Pimento Macaroni and Cheese

Writing has never been my strong suit. It was never a class that I was excited about in school, but I didn't hate it either. So when I was thinking about starting this blog, I was hesitant because of the writing involved.

Sometimes when I go to write a post I just stare at the screen and the picture of the recipe and can think of nothing to say, besides it's delicious, we enjoyed it, go make it. I feel like I can only say those things some many times, before it get old.

With this post I was trying to complete it on my lunch break at work. But when I sat down to write it, my mind started to think about the time when I was little and found out the pimento in the green olives was stuffed in there and not naturally part of the olive.

Then as I sat there staring at the picture of pimento macaroni and cheese I started to think about what a pimento really was, I had no idea. So I did what seemed logical, I Googled it. According to Mental Floss a pimento starts out as a type of chili pepper, called cherry peppers, which are small and red. They are sweeter than bell peppers and are very mild ranking the lowest on the Scoville scale out of all of the chilies. The main use of pimentos is as a garnish, stuffed in a green olive or mixed into cheese.

In this dish the pimento is not a garnish, but has more of a main role. Even though this macaroni and cheese is full of pimentos, they only add a subtle pimento flavor. Just enough to know they are there, but not overpowering.

Pimento Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 pound elbow noodles
• 15 ounces Alfredo sauce
• black pepper, to taste
• 4 ounce jar pimientos, drained
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 12 ounces Munster cheese, shredded
• 1/2-1 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Cook pasta according to the package directions, but reduce the al dente cook time by 1 minute. Drain well.
3. Add the Alfredo sauce to a medium pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and add in both cheeses, a little at a time, stirring until cheese has melted and mixture is smooth. The mixture will be very thick so stir in 1/2 cup evaporated milk, adding more to reach your desired consistency.
4. In a small food processor or a blender puree the pimentos and then stir them into the cheese sauce. Season with black pepper.
5. Combine the cheese sauce and the drained pasta. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Serves: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 677
Total Fat		42.7g
Saturated Fat		17.8g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0.2g
Monounsaturated Fat		1.5g
Trans Fat		0g
Cholesterol		92.8g
Sodium		545.8g
Potassium		37.1g
Total Carbohydrates		44.1g
Dietary Fiber		2g
Sugars		3.2g
Protein		30.6g
Vitamin A 18.3% Vitamin C 16.09%
Calcium 31.19% Iron 10.25%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Lauren's Latest.