Mexican Mac'N'Chee

Mexican Mac'n'Chee

So, I have a great idea for a book that I came up with while working on my book proposal and hustling resumes out to recruiters and firms:

The Prolonged Unemployment Weight Loss Plan: 60 Days to A Poorer, Leaner You

Just let accreditation restrictions from your school's degree program force you to quit your out-of-state and lucrative job and return to the town your school is to finish up a graduate degree as a full-time student in 6 months, remain unemplyed for another 6 months after that, and watch the pounds fall off!

Bitter? Kind of. But today I present a tasty recipe I developed from my love of pasta, Mexican-style queso dip, and good ol' mac'n'chee. Not "Mac'n'cheese". Mac'n'chee. It's a Tenacious D thing. (Get the first album and watch the DVD live concert. You'll love it.)

It's cheap, good, and adjustable to your tastes. What you need:

1 lb. of rotini pasta (cooked, and you may want to leave out the salt if you cook pasta with it)
1 can of cooked chopped mushrooms (7 oz. w/ liquid or 4 oz. dry, go fancy or cheap, it's all good)
1 can Ro-Tel brand diced tomatoes and green chiles ( Original or Mexican variety)
1 lb. of Velveeta (nothing else will do)
Total cost: US$7 max. Makes 8 "servings" (translation: feeds 4 real people or 2 of ME).

So you cook the pasta. Done.

Cut up the block of Velveeta into 1/4" slices and microwave with the Ro-Tel. Stop and stir every 2 minutes to combine ingredients. Total microwaving time should be no more than 6-8 minutes.

Strain the canned chopped mushrooms.

Combine HALF of the pasta with the cheese blend and mushrooms and then add the rest of the pasta until you get the desired mix of cheese and pasta you like. Some like their mac'n'chee runny while others like it thick. Whatever mix you prefer, let the combined and mixed dish sit for 15 minutes. Then stir it up again until you hear that telltale "sticky" mac'n'chee mixing sound. That's how you know it's ready.

From this point you could put everything in a bake dish and add anything from cubed pre-cooked chicken breast, sliced jalpenos or red pepper flakes to it and or add a crust of pulverized Doritos and then bake it up. Me, I just eat it as is. With a Diet Coke.

Gotta go, the chee is ready.