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The Fused Table
Esi Approved

Kelewele Mac & Cheese

The mac is classic and creamy. Kelewele on top gives you sweetness, ginger and pepper in the same bite.

Prep time
15 min
Cook time
30 min
Total time
45 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy
Spice level
Mild
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Skillet of creamy mac and cheese topped with spiced kelewele plantain cubes
Servings
6

Ingredients

  • 1 lb elbow pasta
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 3 cups sharp cheddar, grated
  • 2 ripe plantains, cubed
  • 1 tsp Kelewele spice (ginger, cayenne, nutmeg)

Why This Works

Cheese is rich and salty, plantain is sweet, and the ginger-pepper spice cuts straight through the cream.

Step-by-step directions

  1. 1

    Boil the pasta one minute short of the package time, then drain.

  2. 2

    Melt butter, whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until it thickens.

  3. 3

    Off the heat, stir in cheese until smooth, then fold in the pasta.

  4. 4

    Toss plantain cubes with Kelewele spice and fry or air-fry until caramelized.

  5. 5

    Spoon plantains over the mac and serve right away.

Tips

  • Grate your own cheese. Bagged cheese has starch that makes sauce grainy.

Substitutions

  • Dairy-free: oat milk, vegan butter and a cashew cheese blend.

Suggested side

  • Shito Honey Wings
  • Simple green salad

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days.

Reheating

Add a splash of milk and reheat gently, covered, at 350°F.

Ingredients you may not know yet

Kelewele spice

A ginger-forward spice blend for fried plantain.

Tastes like
Warm ginger, cayenne heat, a whisper of nutmeg and clove.
How Esi uses it
Tossed with ripe plantain cubes before frying.
Substitute
Ground ginger, cayenne and nutmeg in a 3:1:1 ratio.
Where to find it
African grocers, or mix your own.

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