Ham & Bacon Mac & Cheese in Poblano Cups
There is nothing like a great homemade macaroni & cheese to take you back to childhood. Memories of my mother & grandmother making & serving this will always come to mind right from the very first bite. I have now passed their macaroni & cheese down to my children as well. For my entry, I used our family recipe & added a few twists. The addition of ham & bacon, as well as baking it inside a poblano pepper added a perfect smoky flavor in every bite. The hint of thyme added so much freshness. Topping it with a poached egg took it over the top making it a perfect meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
preparation
preparation time
30 mins
cook time
30
servings
10
calories
1334
ingredients
8 poblano pepper
16 ounces fusilli or corkscrew pasta
8 tablespoons butter
0.5 cup flour
4 cup milk
1 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves divided
3 cup cheddar cheese shredded
1 cup gruyre cheese
2 cup ham cubed
20 slices bacon cooked & crumbled
1 cup pecorino romano cheese grated
16 large eggs
directions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.. Cut peppers in half lengthwise & remove seeds. Boil peppers 3-4 minutes & drain on a towel.
Step 2
Add pasta to boiling water & cook for 1 minute less than package directions & drain.
Step 3
While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a sauce pan. Add in flour, mix well & cook for 4-5 minutes.
Step 4
Whisk in milk stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper & of the thyme.
Step 5
Melt in the cheddar & Gruyere cheese. Add ham, bacon & pasta and mix well.
Step 6
Spoon mixture into peppers, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano. Place peppers in a baking dish & bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top
Step 7
A few minutes before removing peppers from the oven, fill a large sauce pan 1/2 way with water & bring to a boil. Reduce boiling water to a simmer & season with salt. Gently drop eggs, one at a time, into water. Use a spoon to nudge the whites around the yolk. Cook for 3-4 minutes until whites are set. *cook the eggs in several batches.
Step 8
Remove eggs from water & drain. Place an egg on top of each pepper. Garnish with remaining fresh thyme leaves.
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