This cheesy stovetop mac and cheese is full of flavor and texture from grilled poblano peppers and sweet corn and crunchy walnut crumbles. Serves two as an entree or four as a side dish.
Course dinner, lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine American, vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 2people
Author Stephanie McKercher, RDN
Equipment
Food processor
grill or grill pan
pasta pot
Stovetop
Ingredients
Walnut Crumbles:
1cupwalnuts
½teaspoonchili powder
½teaspooncumin powder
½teaspoondry oregano
¼teaspoonsmoked paprika
⅛teaspoonsalt
Mac and Cheese:
1poblano pepper
1ear corn,husked
2cupsdry penne pastaor pasta of choice
½cupplain unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
½cupshredded cheddar cheese(see note)
½cupshredded gouda cheese(see note)
¼cupchopped fresh herbs,such as basil, cilantro, and chives
Instructions
Prepare the walnut crumbles:
Add walnuts, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, and salt to the food processor container. Cover and pulse 3 times, or until the walnuts are evenly coated and chopped to desired consistency. (If you don’t have a food processor, chop the walnuts by hand and mix with the spices in a bowl.)
Prepare the mac and cheese:
Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan on the stovetop to medium-high heat. Once hot, lay the poblano pepper and corn on the grill and cook 2 minutes on each side, or until softened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, chop the pepper and shave the corn kernels off of the cob and set aside.
In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to the pot and cook 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and return the cooked pasta to the pot.
Stir in almond milk, cheddar cheese, and gouda cheese until pasta is evenly coated. Stir in chopped poblano pepper, corn kernels, fresh herbs, and half of the walnut crumbles.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with remaining walnut crumbles.
Notes
For best results, shred blocks of cheese yourself instead of using the pre-shredded cheese from the store. If you don’t have gouda cheese, substitute shredded mozzarella or additional shredded cheddar cheese.Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.