Jalapeño Popper Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 13.5 oz box of macaroni noodles
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 cup (240mL) milk (recommended: anything 1% and higher)
• 4 ounces cream cheese (cut into 6-8 pieces (any fat content))
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (you may also use sour cream)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 4 oz can of pickled jalapeños (drained and roughly chopped (you may also use fresh*))
• 1 4 oz can of diced green chiles (drained)
• 4 ounces jalapeño or pepper Jack cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook pasta according to directions on the box.

2. 2

   While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce. In a medium size saucepan or skillet, cook the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, cream cheese, grated Parmesan, yogurt, and salt. Stir mixture until the cream cheese is no longer chunky. Add the jalapeños and chiles and stir until combined. Remove from heat.

3. 3

   Return the cooked drained pasta to the pot it cooked in, pour in the cheese sauce and shredded cheese, and stir until pasta is evenly coated and all of the cheese is melted. Pour into casserole or serving dish and serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered tightly up to 1 week. Casserole freezes well, up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat individual servings in the microwave (I like to add a splash of milk to prevent cheese from drying out) or cover casserole with foil and reheat in a 300ºF (149ºC) oven for 20 minutes.