This Mexican Mac and Cheese is perfectly creamy with a hint of bold and warm spices. With cumin, chili powder, and cayenne combined with gooey cheese, you'll love this fun take on the classic dish!
Rich and satisfying, the whole family will enjoy this comforting mac and cheese dish. Adjust the spice levels to your taste and serve with a salad or your favorite veggie for a complete meal!
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🩵 About This Recipe
Mac and cheese is a classic choice for a reliable and easy weeknight dinner, but sometimes you may find yourself craving something a little special. This Tex Mex Mac and Cheese takes the classic dish and puts a Southwestern spin on it!
With tender pasta, a delicious homemade cheese sauce, and veggies like beans and peppers, this pasta dish has everything you need for a complete meal.
And if you can't get enough of fun variations on mac and cheese, try this Jalapeno Artichoke Mac and Cheese, Seafood Mac and Cheese, or Instant Pot Chicken Mac and Cheese!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- olive oil - helps to prevent pasta from sticking and makes a smoother texture.
- black beans - for some added bite and protein.
- corn - adds more nutrition and a gorgeous golden color.
- pepper and onion strips - I love using frozen pepper and onion strips for a super easy shortcut in recipes like this one!
- seasonings - a combination of cayenne pepper, cumin, and chili powder infuses this Mexican macaroni and cheese with bold, warm flavors.
- butter - makes this dish rich and creamy.
- milk - helps create a smooth creamy texture.
- flour - helps thicken the cheese sauce into a rich and creamy consistency.
- fiesta blend cheese - you could use shredded cheddar cheese on its own, but a fiesta blend or Mexican blend cheese works great with the veggies.
- elbow macaroni - feel free to use another kind of pasta if you have a preference over classic macaroni noodles.
- bread crumbs - for a crunchy topping.
🔪 Instructions
Cook Veggies
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat, then add drained beans and corn and the pepper and onion strips. Cook until soft.
Season Veggies
Mix the cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili powder into the vegetables. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Start Cheese Sauce
In a separate pot, melt the butter and mix in the milk, followed by the flour.
Add Cheese
Whisk in the cheese until melted.
Combine Ingredients
In the pot with the veggies, add your cooked noodles and cheese sauce.
Combine and Serve
Mix well, then sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.
You can also bake this Mexican macaroni and cheese! After step 6, spoon the pasta into a greased 9x9 baking dish, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then another 10 minutes uncovered.
❔ FAQs
The cheeses included in this kind of blend can differ depending on the company, but many of them contain cheddar cheese and either colby jack, pepper jack, or Monterey jack.
A good cheese sauce isn't just made of melted cheese! You'll want to start with a nice mixture of flour, milk, and butter. This creates a rich, luxurious texture, and combined with melted cheese creates the optimal mac and cheese experience!
No, the baking step is optional! If you're pressed for time or don't personally want to bake your Mexican mac and cheese, you can just combine everything and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
📝 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Save about ½ cup of the water you cook your pasta in. This can be used to make your cheese sauce go a bit further if you find it's too thick or isn't properly coating your noodles.
- Buying shredded cheese is a great way to save on prep time, but if you have the energy, I recommend grating your own cheese. Shredded cheese often comes with a coating of cellulose to prevent sticking, but this also inhibits melting. Fresh grated cheese will melt much more easily and result in a smoother texture.
- If you bake your Mexican mac and cheese, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn after you've removed the aluminum foil.
Healthy and packed with flavor, this Tex Mex mac and cheese puts a whole new spin on the pasta dish you know and love!
⚙️ Substitutions and Variations
- Feel free to add even more veggies for additional nutrition. Broccoli and spinach are great options, and for a kick of extra heat, add diced poblanos, jalapenos, or chile peppers.
- Instead of buying the corn, beans, and pepper/onion strips separately, you could also opt for a frozen Southwest vegetable blend. These typically include all of the ingredients listed above!
- Add other garnishes like fresh chopped cilantro, green onions, or some diced fresh tomato.
