Doritos Fried Mac and Cheese

Skill Level: Intermediate
Makes: 24 triangles
Nutrition per Serving (1 of 24 servings): Calories: 339 | Total Fat: 23 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Dietary Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 2 g | Protein: 6 g | Cholesterol: 42 mg | Sodium: 231 mg
Total Time: 2 hr 10 min (includes chilling time)
Hands-on Time: 55 min

This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Shell Stations. Infusing the chips in warm milk ensures that nacho cheese flavor in every bite of these irresistible fried treats.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups whole milk
Two 9 3/4 oz bags cheese-flavored tortilla chips (such as Doritos)
6 oz elbow macaroni
8 oz sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces (about 1/4 cup)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
Kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
Ranch dressing, for serving

Instructions

Prepare a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on two sides.
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a boil. Remove from heat and add one bag of chips. Stir to submerge, and let sit until the milk turns vivid orange and the chips lose their coating, about 2 minutes. Strain and return the orange milk to the saucepan (you should have about 2 1/2 cups liquid). Discard the soaked chips.
Add the macaroni to the infused milk and cook over medium, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the pasta is soft and the milk has thickened to a creamy sauce, 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar, cream cheese, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy. Spread the mixture into the lined pan and freeze until solid, about 1 hour.
While it chills, grind the remaining bag of chips in a food processor or crush them in a bag. Place the eggs, flour, and chip crumbs in three separate shallow bowls and whisk the eggs briefly.
Use the parchment to lift the firm macaroni block from the pan. Slice into 3-inch triangles. Coat each triangle in flour, then beaten egg (letting excess drip off), and finally in the chip crumbs, pressing to adhere. Arrange on a baking sheet and freeze to set, about 10 minutes.
Add 2 inches of oil to a large, sturdy pot and attach a deep-fry thermometer. Heat oil to 375F.
Working in batches, fry the triangles until crisp, golden, and heated through, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels, reheat oil to 375F between batches, season with salt, and serve warm with ranch for dipping.