4 cups Elbow Macaroni
1 cup Bacon , chopped
1 cup Onion , diced
2 tsp. Garlic , minced
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
6 cups Evaporated Milk
1 cup Red Bell Pepper , seeded and diced
2/3 cup Cilantro , chopped
1 tsp. Chipotle Chile (canned in adobo), minced
4 cups Shredded Jack Cheese
4 cups Shredded Gruyere Cheese
2 tsp. Black Peppers
2 1/2 tsp. Salt
3 1/2 cups Mission® Pre-Fried White Round Tortilla Chips (08620) , crushed
2/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Coriander
1 tsp. Thyme
1.) Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain well and set aside. (Rinse in cold water if preparing ahead of time)
2.) In a heavy pot over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until slightly crisp. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
3.) Whisk in the flour. Continue cooking the mixture, stirring constantly, until the flour turns a pale golden brown. Immediately add the evaporated milk, slowly at first, and whisk until smooth. Add the red bells, cilantro, Chipotle, Jack, Gruyere, pepper and salt. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt and the sauce is thickened.
4.) In a bowl, combine the crushed tortilla chips with the Parmesan, cumin, coriander and thyme. Set aside.
5.) Combine the cheese sauce with the cooked macaroni and divide into 8 individual oven-safe serving dishes. Cover each dish generously with the crushed tortilla mixture. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the crust is nicely browned.