Mexican Wagon Wheels and Cheese

By KeyIngredient

Ingredients

• 1 sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cups reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
• 2 cups reduced-fat shredded mozzarella
• 1 pound wagon wheel pasta, cooked following package directions

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees . Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat with nonstick cooking spray and add red and green peppers, scallions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until peppers soften. Set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute; gradually whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Turn off heat and stir in salt, chili powder and 13/4 cups of each of the cheeses until smooth. Add cooked pasta and pepper mixture and stir until combined.

4. Turn out mixture into prepared pan and scatter remaining 1/4 cup of each of the cheeses over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.


Tip
• Try chipotle chile powder for a layer of smoky flavor.