Pepita Crusted Cheddar Jack Southwest Chicken Mac

Ingredients:

1 pound dry elbow pasta noodles

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed

2 cups cooked shredded rotisserie chicken

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes with green chiles, mild version

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 cups whole milk

2 1/2 cups shredded medium Cheddar

2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack

1/2 cup shredded smoked Cheddar

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup plain panko bread crumbs

1 cup coarsely ground roasted salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions:
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add dry elbow pasta to boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente, drain and reserve.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add chicken, cilantro, salt, cumin, pepper and tomatoes; saute for 3 to 4 more minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Remove from heat and whisk in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Place back on medium-high heat, slowly whisk in milk and bring to a boil while continuously whisking. Reduce heat and stir in Cheddar, Monterey Jack, smoked Cheddar and cream cheese until melted and smooth.

Stir in cooked elbow noodles and chicken mixture. Pour mac and cheese mixture into a greased 3 quart casserole dish. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter and bread crumbs. Toss to coat and sprinkle crumbs and pepitas over top of mac and cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crumbs browned. Enjoy!

The Results:

Ok, so I really wanted to try something new. I really do get scared when I try something new because I hate to fail at something. I have made the chicken filler to this meal before and it was super good. I thought this mac and cheese was a total twist on mac and cheese and it was really good. It makes SOO much though. You would definitely have to feed a crowd with this. I got the recipe from http://pickypalate.blogspot.com/search/label/mac%20and%20cheese. I love trying out recipes from Jenny's blog. She makes everything look so good. It was creamy and a total comfort food. Thanks Jenny!