- Elbow macaroni is the ideal choice for this dish, but you could use another short cut pasta like shells, rotini, penne, or farfalle.
🥡 Storage and Reheating
Store leftover Mexican Mac and Cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. To reheat, pop it in the microwave for about a minute, then continue to microwave in 30 seconds increments until heated through.
This Mexican Mac and Cheese also freezes well. Keep it in the freezer for 3 months or so, and when it comes time to reheat, allow it to defrost in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) and then microwave as normal.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Everything you need for a full meal is included in this Mexican cheese pasta dish, but you could also serve it with an Avocado Mango Salad, a crowd-pleasing Cornbread Casserole, a batch of fresh Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits, or some Oven Fried Crispy Green Beans!
😋 More Macaroni Recipes You'll Love
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese - This classic mac and cheese has a savory and comforting layer of breadcrumbs.
- Chicken Macaroni Salad - A fantastic summer side dish that's great for barbecues, picnics, and more.
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese - Bold and cheesy, this slow cooker mac and cheese can be made even spicier depending on your preference.
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese - You'll love this nutritious mac recipe that comes from Love and Lemons!
Tex Mex Mac and Cheese
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📋 Recipe Card
Baked Mexican Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup corn (can be frozen or canned)
- 2 cups frozen pepper and onion strips
- 1 ½ tablespoons cumin
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (use more or less to adjust spiciness)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups shredded fiesta blend cheese
- 7 cups elbow macaroni, cooked (this is about 3 ounces uncooked)
- ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). (Note - you don't absolutely have to bake this mac and cheese if you are pressed for time - simply skip steps 7 and 8)
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the beans and veggies and cook until warmed through and slightly softened.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed, ¾ cup corn, 2 cups frozen pepper and onion strips
- Add the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne and mix while heating. Set aside.1 ½ tablespoons cumin, 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder, ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, mix in the milk, then the flour.2 tablespoons butter, 2 cups milk, ¼ cup flour
- Add the cheese and stir until melted.3 cups shredded fiesta blend cheese
- Add the cooked pasta into the skillet with the veggies, then pour the cheese sauce on top and mix well. (NOTE-If you are NOT baking this, at this point you can sprinkle the bread crumbs on top and serve.)7 cups elbow macaroni, cooked
- Pour the mac and cheese into a 9x9 baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning.¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
Notes
- For a shortcut, use a 12 ounce package of frozen southwest blend vegetables instead of the beans, corn, and pepper and onion strips.
- You can change up the cheese as you prefer: Cheddar is a classic choice, but you can also add Monterey Jack for creaminess and some sharpness with a bit of pepper jack for more of a kick.
- Other ideas for variations are to add diced green chilies, roasted poblano peppers, or jalapeños.
- Chopped cilantro, green onions, or fresh tomatoes can also be sprinkled on top after baking for added freshness.
- Use freshly grated cheese for easier melting and a smoother consistency.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in May 2014, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in May 2024.
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Carol says
We love Mexican food and this was fantastic. Never made a homemade cheese sauce before and it turned out perfect.
Sage says
My family loved this!
Jennie says
The dish turned out beautifully, and the flavors were incredible. My family loved it!
Julianne says
This was such a great twist on traditional mac and cheese, everyone loved it!
Healing Tomato says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. The kids absolutely loved this mac and cheese. Not spicy for them and it was so easy to make.
CakePants says
I've never tried Vegan Gourmet shreds, but I'm glad to hear you were impressed by it (there are so many weird, unpleasant cheese substitutes out there). This looks lip-smackingly delicious!
Sarah @ The Chef Next Door says
This looks fabulous, Kristin! My boys love mac and cheese and we love Mexican too, so this would be a perfect meal for us!
Ginnie says
This looks so delicious! I'll definitely be trying this:)
Rachel Kathyg @ onlinesisterhood says
Looks yummy. I think my kids would enjoy this:) stopping by from wine'd down wed. Have a great week.
Kristin King says
This is perfect for Cinco de Mayo, and you can use regular cheese if you don't have Follow Your Heart products handy! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Heather!