INGREDIENTS
- 1 stick salted butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- 3 cups whole milk
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese, plus 2-3 cups for the top
- 10 oz white American cheese
- ¼ cup Louisiana Pepper Exchange Green Jalapeño Puree
- ½ cup peeled garlic cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 400F.
- Coat garlic cloves with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for ~35-40 minutes. Once garlic is removed, lower oven temperature to 350F.
- Make a roux by melting butter in saucepan over medium heat, adding flour, and whisking to incorporate.
- After 1 minute, add milk. Whisk to combine. Add heavy cream.
- When the roux is fully incorporated into the milk/cream, turn heat to low.
- Add the 8 oz cheddar and all of the white American cheese, whisking slowly to combine.
- Add Louisiana Pepper Exchange Jalapeño Puree.
- After cheese is fully incorporated, add roasted garlic cloves. Blend with immersion blender.
- Remove from heat
- Boil 4 cups un-cooked elbow macaroni for 5-7 minutes. Drain.
- Fold queso into macaroni.
- Bake in 9×13 or similar pan at 350, covered with foil, for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, uncover, and sprinkle ~2-3 cups of shredded cheddar evenly across the top. Turn oven to 400.
- Bake uncovered for ~12-14 minutes.
- Broil for extra color if desired.
