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Spoiler alert: No need to make a roux! This green chile mac and cheese is going to become your weeknight BFF.

Creamy and flavorful, this green chile macaroni and cheese will change the way you think about macaroni and cheese! There's no need to make a roux, so it's one of the easiest things you can make, too! Get the easy vegetarian recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Disclosure: I’m excited to partner with Old El Paso this year to bring you fresh and flavorful recipes. Thank you for supporting Rachel Cooks by reading about brands we love and use in our own home.

You guys, we need to talk about this recipe.

No, actually, go make it first and then we’ll talk.

Just kidding, you can read this first but if you ran off to make it right away, I wouldn’t blame you because this is honestly my new favorite mac and cheese recipe.

All you need are five ingredients, six if you count black pepper. You don’t need to make a roux, there’s no butter, it’s just so. dang. easy.

green chile mac and cheese ingredient photo

Here’s what you have to do. Start by boiling pasta – I like to use whole wheat, but if white pasta is your thing, go for it!

Cooked Pasta Photo

Once that’s cooked, all that’s left to do is mix it with shredded cheese and Old El Paso green chiles. Dump that into the pan and pour milk over it. That’s right, just go on and pour the milk right on top.

The magic happens while you bake this macaroni and cheese and it turns into a creamy, cheesy, flavorful concoction. The green chiles add the perfect amount of flavor – you wouldn’t believe how fast this disappears!

Creamy and flavorful, this green chile macaroni and cheese will change the way you think about macaroni and cheese! There's no need to make a roux, so it's one of the easiest things you can make, too! Get the easy vegetarian recipe on RachelCooks.com!

It’s similar to my easiest ever baked macaroni and cheese which so many of you have tried and loved. I answer a lot of the standard questions on that post that will also apply to this post, but by far the most common one is, “Can I make this ahead?”

The answer is yes! I would personally cook the pasta and mix it with all the other ingredients except milk, put it in the baking dish and cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, get it out of the fridge and let the glass pan come to room temperature. Pour the milk on top, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake.

Whether you want to make green chile mac and cheese for Cinco de Mayo or any other night, your entire family will love this twist on the classic baked macaroni and cheese.

Creamy and flavorful, this green chile macaroni and cheese will change the way you think about macaroni and cheese! There's no need to make a roux, so it's one of the easiest things you can make, too! Get the easy vegetarian recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Craving more mac and cheese? Try:

Creamy and flavorful, this green chile macaroni and cheese will change the way you think about macaroni and cheese! There's no need to make a roux, so it's one of the easiest things you can make, too! Get the easy vegetarian recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Creamy and flavorful, this green chile macaroni and cheese will change the way you think about macaroni and cheese! There’s no need to make a roux, so it’s one of the easiest things you can make, too!

Ingredients

  • 1 package (13.25 oz) whole wheat elbow macaroni
  • 1 pound (16 oz) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (4 cups), divided
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 cans (4.5 oz each) Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles
  • 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray or grease a large casserole dish or a 9×13 pan.
  2. Cook macaroni as directed on the package in salted water until tender, drain.
  3. While macaroni is cooking, combine 2½ cups of the cheese with flour and pepper.
  4. In a large bowl, combine cheese and flour mixture with hot macaroni and green chiles and stir to combine. Pour into the greased pan. Pour milk over macaroni. Top with remaining 1½ cups cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes (taking the foil off after 30 minutes if desired) or until firm and golden brown. You want to make sure there isn’t a lot of runny milk in it still so poke a knife in the middle to test. Some will soak in as it cools but it should be mostly absorbed. Don't overcook, though.
  6. (Optional) Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to further firm up.

Notes

If you like a softer noodle, I’d recommend covering this with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking, or even the entire baking time. If you like super crispy noodles on the top, you can cook uncovered the entire time.

Want a little extra spice? Try this recipe with pepper jack cheese.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 63mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 10g

RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.

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© Rachel Gurk
Cuisine: American / Category: Main Dish
Verdict: I’m completely obsessed with this macaroni and cheese – I’m going to have a hard time not putting green chiles in macaroni and cheese from here on out.
Husband’s take: Ben, the traditionalist, prefers regular macaroni and cheese over green chile mac and cheese. But my mom and mother-in-law both raved about this recipe.
Changes I would make: None!
Difficulty: Very easy.

Disclosure: I’m excited to partner with Old El Paso this year to bring you fresh and flavorful recipes like this Green Chile Mac and Cheese Recipe. Thank you for supporting Rachel Cooks by reading about brands we love and use in our own home.