tomato mac and cheese

I love cheese.  All kinds of cheeses.  Fresh mozzarella, brie, feta, gruyère, whatever I can get my hands on.  This recipe brings it back to the simple mac and cheese days where a good slice of cheddar (or shred in this case) is all you need.

Ingredients:
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 (28 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes (Hunts is preferred)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 cups half-and-half
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In medium pot, bring 4 quarts of water to boil over high heat and stir in one tablespoon of salt.  Place macaroni in pot and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes.  When pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot.  Pour in tomatoes (with juices) and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir occasionally.

In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until it begins to foam.  Stir in flour and cayenne pepper and cook until golden, about one minute.  At this point it will be a flaky, dough-like consistency.  Whisk in half-and-half and broth until smooth.  Bring to boil and then reduce to medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in cheeses, one teaspoon salt and one teaspoon of pepper until cheeses melt.  Mix in macaroni / tomato mixture and stir to combine.

Scrape mixture into large casserole dish and bake until top begins to brown, about 15 minutes.  Let it rest about 10 minutes before serving, or else it will be soupy.

Seriously, this mac and cheese rocked!  Cayenne pepper gave the dish a great flavor, and the tomatoes were sweet and offered a nice texture.  Thanks again to Cook's Country Magazine for bringing the real thing back into my life.

One warning though.... I didn't realize how much this was going to make!  After looking back I realize the recipe was for 8 - 10 people, and since it's just me this week I am left with 5 tupperware containers full of the stuff.  I'm going to attempt to freeze what's left, but next time will cut the recipe in half.