Snowy January Sunday calls for *even more* comfort food. Yes, there is a trend here. I’ll start on my diet in February, carbs be damned. Today is all about the Mac + Cheese. Serious Nom nom nom time. And then a nap. I shoveled; I earned it!
Ingredients
8 ounces Chorizo, cut to rounds
1 red bell pepper, ribs removed, cut to 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cut broccoli florets
1/2 panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup milk
8 ounces pasta (macaroni is traditional, but any short, spoon sized pasta will do)
4 ounces American cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Small pinch cayenne pepper
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Salt and pepper
Directions
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, brown chorizo for 1-2 minutes. Add red peppers and sauté until just soft and the chorizo has a bit of color, 4-5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, set aside in a small work bowl, wipe out the pan. Using the same pan, melt butter. Add panko bread crumbs and toast until golden. Remove to a small work bowl. In a small pot, steam or boil broccoli florets for 2-3 minutes. It should still be a little hard and very vibrant green. Drain and set aside.
Heat oven to 350F and prepare a small casserole dish with baking spray.
Bring water and milk to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in pasta and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is soft (slightly past al dente), 12 minutes for my pasta, but definitely check the box directions for cooking times. Add American cheese, mustard, and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is completely melted, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in cheddar. Add the broccoli, and red peppers and chorizo and stir until evenly distributed. Pour into the casserole dish and sprinkle with the toasted panko. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Let sit for 5 minutes (it will be very hot) before serving.
