioned above, you will want to work quickly to maintain a decent pasta texture. Start with all of your ingredients prepared ahead of time and ready to use. Cook the pasta for less time than the package states and do not let it sit in the water longer than directed or it may become too mushy.
*You can use other brands of gluten free pasta if you have a favorite and are familiar with cooking it, however, I have had the most luck with the brand listed maintaining its consistency. When first making this recipe, I used corn-based pasta (so it was more like tortillas), but the pasta would not hold its texture with the sauce. If you cannot locate Barilla Gluten-Free Pasta, just be sure to cook the pasta for less time than the package instructions so that it does not over-cook.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 399Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 698mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 19g
This nutrition information is auto-generated. Nutritional values may change with specific items and brands used, so manual calculation is recommended if exact nutritional counts are needed.
While our Steak and Beer Cheese Mac & Cheese isn’t gluten-free by nature, it is such a delicious macaroni and cheese recipe. Try making it gluten-free by using a gluten-free beer and gluten-free pasta.
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