Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Baked Mac n Cheese with Jalapenos

I have to tell you this might be one of the best versions of mac & cheese I've ever made. The perfect balance of salty cheese & slightly spicy jalapeno is amazing. This is definitely a keeper. I have no doubt that you will absolutely love it.
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni (I used penne)
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of onions, finely diced
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups skim milk
½ cup pickled jalapenos from a jar, diced
1 large egg
½ cup sharp cheddar, shredded
½ cup Italian blend, shredded
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup bread crumbs 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta until almost done.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pan, melt the butter. Cook the garlic and the onions until soft, about 4 minutes. 
Whisk in the flour, make sure it’s not lumpy. Stir in the milk, jalapenos (add a little juice from the jar, about 2 tsp), and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes. Allow to cool a bit. 
In a small bowl, beat the egg with a little of the milk mixture, then add the egg to the pan and stir until combined. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt, pepper and stir. 
Fold the macaroni into the cheese mixture and pour into a baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. 
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

1 comment:

  1. Is 1/2 cup of Italian blend the correct amount?

    ReplyDelete

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