Mac and Cheese with Cheetos
Rich, creamy, heavenly Mac and Cheese with a crispy, buttery, cheesy Jalapeño Cheetos Topping. So easy to make and insanely delicious.
Ingredients
For the Mac and Cheese:
- 1/2 lb uncooked macaroni around 1 3/4 cups
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 2 slices American cheese
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños chopped or 1 jalapeño, seeded, finely diced
For the topping:
- 1 cup jalapeño Cheetos crushed
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Make the topping:
- Combine the crushed Cheetos, Panko, butter and garlic powder in a bowl.
- Mix well and set aside.
Make the macaroni:
- Cook the macaroni for one minute less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Slowly add the milk, cream, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and continue to cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Stir well until the cheese is melted and fully incorporated.
- Combine the sauce with the noodles and stir until noodles are completely coated. Pour the mixture into a buttered 8x8 baking dish.
- Evenly sprinkle with the Cheetos mixture and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until browned and bubbly.
Notes
**I'm a big fan of the Jalapeño Cheetos, but use regular, Flamin' Hot, or whatever kind you like.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!