Jalapeño and Tomato Macaroni & Cheese

An occasional craving for comfort food is one that most of us share when stresses or anxieties abound, an impulse to revisit times or places of simplicity and security, no matter how real or perceived our memories. It's a pleasure of mine to indulge my loved ones with kitchen comfort at those times, not to mention that fussing with pots, pans and food can be a welcome relief to myself when others around me are feeling strains. Into these dishes I can pour the love and care that aren't always easy to express in words.

One of my husband's favourite comfort foods — and one shared by many others — is a big helping of macaroni and cheese. In his case, he remembers the Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese that his father baked with a can of crushed tomatoes. Of course, now that he's eating out of my kitchen he gets my own brand of comfort food, meaning fresh quality ingredients assembled by hand and with a little spicy touch of my own tossed in. I'm happy to say that a big helping of warm and creamy homemade jalapeño and tomato mac'n'cheese did just the comfort trick for him while giving him a taste of something new at the same time. After all, moving forward is important even when we want to indulge our nostalgic feelings.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights, a very popular weekly event started by Ruth of Once Upon a Cook, and hosted this week by Pictures of all my princesses. I am running on about two hours of sleep in the last 48 hours and sick besides, but I wanted to share this recipe because it is so good and easy to prepare.

Jalapeño and Tomato Macaroni & Cheese

3 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup cornmeal
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 pound uncooked macaroni
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 oz. can evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
16 oz. cheddar, colby or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into thin rounds

Chop the tomatoes and place in a fine sieve to drain the juices, tossing occasionally. Meanwhile, combine the bread crumbs and cornmeal with the melted butter and set aside.

Cook the macaroni to al dente in a large saucepan according to instructions on the package. Drain and return to the saucepan. Add the remaining butter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, mustard, salt and black pepper. Add 3/4 of the cheese and combine.

Stir the cheese mixture into the macaroni and butter over medium heat. Keep stirring for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and is hot and bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes and jalapeños.

Preheat an oven to 350°. Pour the macaroni into a lightly greased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese, followed by the bread crumb and cornmeal mixture. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the bread crumbs and cornmeal are browned.

Remove from heat and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Other great mac'n'cheese recipes from Lisa's Kitchen:
Classic Macaroni & Cheese
Macaroni & Paneer Cheese
Greek Macaroni & Cheese

On the top of the reading stack: Sukham Ayu: Cooking at Home With Ayurvedic Insights

Audio Accompaniment: Rustling Leaves