Queso Blanco Mac ‘N’ Cheese With Corn And Chicharrones As Made By Victor Ramos

Queso Blanco Mac ‘N’ Cheese With Corn And Chicharrones As Made By Victor Ramos

3.4(3)

Mac and cheese gets a makeover in this corn-infused recipe! Corn, shallot, and garlic-infused milk and half-and-half are mixed with a blend of four cheeses to make a creamy queso blanco sauce. The sauce is poured over pasta shells and buttery corn kernels, then baked with a chicharrones topping for crunch.

Cook Time
1 hr 40 min
Total Time
1 hr 52 min
Yield
8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, divided, plus more for greasing
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 lb dried pasta shells (425 g)
  • 7 ears corn, shucked
  • 2 cups whole milk (480 mL)
  • 2 cups half & half (480 mL)
  • 2 heads garlic, halved crosswise
  • 2 shallots, peeled
  • 5 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (140 g)
  • 5 oz shredded gruyère cheese (140 g)
  • 5 oz shredded white cheddar (140 g)
  • 5 oz shredded monterey jack cheese (140 g)
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • ½ tablespoon ground white pepper
  • 2 oz chicharrónes (30 g)
  • fresh parsley, for garnish, finely chopped

Nutrition Info

  • Calories 804
  • Fat 39g
  • Carbs 79g
  • Fiber 5g
  • Sugar 13g
  • Protein 37g

How to Make It

1. Step
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with butter.
2. Step
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells and cook until nearly al dente, then drain.
3. Step
Stand an ear of corn upright on a cutting board and run a knife down the side to cut the kernels off. Repeat with the remaining ears. Set the kernels aside.
4. Step
Add the corn cobs to a 4-quart pot with the milk, half-and-half, garlic, and shallots. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 20 minutes to infuse. Remove the pot from the heat, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, and discard the solids. Let cool for 10 minutes. Rinse out the pot.
5. Step
Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter in the same pot over medium heat. Add the corn kernels and sauté until beginning to caramelize, 3–4 minutes. Remove ½ cup of corn and set aside. Add the corn-infused milk mixture and a pinch of salt and cook for another minute, until starting to bubble and thicken slightly.
6. Step
Transfer the corn mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean large bowl, using a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible from the corn pulp. Rinse out the pot.
7. Step
In a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella, Gruyère, white cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses and mix well.
8. Step
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the flour to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the roux is light golden, 1–2 minutes. Add the corn cream and cook, whisking frequently, until thickened slightly, 3–5 minutes.. Gradually add 1¾ cups of the cheese mixture and whisk until smooth. Season with the white pepper and remove the pot from the heat.
9. Step
Add the chicharrones to a food processor or blender. Process until broken down into coarse crumbs.
10. Step
Add the cooked pasta shells to the prepared baking dish and pour the cheese sauce on top. Add the reserved corn kernels and half of the remaining cheese mix, then stir well to combine. Top with the remaining cheese mix and the chicharron crumbs.
11. Step
Bake the mac ‘n’ cheese for 25 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for another 5 minutes, until the top of the mac ‘n’ cheese is crispy. Let rest for at least 5 minutes.
12. Step
Garnish the mac ‘n’ cheese with the parsley, then serve.
13. Step
Enjoy!

Tags

VegetarianHigh-FiberHigh-ProteinSpecial OccasionWhiskWooden SpoonSnacksBakeSidesStrainerLatinx Heritage MonthOven MittsPyrexSpatulaSaute PanCutting BoardMixing BowlLiquid Measuring CupDry Measuring CupsComfort FoodChef's KnifeLatin AmericanDominicanBlenderPuerto RicanBaking PanFood ProcessorBig BatchStove TopOven

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