Mac and cheese – the ultimate comfort food. Thought I would kick it up a notch and give it a slightly Asian, sweet and spicy flare. If mac and cheese had no calories, I would definitely eat it everyday! For that reason, I love to get creative with it and throw in unique ingredients because everything pairs well with cheese…in my mind anyway. The risk of adding a fruit element to this cheesy delicacy definitely paid off – I couldn’t stop eating it! The strawberries add a sweet undertone, while the sriracha gives you a little heat in the end and everything just worked so well the mild cheeses I chose. Instead of the one-note mac and cheese we all are used to, this version gives you an up and down taste experience going from velvety cheddar, to sweet strawberries, to tangy parmesan and finishing with spicy sriracha. You are going to love it and will probably end up with half the amount of cheese sauce in the end because you won’t be able to stop tasting it.

Yield: Serves 4-6 (or 2 if you just can’t stop eating it)

Ingredients:

• 1 1 lbs (453g) box Cavatappi noodles
• 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ cup chopped strawberries
• ¾ – 1 tbsp sriracha sauce (depending on your spice level)
• pinch of onion powder
• ¼ tsp salt + a couple pinches
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 3-4 tbsp reserved cooking water (reserve ½ cup to be safe)
• 2 scallions (just the greens) chopped for garnish

I dare you not to eat it just like this.

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to roaring boil and add a ¼ tsp of salt. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and set aside before draining the noodles.

Meanwhile, blend the strawberries, sriracha, onion powder, pinch of salt and a small splash of cooking water until smooth. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, over medium low heat, add the butter and flour and whisk together until turning a nice golden colour, about 1 minute. Add in the cream and continue cooking and whisking for 2 minutes until gently bubbling. Turn the heat down to low and add in the Monterey Jack and cheddar, 1 cup at a time (Tip: freshly grated cheese melts better and incorporates more evenly than store-bought shredded cheese). Continue gently whisking until all melted together. Add in the strawberry sriracha sauce, pinch of salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and whisk until incorporated. 1 tablespoon at a time, add in the reserved cooking water until the sauce is creamy enough to drip off the end of the spoon but still thick enough to hold everything together (I added 3 tablespoons).

If you didn’t eat all the cheese sauce at this point (good on ya!), pour it over the noodles and mix until coated evenly. Garnish with chopped scallion greens and enjoy!