Flaming Hot Summer Mac N Cheese
Creamy one-pot macaroni and cheese made with a trio of cheese blend, shredded white and orange cheddar cheese, gouda, and corn piled high with fresh pico de gallo, drizzled in chipotle aioli and finished with crushed flaming hot cheetos.
Servings: 5 -6
Ingredients
- 1 pound short cut pasta macaroni
- 2 ears of corn
- 1/2 up butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
- 1 TBS smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cup shredded gouda
- 1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese
- Flaming Hot Cheetos
- toppings: pico de gallo chipotle aioli (see notes)
Instructions
- 1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water with 1 TBS of salt and and cook the pasta according to directions. To the pot of boiling water add the corn same time as the pasta and allow to boil for 2 minutes until it turns a vibrant yellow. Remove from the water, let cool and use a sharp knife to cut the corn kernels off the cobb. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain.
- 2. In a large Dutch oven or non stick pan, melt the butter. Once melted stir in the flour to form a roux. Once thickened and golden in colour, whisk in the milk stirring frequently over medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. Once all the milk is stirred in and the mixture has thickened, whisk in the cheeses a handful at a time until completely incorporated. Stir in the corn, add the cooked pasta stirring to coat in the cheese sauce. If needed, add a touch of pasta water to thin out the sauce.
- 3. To serve: scoop the mac and cheese into bowls, drizzle some chipotle aioli over top, top with 1-2 TBS of fresh pico and finish with flaming hot cheetos crumbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Pico de gallo: combine diced tomatoes, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, salt, pepper, 1/2 lime juiced and let sit 20 minutes.
Chipotle aioli: Mix together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chipotle peppers in adobo + some of the sauce, 1 TBS lime juice in a blender and blitz 20 seconds until combined.