Austin Mac 'n' Cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, generously salt it, ad the pasta and cook until al dente.

Grate all your cheese up and set aside. Fresh grated cheese makes all the difference and it's cheaper to grate yourself anyway!

Chop your onion, mince your garlic, husk, rinse and halve your tomatillos, seed and chop your jalapenos. Leave the seeds in for extra heat, I'm doing this next time!

If you've never had tomatillos, this is what they look like. Yummy, husk them (pull off the skin), rinse off the sticky tomatillo, cut them in half and pulse them in the food processor until chopped.

In a skillet or medium saucepan heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapenos and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatillos, honey and cumin; season with salt. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Swiss and monterey jack cheeses.

Preheat broiler, add the cheese sauce to the pasta and toss. Spread half the pasta in a 9x13 in baking dish...

...and top with half the tomatillo sauce; repeat the layers. Sprinkle with the chips and pepper jack cheese on top. Broil until browned, 3-5 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

MMMM Look at that! This is one of my absolute favorite mac 'n' cheese dishes ever! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Salt
1 pound cavatappi or other short pasta
1 pound tomatillos - husked, rinsed and halved (14 tomatillos)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (leave seeds in for some heat)
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (fresh grated!)
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (fresh grated!)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (fresh grated!)
1 cup sour cream, optional, but worth it!