Mexican Street Corn and Zucchini Baked Macaroni and Cheese
 
 
The summery flavor of elote gets baked into the coziest Mexican street corn and zucchini baked macaroni and cheese. It is super cheesy with the perfect amount of heat.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
For the spice mix
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp ancho chile powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
For the mac and cheese
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 ears sweet corn kernels
  • 1 large zucchini, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 12 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ¼ cup minced cilantro, divided
  • 1 lb cavatelli pasta, cooked al dente and drained
  • 6 oz cotija cheese, crumbled, divided
  • juice of 1 lime
Instructions
  1. To make the spice mix, mix together the garlic powder, chile powder, smoked paprika, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Heat oven to 375F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  3. Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the corn and zucchini to the pan and saute until zucchini is tender, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
  4. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat in the same pot that you cooked the corn. Add the flour to the pot and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the milk a little bit at a time. Cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring constantly.
  5. Stir in the cheese, 1 tbsp of the spice mix, and 2 tbsp of the cilantro. Cook until cheese is fully melted. Season to taste with the spice mix, making sure to reserve at least 1½ tsp for the topping.
  6. Mix the cooked pasta with the cheese sauce in the prepared baking pan. Fold in the corn mixture, 2 oz of the cotija cheese, and the lime juice. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  7. Top with the remaining cotija cheese, spice blend, and cilantro.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden on top and bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Slightly adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon
Recipe by Joanne Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2017/05/mexican-street-corn-and-zucchini-macaroni-and-cheese.html