Happy Monday! Here's what we had in our lunchboxes last week:
Monday: I rolled up wheat bread and roasted red bell pepper hummus around carrot, cucumber and celery sticks to make sandwich sushi rolls, cheese sticks, veggies with honey mustard and a fruit strip
Tuesday: PB on raisin bread, cheese, red bell peppers, quinoa salad and apple cinnamon straws
Wednesday: M had a field trip, so he got a PB&J, cheese stick, granola bar and dried apples. B got a PB&J, pretzels, veggies and kiwi
Thursday: Cheese, quinoa salad, crackers, a mini banana muffin, a carrot cake energy ball, bell pepper strips and honey mustard
Friday: Cheese stick, hummus carrots and olive wrap, veggies and honey mustard, oyster crackers and grapes
That's what we had for lunches, and this is what we had for dinner
Roasted Poblano and Corn Mac 'n Cheese! It's my entry for a recipe contest and it's up for voting right now. If you have a moment, please go give it a vote HERE!
Corn and Poblano Mexi-Mac
1 lb. elbow macaroni noodles
1 Tablespoon salt
1 poblano pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 Tablespoon unsalted Kerrygold butter, cut into small cubes
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
7 ounces shredded Kerrygold Dubliner cheddar cheese
3 ounces shredded Kerrygold Aged Cheddar cheese
1 11-ounce can Mexi-corn, well drained
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup diced tomato
1 Tablespoon diced jarred mild pickled jalapeño peppers
1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven broiler to high heat.
Add the pasta and salt to a large stock pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
Brush the poblano pepper with oil and place on a small foil lined cookie sheet. Place under the broiler, watching closely for 3-5 minutes, or until skin is blackened and charred. Flip the pepper over and allow the other side to char, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place the poblano in a small bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside to cool, turn the broiler off and set the oven to 375 degrees.
Once the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel away the charred skin and remove the stem and all the seeds. Chop into a small dice.
Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and garlic to a medium sauce pot over medium high heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the flour and continue to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly until smooth and cook for about 5 minutes and allow to thicken. Stir in salt, pepper and cheeses, working in batches, allowing it to melt completely before each new addition.
Remove from heat. Pour sauce over macaroni, chopped poblano and corn and stir until the macaroni is coated evenly. Pour the mixture into a large well-greased baking dish and top with panko and remaining butter pieces. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is crisp and golden.
In a small bowl stir together the diced tomato, diced jalapeños, cilantro and salt.
Once the breadcrumbs are crisp, remove the macaroni from the oven and serve immediately with the tomato mixture.
