Nacho Mac And Cheese
The creamiest nacho cheese mac and cheese, topped with loaded nachos! This recipe combines 2 classic dishes into the ultimate comfort food.
This recipe combines creamy mac and cheese with baked nachos & all the best toppings. It’s 2 of my favourite dinner dishes combined & they work perfectly together. This one’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser that’s incredibly easy to make and completely customisable, so you can make it to suit your taste. It’s half mac and cheese, half nachos!
Where a regular mac and cheese is made with a bechamel style cheese sauce, this one is made with an easy homemade nacho cheese sauce that’s velvety smooth & full of flavour, with a hint of spice from some pickled jalapeño juice. Some of this cheese sauce is reserved and used for the nachos on top, as well.
The nachos are baked on top of the mac and cheese, to replace the breadcrumbs or grated cheese that you’d normally use. The great thing about this dish, is that you can use your preferred toppings for the nachos, whether that’s tomato salsa, sour cream, guacamole, pickled onions, pulled pork, shredded chicken or steak. You make the nachos like you normally would then simply bake them on top of the cheesy pasta.
Take a look at our ever growing collection of main course recipes for more dinner inspiration! Here you’ll find steaks, pasta dishes, barbecue, burritos & loads more.
Nacho Mac & Cheese Components
Like regular nachos, this nacho mac and cheese can be customised however you like. Here I’ve broken down each component and added suggestions for substitutes and customisation.
- Nacho Cheese Sauce
Instead of a classic bechamel style cheese sauce, this mac and cheese is made with my homemade nacho cheese sauce. This is also used for the nacho topping. I did adjust my original recipe slightly, to make it perfect for mac and cheese. - Macaroni Pasta
We’re sticking with classic dried macaroni pasta (elbow pasta) for this version, although you could use other pasta shapes like penne or farfalle instead. - Tortilla Chips
Using good quality tortilla chips makes all the difference when making nachos. I used Gran Luchito tortilla chips but other brands will work as well. - Cheese
There’s used 3 different cheeses for this recipe. American cheese slices, cheddar & Red Leicester for the nacho cheese sauce and cheddar & Red Leicester for the nacho topping. You could use Monterey Jack or Gruyere instead of cheddar or Pepper Jack, for a hit of spice. - Crispy Bacon
I topped my nachos with crispy smoked streaky bacon but you could swap this out for pulled pork, fried minced beef or shredded chicken. - Nacho Toppings
I stuck with classic nacho toppings & went with tomato salsa (pico de gallo) sour cream, pickled jalapeños & fresh coriander. Some homemade guacamole would be good as well!
How To Assemble Nacho Macaroni Cheese
This dish is a cross between a baked macaroni cheese and a batch of classic nachos. The mac and cheese is tipped into a baking dish, topped with nachos, cheese sauce, grated cheese and crispy bacon then baked in the oven until golden brown & bubbling. As this is a deep dish, sharing style dish, it’s best to use a deep baking tin or dish to fit it all in.
To finish, I topped my nachos with sour cream, homemade tomato salsa, pickled jalapeños & a sprinkle of fresh coriander. Top yours with whatever you like though! Some guacamole would work nicely or you could swap the bacon out for another meat entirely. It’s up to you!
Tips & Tricks
- Serve your mac and cheese straight away whilst it’s warm, the nachos are crisp and the cheese is melty.
- Add American cheese slices to the nacho cheese sauce. This makes the sauce smoother & gives it the signature orange colour.
- For the best flavour & texture, grate your own cheese from blocks. Pre shredded cheese tends to be coated with anti caking agents, so it won’t melt properly.
- Cook the macaroni until it’s just tender (al dente), so that it doesn’t over cook in the oven.
- As this is a baked mac and cheese, the sauce should be slightly thinner than usual, as the pasta will absorb it as it bakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook nacho mac and cheese in an Aga, use the simmering plate to make the cheese sauce and the boiling plate to cook the pasta & to fry the bacon. Bake the mac & cheese in the baking oven, on the bottom set of runners.
Yes, nacho mac and cheese can be prepared ahead of time then baked later on. The tomato salsa, crispy bacon & nacho cheese sauce can all be made ahead of time & will need to be stored in the fridge. The nacho cheese sauce will need to be reheated on the stove before you assemble the mac & cheese.
