Mexican Mac and Cheese

Adam texted me yesterday and said he was feeling "either mexican or pasta for dinner." Why not have both?
I was uncertain about this recipe at first but upon first taste it went from "humm" to "yumm!"



To prepare the chicken breasts:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Place chicken on pan with aluminum foil
   
3. Season chicken on both sides with either packaged taco seasoning or a mixture of salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic and onion powder
4. Wrap foil around chicken to create a "packet"
5. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until done

Alternately, you could use pre-cooked or left-over chicken or even ground beef.

The rest of the recipe (adapted from howsweeteats.com)

What you need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 cups dry noodles (I used wacky-mac spirals but small pasta will do)

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup corn (I used frozen and did not thaw)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

2 cups milk

1 cup grated mexican cheese

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

crushed tortilla chips

salt and pepper

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare pasta water, bring to a boil, and cook noodles. When the noodles are done, drain and add to the chicken/vegetable medley that you will prepare next.

While noodles are cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and peppers and saute until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and corn and cook for another minute. Add shredded chicken and seasoning. Turn heat down to low.

Heat a small saucepan on medium heat and add butter. Once butter is sizzling, add flour and whisk to create a roux. Cook flour mixture for about 1-2 minutes, whisking continuously. Add milk and turn heat down medium-low. Add cheeses and stir, allowing cheese to melt and and sauce to thicken. Once sauce is thick, add it to the chicken and pasta and mix to combine.

Spray 8.5 x 11 pan with PAM and add mac and cheese. Top with crumbled tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.