Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese with Bacon

With hatch chiles cheap and in season I've been putting them in everything this past week. From omelettes to the tops of my chalupas there really is no going wrong with them. So, when I came across this recipe from A Cozy Kitchen for Hatch Mac and Cheese I knew I had to give it a try.

I did make a few alterations to her original, the biggest one being I added some bacon. But I also used whole wheat elbow macaroni.

It took about me about 20 mintues of prep time and then another 20 to cook. But John and Mum both liked it.

Also, because I used bacon I subbed the butter for the bacon fat, but I used the same amounts.

The recipe called for putting the mac and cheese under the broiler for five minutes after it sits in the oven but I found that this was far too long.

My panko crumbs ended up completely burnt. I just scooped them off with a spoon and all was well. But if you do make this recipe, check on the broiler every minute or so, especially if your broiler is on the bottom like mine. 

Even though you could taste the cheesy, bacony, hatch goodness in the mac and cheese I found that it was still lacking something. It tasted a bit bland. There needs to be some acidity or seasoning to cut through the creaminess and cheesiness of it all. Next time I make it, and there will be a next time, I'm going to add a bit of vinegar or wine to the roux. I'm hoping that will brighten it up just a bit. 

Anyway, as you can see the recipe made a lot so we had some leftovers to take to lunch during the week.