Roasted Red Pepper Pumpkin Mac N’ Cheese

INGREDIENTS

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Shallot

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Tbs Fresh Thyme

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

3 Tbs Butter

3 Tbs Flour

2 cups Milk

1 cup Heavy Cream

1 Tbs Dijon Mustard

Cheddar Cheese

Mozzarella

Parmesan

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Toasted Breadcrumbs, top this dish with buttered, seasoned panko breadcrumbs for an extra crunch.

Fried Chicken Bites, I used the same breadcrumbs ^^ to coat thinly sliced chicken tenderloins.

Large Crowd, make this dish for a crowd & serve in an electric skillet to keep warm for awhile.

THOUGHTS & PROCESSES

It’s starting to get cooler here in Oklahoma City, and I am thrilled! I’ve been summoning the cold weather with my sweatshirts & fall candles for at least three weeks. Now that the weather is finally matching my energy, I decided to build a collection of fall recipes. Not just any fall recipes, but the favorite fall recipes of my friends & family!

I reached out yesterday asking their favorite fall comfort foods, the ones that bring all the warm cozies into your home and heart. They responded with southern classics and hometown specialities, so many so dear to my heart. So over the next few months, I am going to build as many of the dishes as possible and share the recipes with them & you. Make them along with me and they will warm your heart & home the same way they will mine. Even more, hopefully they will bring your loved ones to the table.

This first dish is Pumpkin, Red Pepper, Cheesy Rigatoni which is pretty much adult, fall, mac ‘n cheese! My dear friend, Melaine recommended mac ‘n cheese as her fall favorite. She is a pumpkin-spice girlie with a fiery moxie, and a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ kind of friend. So this unforgettable pumpkin, red pepper rigatoni felt like the right thing to make for her!

This food blog will be different from others that you have read, it is built for the love of food and bringing people together. My recipes are a loose guide to helping you find the flavors that are right for your heart and home. My passion and heart for food lies in the memories that are made around creating and sharing it. I hope that these recipes and stories inspire your love for food and friendship.

RECIPE GUIDE

This dish really is just an enhanced macaroni and cheese. The basics of the dish are the same, creating a béchamel, melting cheese and adding noodles! I always start a dinner by preparing the mise en place, chopping and slicing all of my vegetables, measuring out ingredients and shredding cheese.

Once your ingredients are ready, begin heating a large pan over the stove. When your pan is hot, add about 3 tablespoons of butter. To the melted butter, add sliced red bell pepper, minced garlic and shallot, a good bit of fresh thyme and salt. Let these ingredients sauté for a few minutes, but careful to watch your heat. If the garlic burns, your sauce will have a bitter flavor. When your kitchen smells like warm, savory happiness, add in about 3 tablespoons of flour.

Once combined, slowly start adding in the milk, you want to temper (or slowly warm) the milk into the mixture. Stir constantly so your béchamel is smooth and add in the heavy cream last. Next, over medium-low heat melt the cheese into your sauce. Add in the dijon mustard. The sauce will be thick, stringy from the cheese, and should have great flavor.

This is the perfect time to taste & see what you should add, if need be. Lastly, add your noodles and 1/2 – 1 Cup of pasta water, stir to combine everything together once more. I usually let the pasta simmer in the sauce for a few minutes to allow it to adhere to the pasta and thicken a bit. I hope this guide is helpful with future flavors, and that you enjoy this pumpkin, red pepper rigatoni!