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1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Peel and roughly chop the carrots, and roughly chop the bell pepper. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Salt
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2. Add the carrots and bell pepper to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes until completely tender. Scoop the vegetables out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a blender — keep the water at a boil.
2 piece Carrot,
1 piece Orange bell pepper
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3. Add the elbow macaroni to the same boiling water and cook until just al dente (about 1 minute less than package directions). Drain and set aside.
3 cup Elbow macaroni
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4. In a large oven-safe saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1–2 minutes until it smells nutty and turns pale gold.
3 tbsp Unsalted butter,
3 tbsp All-purpose flour
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5. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes until the béchamel thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2.5 cup Whole milk
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6. Transfer the thickened béchamel to the blender with the cooked carrots and bell pepper. Add the cream cheese, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth and velvety, about 60 seconds.
3 tbsp Cream cheese,
1 tsp Dijon mustard,
0.5 tsp Garlic powder,
0.5 tsp Onion powder,
Salt,
Black pepper
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7. Pour the blended vegetable béchamel back into the saucepan over low heat. Add the grated cheddar cheese in two or three handfuls, stirring between additions until fully melted and silky. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
2.5 cup Sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
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8. Stir the drained macaroni and frozen peas into the cheese sauce until evenly coated. If baking in a separate dish, transfer the mixture to a lightly buttered baking dish.
3 cup Elbow macaroni,
1 cup Frozen peas
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9. In a small bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Scatter the mixture evenly over the top of the mac and cheese. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20–25 minutes until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
0.5 cup Panko breadcrumbs,
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated
By mansi
