Home

Pimiento Mac & Cheese

Pimiento Mac & Cheese
Pimiento Mac & Cheese
Elbow macaroni enveloped in a zesty cheese sauce infused with grilled peppers & paprika
Ingredients
  • Elbow macaroni / salad macaroni
  • Bread crumbs 1 cup / 50 g
  • Butter or margarine 2 tbsp / 30 g
  • Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup / 35 g
  • Parsley (optional) 1 tbsp / 4 g
  • Water 1 cup / 250 ml
  • MAGGI® Professional Chicken Stock 1 tbsp / 10 g
  • Cheddar cheese 2 cups / 250 g
  • Cheese spread 1/2 cup / 125 ml
  • Cheddar cheese powder 1/4 cup / 30 g
  • CARNATION® Everyday Creamer 1 pack / 200 ml
  • NESTLÉ® All Purpose Cream 2 cups / 500 ml
  • Black pepper 1/2 tsp / 1.5 g
  • Butter / margarine 1/2 cup / 113 g
  • Spanish paprika 1 tsp / 2 g
  • Bacon / ham (optional) 250 g
  • Canned pimiento 1 small can / 185 g
  • Red bell pepper (optional) 1 small / 50 g
  • Green bell pepper (optional) 1 small / 50 g
  • All purpose flour 1/2 cup / 60 g
Preparation
  • 1
    Cook macaroni as per package instrcuctions and set aside.
  • 2
    Make Crumb Topping: In a saute pan, melt butter then add bread crumbs. Cook until light golden brown. Let cool then toss in the grated Parmesan and chopped parsley. Set aside until ready to use.
  • 3
    Make the Cheese Sauce: In a large stainless bowl, combine the water, MAGGI® Professional Chicken Stock, cheddar cheese, cheese spread, cheese powder, CARNATION Everyday Creamer, NESTLE® All Purpose Cream, and black pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
  • 4
    In a large sauce pan, gently cook paprika in butter. Add in the cooked bacon / ham, the roasted bell peppers and canned pimiento. Saute for a few seconds then add flour and mix to cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the cheese-cream mixture while continuously mixing the sauce using a whisk. Simmer until the cheese has completely melted into the sauce. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.
  • 5
    Assemble: Toss cooked macaroni in the prepared cheese sauce, place on a baking tray (7x12 or 9x13) and top with the Crumb Topping. Broil tops until the crumb topping is golden. Serve and consume within 2 hours.

To roast bell peppers, use tongs to cook the whole bell pepper in an open flame and roast until charred.  Peel charred pieces (do not rinse as it lessens the charred flavor of the pepepr) and remove seeds before slicing.
 

To reheat, uncover pan and broil top part for 5 minutes or microwaver per serving for around 15 - 20 seconds to prevent drying.