baked mac & cheese with tomatoes

How To Make baked mac & cheese with tomatoes

• 
  Step 1
  Place the tomatoes in a small prep bowl, add the sugar, and gently mix. Set bowl aside. Chef's Note: There are a lot of excellent canned tomatoes, out there, but one that is pretty much available in the U.S. are Hunt's… Good value… Good tomatoes.
• 
  Step 2
  Cook the macaroni in a pot of boiling water until al dente. Then drain, and rinse in a colendar using cool water, to stop the cooking process.
• 
  Step 3
  Chef’s Note: In cooking, al dente describes pasta and that have been cooked so as to be firm but not hard. Keeping the pasta firm is especially important in baked dishes, where the pasta is cooked twice. The term "al dente" comes from Italian and means "to the tooth" or "to the bite", and is referring to the need to chew the pasta due to its firmness. One other point: Pasta that is cooked al dente has a lower glycemic index than pasta that is cooked soft.
• Step 4
  Mix the flour, salt, and the peppers, together in a small prep bowl.
• Step 5
  In a small saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter, and then gradually add the flour mixture.
• 
  Step 6
  Whisk until you have a smooth blonde roux, about 3 minutes.
• Step 7
  Mix the milk, and the cream together, and then slowly add to the roux. Reduce the heat to medium, and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• 
  Step 8
  Add the cheese, and continue to stir over medium heat until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
• Step 9
  Add the drained macaroni to the sauce, plus the reserved tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of the panko breadcrumbs, then gently stir to combine. Add the mixture to an ovenproof dish, and sprinkle the remaining panko breadcrumbs over the top.
• 
  Step 10
  Place on the middle rack of a preheated 400f (200c) oven, and bake until bubbly, and the top begins to brown, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• 
  Step 11
  Enjoy. Keep the faith, and keep cooking…
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