One of my “by the bay” family traditions is the birthday dinner night. I like to come up with a food theme and decor that suits the birthday “girl” or “boy” and run with it!  My dining room has been everything from a German beer hall to the top of the Eiffel Tower. For my sister Diane’s birthday last year, I decided to create a Mexican Cantina. Most of the menu was authentic Mexican dishes, but one of Diane’s favorite dishes is Macaroni and Cheese. I went online to see how people have tackled this dish in the past but I was put off by the taco inspiration for most of the recipes.  I was about to figure out another dish when I remembered having roasted poblano crema in a Mexican restaurant. I proceeded to create a roasted poblano cream by considering the bechamel sauce as the crema and infusing it with roasted poblano peppers as the base for the macaroni and cheese. The results were great and the cantina and party were a big success ending with an impromptu musical serenade, it doesn’t get better than that!

From by the bay wishing you tasty mac and cheese food memories!

Maryann

Roasted Poblano Cream Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 8

1 pound penne

2 poblano peppers

5 cups whole milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup flour

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup scallions, finely chopped 

5 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

½ cup grated parmesan cheese for topping

Cilantro leaves to garnish

Directions

Fill a large sauce pan with water and bring to a boil to be used to cook pasta. Preheat broiler , place whole poblano peppers on baking sheet about 4 inches below a hot broiler . Roast turning several times the pepper until they are softened and start to blacken in spots, approximately 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in a covered bowl. Take a towel and wipe off the skin from the peppers. Remove the stem and seeds. Place peppers into food processor along with the milk and puree. Place milk and pepper mixture into a medium sauce pan and heat until it is about to boil. While the milk is heating, in another sauce pan , heat the butter until melted. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Cook the mixture for about  2-3 minutes until it becomes a golden color. Slowly add the hot milk to the flour mixture whisking continuously. Bring to a boil and then cook for another 10 minutes continuing to whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. When the sauce is ready it should stick to the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in the salt and nutmeg. Add the grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses to the sauce and stir until the cheese has melted. Place cheese sauce aside. Add penne  to the boiling water  and cook al dente according to package directions and strain through colander. Rinse with cool water. Add the cooked penne to the cheese sauce along with the scallions and mix well. Turn the pasta into a 3 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45 minutes until the sauce starts  to bubble. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and serve. Garnish with cilantro leaves.