Avocado Mac

Oh.My.Goodness.

Last weekend I made Avocado Macaroni & Cheese, and it was the best recipe I have tried in a very, very long time.  Everybody knows that I love me some macaroni & cheese, so it may not be much of a surprise that I made this dish pretty much as soon as I had set eyes on it.  Thank you very much, Pinterest.  

Here is the original recipe.  I know it doesn't look incredibly fantastic in the photos below, but seriously, this was delicious.  Creamy and cheesy and avocado-y.  Disclaimer:  Even with the lime juice blended in, the avocados turned everything brown after a day in the fridge, so I recommend leftovers simply be consumed before they get the chance to become leftovers.

8 oz. whole wheat elbow macaroni

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large avocados, peeled and pitted

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and add in macaroni.  Stir and cook until Al Dente, about 87-9 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

2.  While the pasta cooks, make the avocado sauce by placing the garlic, avocados, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper into a food processor or blender.  Process until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.

3.  For cheese sauce, place butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.  When butter is melted, whisk in flour to create a paste.  Whisk in milk until smooth.  Stir with a wooden spoon until the sauce starts to thicken.  Add Jack cheese and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.

4.  Place macaroni in a large bowl.  Pour avocado sauce over the macaroni and stir until well-coated.  Ass the cheese sauce and stir until macaroni is coated and creamy.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve warm.

*I added Parmesan cheese to the dish when I mixed the avocado sauce and cheese sauce into the pasta.  I also added a cooked chicken breast, cut into small chunks.  The addition of chicken made this into enough food for more than two full meals for two people.  De-li-cious.