“Fried” Green Tomato Topped Street Corn Mac and Cheese

If I’m being perfectly honest with you, plain ole Mac and cheese has never really done it for me. I mean, I’d never kick it off a plate don’t get me wrong, but it’s just never been something I’ve craved of felt overly inclined to make. But I crave this one. Big time. This “Fried” Green Tomato Street Corn Mac and Cheese has just enough going on inside and on top to give it that extra bit of intrigue that I think maybe I was looking for all along.

A few things to know about this mac and cheese:

The fried green tomatoes aren’t fried, they’re oven baked and still so crunchy and delicious. The distinctive tang of a green tomato is, to me, such a delicious thing (I absolutely love it) and I think it offsets some of the creamy richness of the cheese sauce. I also like that it’s a totally different texture. Mac and cheese can get a little monotonous, texture wise, so I think adding a layer of crispy, baked tomatoes is a great way to break that monotony up a little bit.

NO ROUX!! This is meant to be a simplified, streamlined Mac ad cheese and therefore, I’m not going to have you bust out the roux and build a mornay sauce for your pasta. Nope, that’s not really necessary and I’ve found that by simply adding the sauce components straight into the pot of steaming hot drained pasta, you’ll get an incredibly creamy mixture that bakes up wonderfully in the oven.

Oh, and there’s pops of sweet corn all throughout that are PERFECT with the salty feta and tangy green tomatoes. I call it “street corn Mac and cheese” because we’re utilizing a creamy component (here, yogurt) to mimic the mayo on a cob of grilled street corn, as well as salty feta, which is a nod to the cotija that is sprinkled over street corn.

Cotija can be tough to find, so I’ve called for a more accessible feta here .

When you’re building this dish, just be sure to taste the pasta before adding any extra salt – the feta is salty, as are the other cheeses, and things can get salty in a hurry if you don’t watch out. So, just taste before you salt and you’ll be off to the races.

“Fried” Green Tomato Topped Street Corn Mac and Cheese: The Breakdown

What you’ll need:

1 lb. short cut pasta (such as shells, macaroni, or rotini)

Salt and pepper, as needed

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I don’t recommend pre-shredded but it’s okay in a pinch)

6 oz. gouda, shredded

½ cup crumbled feta

⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt (or mayo is fine)

2 TBSP butter

1 cup half and half (or cream, or milk)

1.5 to 2 cups sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen, amount is approximate)

2 green tomatoes, sliced (aout ¼-inch thick)

2 eggs, beaten

1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.

Cook the pasta, in salted water, until al dente according to package directions. It shouldn’t be totally tender, as it will keep cooking in the oven/sauce. Drain, return to the pot.

To the pasta, add the three cheeses, yogurt, butter, half and half, and corn. Stir until creamy and mixed. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed (feta is very salty, so I tend to not use too much more salt). Transfer the pasta to a buttered or sprayed large baking dish.

Coat the tomato slices in egg and then in the panko breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs into the slices so they stick. Arrange them on top of the mac and cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crunchy; about 35 to 40 minutes. This is best enjoyed right away, while it’s still warm.

If you like the looks of this “Fried” Green Tomato Topped Street Corn Mac and Cheese, you might want to try:

Easy Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Hot Corn Dip with Chorizo

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