Post by @meatlicious_

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Mac & Cheese Ingredients * 1 lb cavatappi pasta * 4 tbsp unsalted butter * 3 tbsp all-purpose flour * 2 cups whole milk * 1½ cups heavy cream * 1 tsp garlic powder * 1 tsp onion powder * ½ tsp smoked paprika * ½ tsp kosher salt * ½ tsp black pepper * 8 oz sharp cheddar, freshly grated * 8 oz Monterey Jack, freshly grated * 4 oz deli American cheese, torn into pieces * ½–1 cup reserved pasta water * 1 large bag Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Cheetos Make it 1. Prep the Cheetos. Pulverize about ½ cup Cheetos into a fine powder. Separately, crush about 2 cups into coarse chunks for the topping. Keep those separate. 2. Cook the pasta. Boil 1 lb cavatappi in well-salted water until about 1 minute shy of al dente. Before draining, save 1 cup pasta water. 3. Start the sauce. Melt 4 tbsp butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in 3 tbsp flour and cook for 60–90 seconds. Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk + 1½ cups heavy cream. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for about 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it begins to thicken. 4. Melt the cheese. Turn the heat to LOW. Add the cheeses gradually: American → Monterey Jack → sharp cheddar Stir until each addition melts before adding more. Don’t let it boil. You want the sauce a little looser than you think it should be because it’ll thicken quickly once the pasta goes in. Add reserved pasta water as needed. 5. Add the Cheetos. Start with ¼ cup of the finely powdered Cheetos and stir it into the cheese sauce. Don’t dump all the powder in—we still want that creamy orange cheese color. Fold in the cavatappi until completely coated. 6. Finish it for the video. Transfer it to your serving dish while it’s super creamy and glossy. Cover the top generously with the coarsely crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, but leave pockets of mac visible. Finish with a light dusting of the fine Cheeto powder. #Recipe #hotcheetos #macandcheese #homemade #food