Chorizo Mac & Cheese Recipe

Cook chorizo

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo (casings removed) and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned and mostly cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked chorizo to a bowl, leaving rendered fat in the skillet. Reserve about 1 tablespoon fat in the pan and discard excess; if there isn't enough, add the 1 tablespoon butter.

Add diced onion to the skillet and cook in the chorizo fat (and butter if added) over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and smoked paprika and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Return the cooked chorizo to the skillet, stir to combine, then remove from heat and set aside while you make the sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute less than package directions). Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Alternatively: For a one-pan method, combine the 2 cups chicken broth and 1.5 cups milk in a wide sauté pan with the pasta, bring to a simmer, and cook until pasta is al dente and liquid is mostly absorbed, stirring occasionally (about 9–11 minutes). If following this method, reduce or skip the roux step — use directions below but adjust thickness with reserved pasta water as needed.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter for the roux. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour flavor and form a blond roux.

Slowly whisk in 1.5 cups whole milk and 2 cups chicken broth (or use the combined liquid from the one-pan method) until smooth. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3–5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the cream cheese until melted and smooth, then add dry mustard powder, hot sauce (if using), kosher salt, and black pepper. Gradually stir in the shredded sharp cheddar and monterey jack, one handful at a time, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.

If the sauce is too thick, whisk in up to 1/4 cup reserved pasta water (or more milk) a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached; if too thin, simmer gently to thicken.

Stir the cooked chorizo and onion mixture into the cheese sauce, combining thoroughly.

Fold the drained pasta into the sauce until evenly coated. If you used the one-pan liquid method, combine directly in that pan and adjust thickness with reserved water as needed.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) if baking the mac & cheese. Transfer the combined chorizo mac & cheese to a 9x9-inch (or similar) baking dish, smoothing the top.

If using topping: In a small bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, melted butter, and chopped parsley. Sprinkle evenly over the mac & cheese.

Bake uncovered until the topping is golden and the edges are bubbly, about 12–15 minutes. For a crispier top, broil 1–2 minutes watching closely until browned.

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with additional parsley if desired and serve warm.