About a week ago, a generously large bag of groceries arrived at my door. This was sent to me by JB’s Gastro Pub at Amwaj Rotana Hotel, Dubai. I had graciously accepted their Mac & Cheese challenge!

What is the Mac & Cheese challenge you ask? The lovely team at JB’s Gastro Pub had shortlisted me along with 5 other bloggers for a blogger cook-off! We were each sent this identical package that included the following ingredients to make a simple, mainstream Mac & Cheese:

• Cheddar Cheese
• Milk
• White Flour
• A Pack of Macaroni
• Breadcrumbs

We were asked to cook up a mean Mac & Cheese, but give it our very own personalized twist… and boy did I twist it hard!

I was envisioning a perfect bowl of Mac & Cheese; smooth, decadently cheesy, white and fulfilling. What would go best with all that cheesy goodness? I pondered over it for most of the week we got allotted…

And then it hit me… I was going to go all Mexican! Ole! Absolutely love a good plateful of Nachos. Crisp tortillas for the crunch, oozy cheese for decadence…. a classic that never fails to satiate. Why not substitute cheese with Mac & Cheese?

To give my dish more colour, I used Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (available at Carrefour). Without much adieu, I present to you Tezzy’s Nacho-Style Mac & Cheese!

 

Tezzy’s Nacho-Style Mac & Cheese Recipe

Cook the macaroni packet as per instructions. Drain, and set aside.

For The Cheese Sauce:

• 250 grams salted butter
• 2 heaped tablespoons white flour
• 1 table spoon breadcrumbs
• 1 liter milk (approx)
• 250 grams cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 can Mexican Black Beans
• 2-3 sliced Jalapenos
• 200 grams pitted and sliced Black Olives
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add in the flour and breadcrumbs, and fry gently till it takes on a pale golden colour.
3. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
4. Add the cheddar, and stir till melted.
5. Use a hand blender to remove any lumps in the mixture. Ensure the sauce is smooth, creamy and has a pouring consistency (like pouring cream).
6. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the black beans, Jalapeno an black olives.

Mix together the macaroni with the cheese sauce.

For the Nacho Assembly, You Will Need:

• Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (usual tortilla will do too, but these add contrast to the white pasta!)
• A handful of shredded lettuce
• Red and Green Bell Peppers, finely diced
• A few sprigs Cilantro, chopped
• 6-8 slices of Habanero Cheese, sliced
• Sour Cream
• Fresh Salsa (recipe below)

1. On a plate, arrange a layer of Blue Corn Chips.
2. Next, add a layer of shredded lettuce.
3. Spoon on the Mac & Cheese mixture.
4. Top with bell peppers and Habanero Cheese.
5. Sprinkle with Cilantro.
6. Serve with a generous dollop of Sour Cream, and freshly made Salsa.

For the Salsa:

Mix together the following ingredients, all very finely chopped:

• 1 large, ripe tomato
• A few sprigs of cilantro
• 1 Jalapeno
• 1/2 an onion
• A pinch of salt

 

This Nacho-Style Mac & Cheese is an entire party in your mouth! We took ours outdoors for a picnic, and scooping the Mac & Cheese with the tortillas turned out to be an ideal way to enjoy all that cheesy goodness.

I hope you like my recipe enough to give it a go, and do spare a minute to visit the Amwaj Rotana Facebook page to see the other 5 Mac & Cheese entries.

Bon apetit!