Roasted Poblano Pepper Macaroni: 4th of July

The 4th of July is always a fun time to serve a dish that takes people's taste buds into new territories. Here is a bit of southwest comfort food that takes an old favorite into brand new directions for most of us.

I've served this dish in a number of settings including a ladies' luncheon that I cooked for a couple of years ago. With it's mix of sweet vegetables, spiciness of the poblano pepper, and savor of cheese, it's been a surprise favorite for many.

The only bad thing about taking it to this year's 4th of July bbq is that my kids would have preferred having leftovers!

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Roasted Poblano Pepper Macaroni

(makes 4-6 hearty servings)

1 tbs olive oil
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup sweet corn kernels
¼ cup diced red onion
2 tbs pressed or finely chopped garlic
2 cups cooked macaroni (1 cup dry)
6 poblano chiles, roasted, seeded, peeled, and pureed (about ¾ cup)
2/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepare Ahead: The poblanos can be roasted, wrapped, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. They also freeze well once roasted and peeled. The macaroni can be cooked up to 2 hours ahead, tossed with a tablespoon of vegetable oil to prevent drying, covered, and held at room temperature.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the red bell pepper, corn, onion, and garlic; saute until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the macaroni, poblano puree, and cheese; stir until well blended. Fold in the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately, or keep warm until ready to serve.

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Variations: Whole milk or 2% can be substituted for the heavy cream for a less rich, everyday version.

To tone down the spiciness use fewer Poblanos or increase the cream and cheese. Pepper Jack Cheese can also be used to add a bit more spiciness.

Roasting the chiles… The easiest way I’ve found to roast the chiles is to put them on a gas grill. Roast them until the skins are uniformly blistered. Skins may be blackened, but be careful to not actually burn the chiles. Once the skins are blistered, put them in a covered container or ziploc bag to cool and steam and loosen the skins. They may also be roasted in the broiler in the bottom of a gas oven or on a gas burner on the stove top.

For a more robust flavor, the red bell pepper may also be roasted. When the red pepper is simply sauteed, it is milder and sweeter than when it is roasted.

n.b. I’m still searching for a little bit more crunchy and sweet in this recipe. I usually use a little bit more corn, onion, and red pepper than what I’ve listed above. The amounts there are bare minimums.