March Discovery Dinner
It was another full house at Discovery Dinner this month. The date had been pushed back to the middle of the month due to a conference in early March, and (surprise!) Matt and I were out of town until 2 days before D.D.-but onward we marched and we had a blast! It is such a blessing to be able to serve new people in our church, as well as fellowship with people who have been among us for years. Even our kids cheer when we tell them there is a Discovery Dinner coming up!
This month I made Macaroni and cheese, Broccoli, Salad and Chicken Sausages. Here is the recipe for the Macaroni and cheese (Or, as I secretly call it, Crack-aroni and cheese. Yeah, it’s that good.) This is an adaptation of the recipe in Sheila Lukins U.S.A. cookbook-
1 lb of ’round’ pasta (I used fusilli)
1 red Bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
6 T flour
1 t paprika, divided
1/2 t salt
8 oz Pepper Jack cheese (2 cups)
8 oz sharp Cheddar Cheese (2 cups)
1. Cook the pasta until just under Al Dente. Place in bowl
2. Sauté veggies in a bit of olive oil until just wilted, about 5 minutes. (I think I overcooked the veggies and the Green peppers were barely green by the time the dish was served. The Red held their color much better, might just do 2 red peppers next time) Stir veggies into pasta.
3. Heat the milk in a sauce pan until just under boiling.
4. Make the roux: Melt the butter in a new saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and 1/2 t paprika and whisk over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Whisking constantly, slowly add the hot milk to the flour mixture. Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5-10 minutes. The roux should be pudding consistency. Season with salt.
5. Combine both of the grated cheeses and set aside 1 cup. Stir the remaining cheese into the hot roux. Toss the sauce with the pasta and veggies. Spread mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup grated cheese and 1/2 t paprika. Bake until bubbly and golden 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately.