Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes

By Janes_kitchen

Ingredients

• S & P
• 1 LB elbow macaroni(Barilla)
• 1 28-oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 6 TBL unsalted butter
• 1/2 C flour
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 C half-and-half
• 1 C chicken broth
• 4 C shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

COOK MACARONI:
adjust oven rack to middle position & heat oven to 400

bring 4 qts water to boil in lg dutch oven over high heat
stir in 1TBL saly & macaroni
cook until just al dente , abt 6 min
drain pasta & return to pot

pour diced tomatoes w/ juices over pasta & stir to coat

cook over med high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed, abt 5 min
set aside

MAKE SAUCE:
meanwhile, melt butter in ed saucepan over med heat until foaming
stir in flour, cayenne
cook until golden, abt 1 min

slowly whisk in half-and-half & broth until smooth
bring to boil
reduce heat med
simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened, abt. 15 min

off heat, whisk in cheeses, 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp pepper until cheeses melt
pour over macaroni
stir to combine

BAKE MACARONI & CHEESE:
scrape mixture into 13X9" baking dish set in rimmed baking sheet
bake until top begins to brown, 15-20 min
let sit for 10-15 min before serving