Recipe For Back to School Macaroni and Cheese

Back to School Macaroni and Cheese

Do you want your child to be the most popular kid in the lunch room? Try this macaroni and cheese recipe. I flavored the béchamel sauce with roasted red bell pepper, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and of course a variety of cheeses. The color turns out more vibrant and the texture is perfect with both gooey and stringy cheese mixed together.

I packed the mac and cheese in a bento-style thermos lunch jar so the dish would remain warm until lunch time. My little 6-year-old sis-in-law has been going to school for less than a week but she’s already made a lot of friends. When she came home, I found an empty box. She told me her lunch box is a great conversation starter!

1. Info for Back to School Macaroni and Cheese

2. Ingredients for Back to School Macaroni and Cheese

3. Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. For the elbow pasta: Cook according to package instructions. When the pasta is cooked (cooked inside and out but still in shape and firm), reserve about 1/3 cup to ½ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta (do NOT rinse) into a large colander. Season with a little salt.
  3. In a saucepan, melt 8 tablespoons of butter over medium-low; you don’t want the butter to burn. Bring the heat back up to medium-high (the butter should be hot and golden) and add the flour. Keep stirring manually with a whisk for approximately 3 minutes. The flour should absorb the butter instantly and form a paste. Stir well until incorporated and add the milk in 3 stages. Increase the heat while constantly stirring for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off. Add the cheeses (except Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese) and the red pesto sauce. Mix well. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Let the sauce rest until it’s time to assemble the dish.
  4. In a large non-stick pan, heat some olive oil. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until golden and fragrant. Add the cooked pasta and toss for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the béchamel sauce. Mix until the pasta is well coated.
  5. Grease 8 small ramekin dishes with the remaining butter (for easy clean up). Fill each ramekin with pasta.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top. Spread little pieces of butter.
  6. Place in the oven for at least 10 minutes (until golden crispy brown) and broil for about 2-3 minutes to get a nice golden crust if necessary.
  7. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.
  8. Bon appétit!

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