Chile Con Queso Mac and Cheese is a great meal for any night of the week! It's easy, conforming, and only takes 25 minutes! Inspired by the classic Slow Cooker Chile Con Queso make of Velveta, Rotel, and Breakfast sausage. The recipe is just as good, if not 10 times better!
This Chile Con Queso Mac and Cheese is inspired by a southern favorite: slow cooker Chile Con Queso. The queso is made with Velveta, hot breakfast sausage, and a can for Rotel. I upped the queso sauce's quality by swapping the Rotel with fresh tomatoes and swap Velveta with cheddar cheese.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE
- Best of both worlds: Queso and Pasta!
- Spicy breakfast sausage is one of my favorite things. Add it to cheesy pasta. Amazing!
- This is a pretty quick recipe. It only takes 25 minutes to make and is perfect for the whole family.
TRICKY BITS
- If the sauce starts to curdle, remove it from heat and whisk vigorously until the success comes back together. It might also help to add a splash of milk to the sauce.
OTHER VARIATIONS
- Turkey Sausage- If you want to make this Tex-Mex Mac and Cheese a little healthier, substitute turkey sausage instead of pork sausage. Cook the turkey sausage the same way you would the pork sausage, but add a little bit of olive oil to make sure it doesn't stick. If you want to keep the spice, add red chili flakes while the sausage is cooking.
- Rotel - Rotel is traditionally used in the Chile Con Queso that inspired this recipe. I decided to use fresh tomato in the recipe instead of Rotel since it tastes better, but if you want to simplify the recipe, you can use 1 can of Rotel in place of chopped tomato and a can of green chilies.
I hope you love this Chile Con Queso Mac and Cheese! If you make it leave a comment! You can also share a photo on Instagram and tag #meganvskitchen. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- .5 pound macaroni
- ½ lb hot breakfast sausage
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tbs four
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- 2 cup cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 can chop green chiles
- 1 tomato seeds removed and diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt + more to taste
Instructions
- Cook macaroni as directed and set aside while you cook
- Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain any excess oil if there is any.
- Once the meat has browned, reduce the temperature to medium-low and melt butter in the skillet. Once the butter has melted, mix in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil, then reduce to heat to low. Continue to whisk until it thickens slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat mix in cheese, paprika, onion powder, green chilies, and tomato. If the sauce is too thick, add one milk tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency. Salt to taste.
- Mix in macaroni and serve.
Notes
If the sauce starts to curdle, remove it from heat and whisk vigorously until the success comes back together.
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