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nacho mac and cheese
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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.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 8 People
Author: Ben Racey

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 9x13" 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.

Notes

1. To Cook On 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.
2. Cheese - It's best to grate your own cheddar & Red Leicester from blocks instead of buying pre grated. You can also use just one of these instead of both if you'd prefer.  I wouldn't recommend substituting the American cheese as it is what gives the sauce its signature colour, texture & flavour.
3. Tortilla Chips - Using good quality tortilla chips makes all the difference when making nachos! I used a bag of Gran Luchito tortilla chips but other brands will work as well.
4. Chillies - If you're not a fan of spice, feel free to leave the pickled jalapeños out of the salsa & nachos.
5. Making Ahead Of Time - 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.
6. Reheating - 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.