Deep-Fried Mac and Cheese

Hot Cheetos Deep-Fried Mac & Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk (or non-dairy alternative)
• 1.5 cups assorted shredded cheese (I used cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• Salt & pepper
• 1 cup macaroni
• Flamin' Hot Cheetos Puffs or Crunchy
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
• Chives (for garnishing, optional)

Method:

1. We're going to start by making our mac & cheese from scratch. In a pot over the stove, add butter and flour and mix until it forms a paste"this is called a roux. Then, add your milk and stir gently until thickened.
2. Add garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder (and salt & pepper to taste if you want). Add shredded cheese.
3. Using KitchenAid Cordless Hand Mixer, mix over stove on lowest setting until cheese sauce is smooth and silky. (Cordless function allows you the flexibility to use the mixer anywhere in the kitchen"and it's a great hack using an electric mixer to get the silkiest, smoothest cheese sauce possible for an epic mac & cheese.)
4. Combine cheese sauce and cooked macaroni, then allow to cool and harden in the fridge for several hours.
5. Another hack"use KitchenAid Cordless Hand Mixer to gently blitz Hot Cheetos into coarse crumbs.

6. Scoop mac & cheese into balls (around golf ball sized), then coat in flour, egg, and then hot Cheetos.
7. Fry until crispy.
8. Garnish with chives (optional) and serve hot.

Recipe by @audreysaurus