Halloween has always been a big event in our Kitchen, and we’ve always tried to bring you something special. For his first year in the Halloween Kitchen, Kyle is popping out of his tomb to pass the torch to a new generation of monsters with another terrifying treat…
Mac-O-Lantern and Cheese Bowls
Ingredients:
- Kosher salt
- 6 medium orange bell peppers
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces mild Cheddar, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
Preparation:
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
- Cut the tops off the peppers and reserve. Remove the seeds and membranes. Put the peppers and the tops in the boiling water and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Plunge the peppers into the ice bath. Once cool, remove them and use a sharp knife to carve a jack-o-lantern face into one side of each pepper.
- Return the water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain (don’t rinse the pasta).
- Heat the half-and-half in a large saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Continue simmering until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Off the heat, add the macaroni to the saucepan and stir to combine. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. Season with salt if needed. Let sit for 10 minutes, then divide the mac and cheese among the peppers and cap each with a pepper top.
Original recipe from Food Network Kitchen
6 servings, Total prep and cook time :40 min
Take a trip into the terrors of the past with Drew’s Kitchen… of FEAR!
Drew’s Experimental Test Kitchen is a shining temple of culinary technology, but most people don’t know about the dusty, secret door in the back, the one that leads to… Drew’s Dungeon. It’s where Drew cooks up his scariest concoctions, the ones that are only unveiled on Halloween. Click here for Drew’s Halloween Meat Hand, Spider Cookies, Flayed Face Cheese Ball, Ultimate Eyeballs, and Tentacle Pot Pie. Yum!
