by Nicole 15 Comments
It’s been at least a fewyears since I’ve stocked boxesof macaroni and cheese in the pantry, but we visited Grocery Outlet for the first timerecently and Phil insisted on grabbing a couple boxes of Horizon organic mac. This stuff was apparently one of his kitchen staples before he went and married a food blogger and there’s something about Grocery Outlet that makes you put lots of random things in your cart, whether you need them or not.
I had never tasted this organic mac and cheese since I’ve always been pretty loyal to the bright orange Kraft versionon the occasions thatI’m craving food from a box. Butlast night, home alone and hungry, curiosity got the better of me and I started to wonderhow this brand compared to my childhood favorite.
But as soon as I made the decision to try it, I started thinking about how I could change it, because I just can’t help doing that. I had about a cup of cooked black beans in the fridge that really needed to be eaten and I decided that instead of eating them on the side, I’d just stir them into the mac and cheese. And once I decided that, the corn and shredded pepper jack cheese just seemed like a natural fit. And then I remembered I had a few pickled jalapeños left over from a can I opened last week so I added one of those as well. And onions and sour cream? Well, why not.
So, I combined all those things, increased the milk and butter a bitso it wouldn’t dry out when I baked the whole thing with cheese on top, which of course had to happen. At this point, I was thinking to myself why on earth didn’t you just make macaroni and cheese from scratch?But the end result was pretty good, even ifI still have no idea how the Horizon organic mac and cheese compares to the Kraft version. I’ll have to ask Phil to make the other box for me one night since I obviously can’t be trusted to follow the directions.
Nutrition
Calories
183 cal
Fat
11 g
Carbs
16 g
Protein
5 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
Southwest Macaroni and Cheese
Save RecipeIngredients
1 box Horizon Pasta Shells & White Cheddar (or boxed mac and cheese of your choice) 3/4 cup frozen corn 1 cup cooked and drained black beans (from a can is fine) 1 whole pickled jalapeno, minced (or canned green chiles) 3 tablespoons butter, divided 1/4 medium onion, minced, about a quarter cup 1/2 cup milk (whatever you normally use is fine, I used whole) 2 tablespoons sour cream 3 ounces pepper jack cheese (I used Tillamook Habanero Jack)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a square casserole dish (8x8 or 9x9) with nonstick spray. Boil pasta according to package directions but stop cooking one minute earlier than suggested (for Horizon cook 9 minutes). Pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Drain pasta and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the frozen corn and toss while the pasta is still hot, which will defrost it. Stir in the beans and chiles as well and set aside. Return the pasta pot to the stove and melt one tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to lightly brown, 5-7 minutes. Add milk and remaining two tablespoons of butter and turn heat up to medium. Stir milk until the butter melts then turn off the heat and whisk in the cheese packet and two tablespoons of sour cream. Pour sauce over pasta then add half of the shredded cheese and stir everything until well combined. Pour pasta mixture into the greased casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and pasta is bubbling around the edges
7.8.1.2
30
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Reader Interactions
Comments
totally a southwest mac and cheese. totally delicious.
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Ava H says
This looks so amazing! I love mac & cheese and can't wait to try this! I'm adding the ingredients to my grocery list for my next shopping trip!
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Aga says
Pasta is one the most popular dishes throughout the world. The addition of Mac and Cheese really makes it appetizing. Keep up posting Wonderful Pasta recipes :)
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Amber Harding says
Now that's what I call tasty and satisfying food! Nutritious as hell.
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Kirsty says
This looks delicious! Something that I would make! I own a British brand super market online and looking for new things to add!
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Cavs says
The picture..wow. just looks delicious. Will try preparing a Southwest Macaroni and Cheese this weekend. Thank you.
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Caroline Mwangi says
Wow..super amazing, Love trying new recipes. Now getting Sour Cream in the country I leave in is not easy, any ideas for a substitute?
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aakanksha soni says
That's and healthy touch to classic mac and cheese recipe.. I am a corn and cheese lover so this recipe is a must try for me .I am gonna add some herbs too :)
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nath says
This looks delicious, mac and cheese is one of my favourite comfort foods. I Like your thinking with the jalepeno, I always add a good splash of tobasSco with mine. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
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Sweets Cart says
This looks amazing. Definitely going to have to try this myself.
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Rocky says
Nice recipe, Surely gonna try today.. My mouth watering after i see the recipe and photographic presentation of macaroni
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Sailu says
I so love adding corn to my mac and cheese and a dash of nutmeg which adds oodles of flavor.
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Mahée Ferlini says
This looks like a nice twist to a classic recipe. I can see a lot of potential to get creative with this dish. I thought the black beans and corn were a great addition. Thank you for sharing!
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vyom says
nice mouth watering recipe. i have my own grocery store so no waiting i m going to make it now
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Ronny says
This reminds me of sothiemng I've made a few times that I love. It's a store-bought pizza crust, with sauce spread over it (BBQ, marinara or whatever you prefer) and leftover homemade mac n cheese crumbled on top. A little extra shredded cheese and some time in the oven and you have awesome mac n pizza.
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