Fabulous Santa Fe Cheese 'n Pasta

This Santa Fe Cheese 'n Pasta is another one of my original recipes. This dish is definitely a good choice when you want to fix a quick meal for your family. It takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare for this meal. And it is SO yummy! My husband came home and saw what I was making and said, "Corn in Mac and Cheese? I've never had corn in Mac and Cheese before!" Then he tasted a bite and said, "Wow, that's good!" So if you are thinking the same thing as my husband was, don't be afraid! Just try it! You won't be disappointed. :-)

Santa Fe Cheese 'n Pasta

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups macaroni noodles
1/2 lbs ham off the bone
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup green salsa (salsa verde)
1 1/2 cups whole milk or 2% milk
1 can (15 oz) cream-style corn
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers
8-10 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
(Optional) 1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped

Direction:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients except cheese in a large nonstick skillet. Heat to boiling and stir occasionally, until the noodles are cooked al dente. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Pour the mixture into a 13X9X2 baking pan. Stir in cubed cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. (I prefer baked Macaroni and Cheese, however, if you prefer, you can finish cooking on stove. Just add cheese into the pan and stir until it is melted. It would be a much quicker process if you're in a hurry.)


Sweet (plus) A little kick (plus) Cheesy