Add smoky chorizo to your mac and cheese, for a Spanish style twist on this family favourite pasta dish.
This chorizo mac and cheese is pure comfort food and I guarantee everyone will love it!
This might just be the best thing since, well, regular Mac and Cheese!
I'm a HUGE Mac and Cheese fan, as are my kiddos. It's a meal they ask for at least once a week, and I'm pretty sure they would eat it every day if they could.
In this version, the chorizo adds a lovely smokiness to the recipe, which takes it to the next level of deliciousness.
Jump to:
✔️ Why should you try it?
- Filling and comforting
- Can be frozen
- Extra veggies can be added
🥘 Ingredients
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk
- Cheddar
- Mozzarella
- Chorizo
- Smoked Paprika
- Cayenne Pepper
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Parmesan
🥄 Equipment
- 2 saucepans. One to the cook the macaroni and one to make the cheese sauce.
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Whisk - my secret weapon for stopping those lumps forming in the sauce. It works EVERY time!
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Melt the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat.
Two: Fry the chorizo and garlic in the butter for a minute, before adding the flour.
Three: Cook this for two minutes to ensure the raw flour taste is gone.
Four: Gradually add the milk and whisk continually until the sauce thickens.
Five: Take the sauce off the heat and add the cheeses. Stir the sauce until the cheeses melt.
Six: Add the cooked macaroni and mix until combined.
Seven: Pour into an oven proof dish.
Eight: Sprinkle with the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan, before baking in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Chorizo mac and cheese (or any mac and cheese for that matter) goes brilliantly with my pesto focaccia bread and a crisp green salad.
As for drinks, a dry Spanish white wine such as Albarino would pair nicely and cut through the richness of the cheese.
📖 Variations
There are so many options with Mac and Cheese! You could even use Spanish cheeses, like manchego in this Spanish style macaroni.
Here are a few more idea's to take your usual Mac and Cheese up a notch on the flavour front;
- Bacon
- Sweetcorn
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Sweet Potato
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Blue Cheese
- Olives
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Spinach
🥡 Storage
The macaroni cheese can be made up to three days before (unbaked) and kept in the fridge until needed.
I often make a big vat of mac and cheese on a Sunday night for a quick and easy midweek meal for the kids.
🧊 Suitable for freezing?
Absolutely yes. Macaroni cheese is a great dish for making ahead and freezing.
When I was pregnant with my third child, I remember stocking up our freezer with 5 different macaroni cheeses. What can I say? I really love mac and cheese, and I loved it even more when I was pregnant!
❓ FAQS
Macaroni is the usual pasta of choice, although I regularly make 'macaroni' cheese with penne, rigatoni and sometimes even farfalle. Any short pasta will work well with the cheesy sauce.
The flour (along with the butter and milk) forms the roux, which is the base of the cheese sauce for the macaroni cheese. The starch in the flour helps to thicken the cheese sauce so it clings to the pasta.
Cured chorizo does not need its skin removed before cooking. Simply slice and cook as directed in the recipe.
😋Related recipes
More baked pasta recipes to try;
- Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
- Easy Cheesy Pasta
- Sweet Potato Macaroni Cheese
- Pressure Cooker Macaroni Cheese
- The Best Macaroni Cheese
- Creamed Spinach Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Macaroni Cheese
Another easy dinner recipe are these crispy Cornflake Chicken Nuggets. I serve them with homemade apple coleslaw and baked potatoes, for a healthy and nutritious meal the kids will love.
You might also like my 50 Easy School Night Dinners round-up which features pasta dishes, meat feasts, meat-free meals, vegan recipes, slow cooker dinners, and Instant Pot wonders!
Don't want to miss a recipe?
Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, to keep up-to date with the all the latest news from the Effortless Foodie kitchen.
Come over and join the Effortless Foodie VIP Facebook group, where we share recipes, meal planning tips and tricks, and have a good old chat about all things food related.
If you have a question about this recipe, please get in touch using the form on my contact page, or leave a comment on this post.
Grab your free pantry checklist!
A well-stocked pantry is the key to whipping up quick and easy meals, which is an absolute must when you have hungry kids to feed! Download my FREE Pantry Checklist and make sure you have everything on hand, to create delicious, fuss-free family food when time is against you, and the kids are STARVING! You'll also be added to our mailing list to receive new recipes via email as soon as they are published.
🍽️ More family-friendly recipes
Recipe
Chorizo Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
For the pasta and cheese sauce
- 50 g Butter
- 175 g Chorizo sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves chopped
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 600 ml Milk
- 200 g Extra Mature Cheddar grated
- 100 g Block Mozzarella grated
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 250 g Macaroni
For the topping
- 25 g Panko Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°Fan / Gas Mark 4).
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile in another large pan, melt the butter over a medium heat.
- Add the chorizo and garlic and fry for a minute to release the chorizo oils.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time.
- Gradually add the milk, turn up the heat and whisk until the sauce thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon. This usually takes a couple of minutes.
- Take the sauce off the heat and add the grated cheddar, mozzarella, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and Dijon mustard. Stir until the cheese melts into the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce, mix together, and spoon into an ovenproof dish.
- Sprinkle over the panko breadcrumbs and parmesan, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Video
Notes
- Bacon
- Sweetcorn
- Cooked Broccoli
- Cooked Cauliflower
- Cooked Sweet Potato
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Blue Cheese
- Olives
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Spinach
Bre
This looks SO good! Definitely something you would find at a good BBQ place!
Carrie Robinson
Ooooooo... I am just loving the addition of the chorizo in this! Yum! 🙂
Noelle
This was the perfect dinner for my family! Everyone loved it, thanks for sharing!!
Tawnie Kroll
Our new favorite way to enjoy mac and cheese, so good! Thank you!
Colleen
I love putting add-ins in my mac & cheese, and chorizo sounds like a perfect one. Can't wait to try!