Any leftover mac & cheese will keep in the fridge for a day or two. Although this dish is best eaten whilst it’s hot as the nachos will still be crisp. If you do have any leftovers, they can be reheated in the microwave or in a 180°c/356°f oven. Make sure to get the pasta piping hot before serving & you may need to cover the dish with foil (oven only!) if they start to brown too much.
More Easy Dinner Recipes To Try
- Tex-Mex Chicken & Pineapple Nachos
- Hoisin Honey Fried Chicken Drumsticks
- Honey Roast Ham, Egg & Chips
- Black Garlic Roasted Picanha
- Beef Burritos
- Tikka Masala Roast Chicken
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Nacho Mac And Cheese
Equipment
- 9"x13" Baking Tin (Or A Similar Size Dish)
- Large Saucepans
- Stick Blender
- Cheese Grater
Ingredients
Tomato Salsa
- 2 Beef Tomatoes
- 1 Echalion Shallot (Peeled & Diced)
- 6 Pickled Jalapeno Slices (Finely Chopped)
- 1 Garlic Clove (Peeled & Grated)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander
- 1 Lime (Juiced)
Crispy Bacon
- 6 Rashers Smoked Streaky Bacon
Nacho Cheese Mac & Cheese
- 60 g Unsalted Butter
- 60 g Plain Flour
- 1 Litre Milk
- 1 tbsp Pickled Jalapeno Juice (Optional)
- 2 tsp French's Mustard (Or Dijon Mustard)
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 200 g American Cheese Slices
- 100 g Cheddar (Grated)
- 100 g Red Leicester (Grated)
- 500 g Dried Macaroni
Nacho Topping
- 170 g Tortilla Chips
- 50 g Cheddar (Grated)
- 50 g Red Leicester (Grated)
- 100 g Sour Cream
- 40 g Pickled Jalapeños
- A Handful Of Fresh Coriander Leaves
Instructions
Tomato Salsa
- Cut the tomatoes in quarters then use a sharp knife to cut out the seeds. Discard the seeds or save them to make stock!
- Next, finely dice the tomato flesh then add into a mixing bowl with the diced shallot, chopped jalapeños, grated garlic, olive oil, coriander & lime juice. Season with salt & pepper then stir to combine.
- Store the salsa in the fridge until you serve the mac & cheese.
Crispy Bacon
- To cook the bacon, set a large frying pan over a medium heat then add in a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
- Add the bacon into the pan then fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until it's crisp & golden then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper & set to one side. You may need to cook the bacon in batches.If you're cooking the bacon ahead of time, store it in the fridge until you assemble the mac & cheese.
Nacho Cheese Mac & Cheese
- Add the butter into a large saucepan then set over a medium heat & leave to melt, stirring frequently. Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour then cook out for a minute, stirring constantly.
- Gradually add the milk in, a third at a time, letting each addition of milk thicken up before adding in more. Make sure to whisk regularly. Once the last addition of milk has been added, turn the heat down to low then cook out gently until thick. This will take 4-5 minutes.
- Once the sauce is thick, stir in the jalapeño juice, mustard, garlic powder & cayenne. Season to taste with salt & pepper now as well.
- To finish, take the pan off the heat, add in the cheese then stir to melt. Give the sauce a quick blend with a stick blender, to make it as smooth as possible.
- Transfer a quarter of the sauce to a smaller pan then set both pans to one side whilst your pasta finishes cooking.The smaller amount of cheese sauce is for the nachos!
- Whilst the cheese sauce is cooking, set a large pan of salted water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Once the water's boiling, add in the macaroni then cook until just tender (al dente). This will take around 8-10 minutes.Make sure to stir the pasta once you've added it into the water, to prevent it sticking together. I'd recommend getting the pan of water on for the pasta once you've added the last addition of milk to the sauce.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain then add to the larger pan of sauce. Stir to combine then transfer to a lightly buttered 9×13" baking dish.
Topping & Baking
- Preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f).Make sure to give your oven time to heat up, so turn it on whilst you cook the sauce if necessary!
- Top the mac & cheese with the tortilla chips, making sure that the pasta is completely covered then spoon over the rest of the nacho cheese sauce.
- Chop the crispy bacon into lardons then sprinkle on top of the tortillas, followed by the grated cheese then bake for 15-20 minutes, until the topping is crisp & golden and the mac & cheese is piping hot.
- Once baked, top the mac & cheese with spoonfuls of sour cream, the tomato salsa, jalapeños and the coriander leaves. Use a large serving spoon to scoop portions into bowls then serve.
