An excuse to eat mac & cheese

Not that you ever need an excuse to eat mac & cheese. But read on to see why I'm eating lots of it this week....

I ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill yesterday, and was dreading it before it even started. I was supposed to do it Sunday, but I took a day to relax instead. Then on Monday, Little H's eating and napping schedule was all out of whack. His bottom 2 teeth are coming in, and I think it was making him more fussy than usual. So I decided to spare the gym babysitter from a cranky baby. Thinking back, I should've gone because I could've used a mini break from Mr. Crabbypants.

But he seemed better yesterday morning, so off we went to the gym. And maybe taking 2 days off worked in my favor because, to my surprise, I had a great run! I really had to think about not looking at the clock and the timer. I have Will Smith to thank for making the time go by (fairly) quickly. Gotta love True Hollywood Story.

When we got home, Little H went down for his nap and I had myself some mac & cheese. This wasn't your typical blue box mac & cheese (everyone's childhood favorite), although that would've been much simpler to make. I finally cracked open The Athlete's Palate Cookbook, and found a recipe for a "grown-up" mac & cheese. My husband's choice ~ Baked Macaroni and Artisanal Cheese with Chorizo and Piquillo Peppers. (Sounds a lot more complicated than it is.) I made it on Sunday. My husband ran 10 miles that day, so I thought it would be a good time to make one of the "recovery" meals in the book. It was delicious, if I do say so myself. I substituted with andouille sausage and roasted red peppers, since the other ingredients weren't in stock, and grated 50% light cheddar to lighten it up a bit. I made a large amount so we could use it for other meals this week. I love leftovers.
So this was my "recovery" meal after yesterday's run. Some days when I run or workout, I feel like my stomach is a bottomless pit, but this filled me up. Now, as far as the other 3 times I've eaten it this week... no excuses. It just tastes that good, and it's sitting there staring at me in the fridge. Waste not.

Plus, it's such a comforting way to end the day... curled up on the couch with a blanket and a warm bowl of mac & cheese.

Here's the original recipe (double it like I did if you want a lot of leftovers):

Baked Macaroni and Artisanal Cheese with Chorizo and Piquillo Peppers
(from The Athlete's Palate Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. macaroni, cooked al dente
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk (I used skim and it was still creamy)
• 2 cups grated artisanal Cheddar cheese (I used 50% light Cabot cheddar)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg)
• Salt and white pepper to taste (what is white pepper? I used black)
• 3/4 cup chorizo sausage, casing removed and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped basil, loosely packed
• 1/4 cup piquillo peppers, julienned (optional)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cook the macaroni to al dente according to package directions; set aside.
• Make a roux by heating the butter and flour in a large pot, stirring constantly on very low heat until blonde. Add the milk; simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes (the mixture will be thick). Add the cheese, slowly, whisking to make sure it melts all the way through. Add the nutmeg and season with the salt and pepper, then fold in the cooked macaroni.
• Remove the pot from the heat and add the chorizo, basil, and peppers.
  
• Place in a 13"x9" baking dish. Cover with the bread crumbs and drizzle the olive oil on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until done and the top is golden brown.

Enjoy!