Roasted Red Pepper Mac & Cheese

                                                       Photos by Leandra Blei

Who doesn't love Mac & Cheese. The cheesier the better. I love a traditional Mac & Cheese, but this is one of those dishes that has such an endless number of variations it's exciting. Different sauces, pastas, cheeses, I mean the list goes on and on. One of my favorites is this Roasted Red Pepper & White Cheddar Mac & Cheese. It is so delicious! 

You Will Need:

• 8 oz Elbows
• 4 Red Peppers
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 4 cups Milk, heated
• 8 oz Freshly Grated White Cheddar Cheese
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 Cup Panko 
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Cracked Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Fill a large stock pot with water and season it with Kosher salt. This gives the pasta flavor while it is cooking. When the water comes to a boil, pour in the pasta and give it a stir. If you don't stir, all the pasta will stick and clump together. Cook your elbows using the directions on the package. Usually about 10-12 minutes for Al Dente. When done drain and set aside. 

Meanwhile, place the red peppers on a non stick sheet tray and into the oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Flip over after ten minutes to cook both sides evenly. When the skins start to wrinkle, peel them off of the red peppers. If after 20 minutes they are not easily removed, just keep roasting them until they are. The darker they get the more flavor, but remember there is a difference between caramelizing and burning. A trick is to pull them out of the oven and place them into a bowl. Wrap them up with Saran Wrap let them steam, this helps the skins to remove more easily. Pull the stems off the peppers and discard, purée until smooth. I love to use an immersion blender, the clean up is so easy. Set aside. 

In a sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and whisk constantly until combined. This is a roux! The base of many sauces. Slowly add the heated milk while constantly whisking and allow the sauce to thicken. This will take around 5 minutes. If cold milk is added to the roux it will curdle and the sauce will not be smooth. A great trick to knowing if a sauce is thick enough to move forward, dip a spoon in the sauce and lift it out. If you can run your finger along the back of the spoon and the line stays in place, the sauce is the perfect thickness. Turn the heat off and add the grated cheese to the sauce. Keep a handful set aside for toppings! I always buy a block of cheese and grate it myself. A block of cheese is always fresher then a bag of grated. Whisk the cheese into the sauce until smooth. Now, add the roasted red pepper purée, and the juice of 1 lemon and mix in. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. 

Add the elbow pasta, stir to cover each individual piece for maximum deliciousness. The smell of this Mac & Cheese is amazing. I love roasted red peppers with almost anything. Pour into a baking dish.

With the remaining grated cheese, sprinkle onto the top of the Mac & Cheese. Follow with the Panko. Place into the oven, and when the top is golden brown remove from oven. Let is sit for 5 minutes and serve. Enjoy! 

 Roasted Red Pepper Mac & Cheese

You Will Need:

• 8 oz Elbows
• 4 Red Peppers
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 4 cups Milk, heated
• 8 oz Freshly Grated White Cheddar
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 Cup Panko 
• Kosher Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and season with kosher salt. 
3.  Cook elbows according to package directions. Set aside.
4. Place red peppers on a sheet tray, and roast until the skins wrinkle and are easily peeled off. Purée until smooth.
5. In a medium saucepan melt butter, then whisk the flour in. Slowly add the heated milk and whisk constantly until it's a thick consistency. 
6. Add the roasted red pepper purée and lemon juice.  
7. Take your freshly grated cheese and off the heat, constantly mix in until smooth. Save some cheese to top it off with at the end.
8. Add the cooked elbows, mix around and add everything to a baking dish. 
9. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. 
10. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top, followed with the Panko.  
11. Bake until golden brown on the top.  
12. Enjoy!