Chipotle Mac and Cheese

By KDudek88

Ingredients

• 3 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 2 1/2 cups milk, half-n-half, or heavy cream, or a combination of any of these
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 tsp adobo sauce
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, divided
• 4 oz chipotle cheddar cheese
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• Up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, as needed
• 1/2 cup Japanese panko breadcrumbs

Details

Adapted from 66.147.242.155

Preparation

Step 1

reheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water for 7 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until the two become a smooth mixture. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Slowly whisk in milk, making sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and cilantro to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Bring the heat up to medium-high and continue to stir frequently until the mixture thickens (it should coat the back of a spoon) and begins to simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2 minutes and remove from the heat. Slowly stir in most of the mozzarella, chipotle cheddar, and sharp cheddar cheeses, reserving some to sprinkle on top before baking. The cheeses should melt into the milk mixture and become slightly stringy. If the mixture starts to become a mass of cheese, add in some of the hot pasta water to help thin it out.

Pour the drained pasta into a large bowl (or the pot you cooked it in) and stir in milk-cheese mixture so that it completely coats all of the pasta. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and Japanese panko breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for 20 – 25 minutes or until the sides begin to bubble and top is nicely browned. Allow the mac and cheese to set for 5 minutes and garnish with extra cilantro (if desired) before serving.