Lunch: Jalapeno Mac and Cheese

To make this recipe a little quicker, use a jalapeno salsa or hot sauce instead of roasting the peppers. Use about 1/4 cup or adjust to the spiciness that you prefer.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Brown Rice

Health benefits of Jalapeno Mac and Cheese

Brown rice is a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Ingredients

Cooking Spray
2 small jalapeno peppers
16 ounces whole grain rotini or macaroni pasta, brown rice or quinoa pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
3 cups skim milk
6 Laughing Cow Lite Cheese Wedges
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese (divided)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 clove garlic

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Lay jalapeno peppers on a piece of aluminum foil or a small baking sheet. Place on the top rack of the oven and roast until the skin is blackened, turning occasionally. About 20-30 minutes.
Remove the blackened jalapenos from the oven and place in a bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to cool. Once the peppers have cooled, peel and seed the peppers. Set aside. Note: Protect your hands while doing this with gloves or even plastic sandwich bags to avoid getting and pepper juices on your hands.
Once the peppers have finished roasting, turn the oven down to 350 degrees F.
While jalapenos are roasting and cooling, add olive oil to a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook the flour for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to brown it. Stir constantly.
Slowly whisk in the skim milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
Add in the Laughing Cow Lite Cheese Wedges, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ground nutmeg, salt (optional) and black pepper. Whisking constantly.
Add the jalapeno peppers to the cheese mixture and using an immersion blender or stand up blender, blend them until smooth. There will be some texture from the peppers. Set aside.
Using a food processor, blend the whole wheat bread, garlic and 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese to make the crumble topping. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain pasta and immediately add it to the cheese mixture, stirring well to incorporate.
Pour the macaroni and cheese into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the top with the whole wheat breadcrumb mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.