Comfort food is great, but sometimes you want comfort with a little kick.
I can only take so many mashed potatoes before I need a fix of Mexican food.
So here's a recipe that combines the best of both worlds. Chef Jon Bonnell of the popular Fort Worth restaurant Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine shared this recipe for Jalapeno Mac 'n' Goat Cheese with Chile Pepper magazine.
Bonnell said: "In Fort Worth, everybody wants the very best, but not the pretentious."
Just like this mac and cheese.
JALAPENO MAC 'N' GOAT CHEESE
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups goat milk (regular milk is fine, too)
Salt and ground white pepper
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
1/2 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1 ounce goat cheese
1 cup cooked small pasta shells
1. In a small, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, and whisk until a roux has formed. Cook just to the stage where the butter begins to smell toasty; do not brown.
2. Use a spatula to scrape the roux from the pan to a bowl, and set aside. Pour the goat milk into the same saucepan, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Over medium heat, reduce the milk by one-third, and stir in cooled roux. Whisk, and bring to a simmer. The sauce will thicken when a simmer is reached. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little milk. If too thin, reduce a bit longer.
4. Add the jalapenos, tomato, goat cheese and pasta, and stir together. Serve hot.
