Mex-aroni and Cheese

Fancy macaroni and cheese seems to be the en vogue food recently. While I truly love the out-of-a-box, powdered orange "cheese" variation, I must admit that these gourmet varieties have me pretty tempted, too, what with their three types of fancy French cheeses and bechamel sauce. Inspired by an episode of the Barefoot Contessa (yes, yes, we get La Condesa Descalzada down here in Mexico), I decided to make my own.

OK, so it wasn't just the televised inspiration; I actually just ran out of the boxes that I brought back with me from home in January. This recipe is not really fancy, but it does have a bechamel sauce and no boxed, powdered cheese. This recipe is not overly Mexican (and definitely NOT authentic) either, but it is a tasty Mexican-inspired variation on an American classic.

Ingredients
1 lb. macaroni elbows (or other short grain pasta)
2 cups of broccoli, prepared
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. chile de arbol
2 cups 4-Mexican cheese blend (Kirkland!), packed
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup chorizo, cooked and crumbled

Directions

1 - Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. (Make sure to add salt to water, in case the package doesn't mention it.)

2 - In a small saucepan, heat the milk over low heat, but do not bring to a boil.

3 - Meanwhile, in a larger saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour, and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

4 - Add the heated milk to the butter-flour mixture, whisking continuously. Cook on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

5 - Take the sauce off the heat. Add the salt, pepper, and chile de arbol (also known as crushed red pepper, but that doesn't sound very Mexican). Add the cheese, and stir until melted.

6 - Heat the oven to 400* F.

7 - Toss the broccoli and pasta in the cheese sauce, and pour into an oven-safe dish.

8 - Mix the breadcrumbs with the chorizo, and sprinkle the mixture on top of the pasta.

9 - Bake about 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crunchy and the cheese is nice and bubbly.