Bahamian Macaroni and Cheese

My sister came home for spring break on Friday night with one request: A home-cooked meal.  Until she went to college, Junior consumed a very limited diet, consisting mainly of cinnamon-raisin bagels.  Since then, she's become a much more adventurous eater.  One of the first more flavorful meals I ever cooked her was Bahamian Macaroni and Cheese, so I decided to make it again for old time's sake.

The original recipe for this delicious pasta dish comes from my high school friend Eva's family.  Eva brought it to a potluck supper and it instantly broadened my macaroni and cheese horizons: Who knew you could put vegetables in mac 'n' cheese?  I've tweaked the recipe a little bit to add some whole wheat pasta and a little more veg, but it's pretty much the same recipe from five years ago.  So: Thanks, Eva!  For my money, your macaroni stands up next to the gourmet versions of Manhattan and it's still one of my (and Junior's) favorite recipes ever.

You'll need:

1/2 lb. whole wheat macaroni
1/2 lb. regular macaroni
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 stick of butter, cut into smaller pieces
1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1 egg
1 5 oz. tin evaporated milk
Cayenne pepper, to taste

A note on ingredients:

Let's be honest: The whole point of macaroni and cheese is the cheese.  The pasta is just the medium to transport all that lovely milk fat to your mouth.  By substituting whole wheat macaroni for half of the recipe, you make this quintessential comfort food a little better for your health without sacrificing taste or moisture.  A full batch of whole wheat pasta can dry out the dish a little too much.

As for the cheese, if you grate your own cheddar, you can get a much higher quality cheese for the same price (or less) of pre-shredded cheese.  Since this dish is, as I've said, all about the cheese, you might want to consider upgrading from the usual Kraft.  You'll have plenty of time to grate it while the pasta cooks.

To the recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil and add pasta.  Cook for the minimum suggested time on the package (probably 6-7 minutes), as you want the macaroni to still be firm at the finish.

Drain pasta and return to pot.  Mix together macaroni, cheddar, onion, green pepper, celery, butter, and cayenne.  Stir well, making sure the butter melts completely and is well-distributed among the pasta.

Blend evaporated milk and egg with a fork in a small separate bowl.  Then add to pasta mixture.

Evenly spread the pasta mixture into a large glass ovenproof dish.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top and sides begin to get crispy and brown.

This is pretty much a one-pan meal, but a small green salad is always a nice accompaniment:

And please don't forget to save a little cheese for your hungry sous chef.  Here, Rizi Bizi demonstrates her patented come-hither-cheddar stare:

Happy eating!