Mac and Cheese Stuffed Chile Relleno
Spicy and bacony mac and cheese stuffed into a poblano pepper and fried like a chile relleno! This dish is pure comfort food! When you cut into a fried pepper and mac and cheese comes oozing out it is a delightful surprise. Then when you take a bite you know all the effort was worth it!
The inspiration for this recipe
This recipe just makes sense. A chile relleno is normally stuffed with cheese, so why not add some mac in there too? More traditional chile rellenos have an eggy batter that is almost reminiscent of eating a chile omelet. For this bastardized mac and cheese version, I did the standard american bar food breadcrumb crust and it matched perfectly. These chile rellenos had an amazing balance of crunch, spice, ooze, and comfort!
Prepare the mac and cheese
Various peppers, onion, tomato, and bacon make up the main flavorings in this mac and cheese.
Cook the bacon first, then take it out of the pan. Peppers and onions go next into the bacon fat. How could you go wrong? After the flour is added I cooked the roux to a pretty brown color. This removes some of the thickening power of the roux, but adds a unique flavor.
Milk and cheese is next, then stir in the pasta! Add the bacon back in, along with the pickled jalapenos and tomatoes. This was way more mac and cheese than I needed for only 4 chile rellenos, but I like leftovers!
Stuff the peppers
Roast the peppers under the broiler to blacken on all sides. Put them in a bowl with some plastic wrap sealed on top. After about 15 minutes, the blackened skin will come off easily. Then just fill them with the mac and cheese! They can be pretty fragile, but no worries, as long as you handle them gently and add a nice thick crust they won’t split open.
Fry the mac and cheese chile rellenos
Bread them with flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Then more egg and more breadcrumbs! The double breading will help it stay together.
Serve the mac and cheese stuffed chile rellenos
Looking like a plain chile relleno, but it is hiding a surprise! You could serve this with some rice or grits or some roasted veggies but I just popped it on the plate by itself.
When the mac and cheese comes oozing out it’s really exciting!
I actually picked this up and ate it with my hands. No big deal.
The textures and flavors in this mac and cheese chile relleno are perfectly balanced! The soft pasta with the crunchy exterior. The spicy flavors in the peppers and the creamy mac and cheese sauce. And don’t forget – bacon!
Twists on this recipe
You could batter this in a more traditional chile relleno batter if you prefer. This is a great traditional chile relleno recipe. You could also go with a different mac and cheese for the middle.
For more unique places to stuff mac and cheese, check out my mac and cheese carnitas burrito, mac and cheese jalapeno poppers, or this mac and cheese spanakopita!
Mac and Cheese Stuffed Chile Relleno
Ingredients
Mac and cheese
- 2 slices bacon chopped
- 1/2 a small onion diced
- 2 cherry peppers diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 4 ounces cheddar
- 8 ounces jack cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
- 1 tomato diced
- 1/2 pound elbow pasta
Peppers
- 8 poblano peppers
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- oil for frying
Instructions
Mac and Cheese
- Bring water to a boil
- Cook the bacon in a large sauce pot until crispy. Remove from pot but leave some bacon fat. Add onions and cherry peppers and cook until beginning to brown, 12 minutes. Add diced garlic, and butter and cook until butter is melted. Add flour and cook stirring often until the roux is slightly browned.
- Drop the pasta into the boiling salted water.
- Add milk to the roux and whisk to be sure it is smooth. Bring to almost simmer and remove from heat. Strain pasta when it still has a slight bite to it and add to milk mixture. Slowly add the shredded cheeses and stir until they are all melted and the sauce is formed. When all the cheese is in and melted, add chopped up jalapenos and tomatoes. Allow this to cool.
Make the peppers
- Roast some poblano peppers under the broiler until all sides are blackened. Place them into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. After about 15 minutes the skin will peel off easily. Remove the stem and seeds too. Stuff the cold mac and cheese into the peppers.
- When breading, be careful because the stuffed peppers will be fairly delicate. I double dipped them in flour first, then egg, then flour, then egg. Then breadcrumbs, more egg, and one final breadcrumb coating. The extra breading helped form a sturdy crust that protected the delicate peppers.
- The recipe makes enough for around 10 peppers even though I only listed the recipe as 8. Fill as many peppers as you need and eat the rest as mac and cheese.
I have a feeling Kim will be mad you didn’t cook these for her. They look pretty tasty, dude.
In a way, though, it’s weird because the mac and cheese is missing your usual famous burnt cheese on top. 😉
OMFG!
They look way better than regular cheese-filled Jalapeno Poppers.
Never seen a chile relleno breaded before… Aren’t you supposed to batter them in whipped egg whites?
Mike –
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, I switched the traditional egg batter for a more Americanized crumb breading to mesh with the mac and cheese.
so, what CAN’T be stuffed with macaroni and cheese?
Um…how did I just now discover your blog? You’re recipes are nothing short of spectacular!
So inventive. Love it. Looks awesome, and I bet it tastes even better!
omg, these look fabulous! cheese, pasta, bacon and some heat? What’s not to like!?
I found you via “This is why you’re huge” and I think I love you 😀 Mac and cheese in peppers? I would gladly get huge (huger?) for this. 😀
Can I just marry you? (;
what is jack in the instructions???
I would give up my big toe to have one of these, but I am in diet mode. 🙁
Pretty sure you just made all of my husband’s dreams come true! This is one of those “why haven’t I thought of this before?” recipes. Definitely going to make it soon!
Those red peppers – I’m assuming they’re the cherry peppers? That’s awesome to know, as I have a bush growing, and that’s exactly what they look like. 🙂
You have my taste mac&cheese and peppers yum,,
This dish was ah-mazing! The mac & cheese itself but then stuffed into a roasted poblano pepper and fried?..omg. A little labor intensive ( just me) but oh so well worth it! Definitely will be trying more of your recipes. TY!
Thank you so much!