Ingredients
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni noodles
- 6 bell peppers
- 8 oz. cream cheese (1/3 fat cream cheese works fine in here)
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 6 tsp. panko bread crumbs
- Baking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- Cook the macaroni according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, prep the peppers either by cutting them in half front stem through to bottom and then deseeding or by cutting off the stem end of the pepper and de-seeding. Arrange peppers cut-side-up on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Make the macaroni and cheese sauce by measuring the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave 1 minute at at time for 3-5 minutes, stirring after each interval until sauce is fairly smooth with no big cream cheese chunks. Whisk in the mustard, salt and cayenne.
- Drain the macaroni noodles well and then combine them with the sauce. Let sauce sit on noodles for 5-10 minutes. Stir well.
- Fill peppers with macaroni and cheese.
- Top each pepper with some of the panko crumbs and then spray tops lightly with baking spray.
- Bake until breadcrumbs are browned, filling is heated through, and peppers are desired tenderness, 20-25 minutes.*
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Notes
*If you like your peppers very soft, bake them for 40 minutes at 350ºF instead of 20-25 minutes at 450ºF.