Mexican-style Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

Mac and cheese is a favorite in many households—ours included! While I love a classic mac and cheese recipe, sometimes mixing it up with the flavor and style is fun.

This Mexican-style mac and cheese was a huge hit with my family. It had a slight kick but wasn’t so overwhelming that my four-year-old complained. I added ground beef to make it a main dish – and we paired it with this yummy Mexican fruit salad with cream. But omit the ground beef if you’d like it to be more of a side dish! This would be a fantastic dish for Cinco de Mayo.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp white flour
• 3/4 lb dry macaroni
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1-1.5 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• 1/2 lb cooked ground beef (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a roaring boil and boil noodles until al dente. Set aside.

2. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat.

3. After melted butter, whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add in evaporated and milk and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens.

5. Add in cheese and mix until creamy and smooth.

6. Stir in Rotel and salt and pepper to taste.

7. Add in cooked and drained noodles

8. Mix in taco seasoning.

9. If you are using ground beef, add this in at this point.

10. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Mexican Mac and Cheese

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp white flour
• 3/4 lb dry macaroni
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1-1.5 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• 1/2 lb cooked ground beef (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a roaring boil and boil noodles until al dente. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat.
3. After melted butter, whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add in evaporated and milk and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens.
5. Add in cheese and mix until creamy and smooth.
6. Stir in Rotel and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add in cooked and drained noodles
8. Mix in taco seasoning.
9. If you are using ground beef, add this in at this point.
10. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 433Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 515mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 23g

Please verify this information with your preferred nutrition calculator.

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

This dish can be made beforehand, though it’s best when served fresh. If you choose to make it ahead of time, I recommend baking it to reheat it at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until it’s cooked through.

The sauce will thicken in the fridge, but it should be okay when you reheat the dish. If you freeze the dish, you must cook it longer to reheat it.

What is Mexican-style cheese?

There are a variety of Mexican-style cheeses out there. Still, for this dish, I refer to a pre-shredded blend of Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, Asadero, and Queso Quesadilla available at the grocery store. You can make your own blend of those cheeses if you prefer to use cheese from the block.

What are the storage instructions for this dish?

In the refrigerator, this can be stored in an air-tight container for 3-5 days.

More Recipes You May Enjoy:

• Longhorn Mac and Cheese Recipe
• Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese Recipe
• Costco Chicken Salad Recipe (Copycat)