Cajun Macaroni And Cheese

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This sounds so good for my tender mouth. Found it in the seattle times (lol) who attribute it to being from from macaroni & cheese" by marlena spieler. my tender tooffs thank you marlena. If this keeps up i'll have to be buying your book."

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Steps

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

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Cook pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling water until almost al dente.

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Reserve cup cooking water , then drain.

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In a large , heavy-bottom saucepan lightly saute onion over medium heat in olive oil until it softens , 5 to 7 minutes.

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Stir in garlic , cook for a minute , and sprinkle in flour.

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Cook 1 minute.

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Remove from heat and add bay leaf and milk all at once.

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Return to heat and cook , stirring with a wooden spoon , 5 minutes or until sauce thickens.

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If any flour lumps remain , whisk with a wire whisk for a few moments.

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Remove from heat , discard bay leaf and set aside.

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Combine pasta with sauce and mix in diced bell pepper , mustard seeds , thyme , paprika , chili powder , prepared mustard and dry mustard.

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Reserve about 1 / 2-cup grated cheese and add remaining to pasta.

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Stir in olives and hot sauce.

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Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

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Pour into a 2 1 / 2-quart casserole.

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Sprinkle top with reserved cheese and breadcrumbs.

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Dot with bu.

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Ingredients

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macaroni, onion, olive oil, garlic clove, all-purpose flour, bay leaf, milk, green bell pepper, yellow mustard seeds, fresh thyme leave, paprika, chili powder, prepared mustard, dry mustard, sharp cheddar cheese, green olives, hot sauce, salt, black pepper, cracker crumbs, unsalted butter