In Oakland we have a fantastic restaurant called Homeroom. They serve allllllll the fancy mac and cheese dishes! My favorite is their Mexican Mac, so obviously I wanted to make it at home.

This chorizo mac and cheese is actually quite easy to make, and uses my homemade mac and cheese recipe as the base. You can have a mega cheesy dinner on the table in less than an hour! These days I can just about finish making it in 30 minutes. :D

Step 1: Ingredients

toppings:

1-2 pounds good chorizo sausages
fresh cilantro

for the mac and cheese:

1 pound dried elbow pasta
1/4 pound gouda, shredded
3/4 pound cheddar, shredded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk - room temp is best! Set out before starting.
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

If you've never made mac and cheese from scratch before, check out my original instructable for complete instructions.

Gouda is what makes this sauce REALLY yummy - it melts smoother and stringier than the cheddar. Add more if you like! I just really like the taste of cheddar. :)

P.S. Make sure you have a couple big pots around to make the cheese sauce + cook the pasta! I always use my Le Creuset dutch oven for this - at 5 1/5 quarts it's the perfect size.

Step 2: Boil the Pasta

Before starting anything, get some water on the stove over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, throw in a few huge pinches of salt and then add the pasta. Cook it so it's slightly under - pull it off 1-2 minutes before it says to do so on the box.

Pour into a colander, drain and set aside.

Step 3: Make the Cheese Sauce

To get this done quick, do this part while the pasta water is coming up a boil and the pasta is cooking. That way everything will be done around the same time!

Heat a pan over medium heat and add in the 4 tablespoons of butter. Heat until melted and then add in the 4 tablespoons of flour. Whisk together for a couple minutes until the mix turns slightly darker and the flour begins to smell nutty.

Now pour in the milk and keep whisking - break up any clumps! Bring this mix to a boil. Now you'll want to whisk this sauce constantly while it boils for 2 minutes. At the end of the two minutes, turn the heat down to low. You should have a nice thick sauce at this point. Stirring with the whisk should leave obvious traces. :)

Now add in your shredded cheese little by little until it's all well combined and melted. Taste the sauce and add some salt and pepper if needed, or whatever else you'd like. :)

Step 4: Combine the Pasta + Sauce

Add the pasta in parts to get the right texture for you! You definitely don't have to add all of it.

I like mine pretty dang thick. CAAAAAAAAAARBSSS

Step 5: Cook the Chorizo

Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.

Remove the outer casing from the chorizo sausages and break them up with your hands into the pan.

Cook, breaking up the large pieces, until the chorizo is as done as you like - it should take around 5-10 minutes. I like my chorizo really crispy. :D