Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 (7 oz.) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (substitute dried chipotles by rehydrating them in hot water first)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 (14-1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup (1 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
cooking spray
3 Tbsp dry breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Remove 1 tsp. of adobo sauce from the can and set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from the can and finely chop them to measure out 1 tablespoon. Reserve the remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the chopped chiles, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes or until the mixture is thickened. Add the reserved teaspoon of adobo sauce, the pasta, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese and egg. Stir to combine, then spoon the pasta mixture into a 2 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray and top with breadcrumbs. Bake the dish at 350F for 30 minutes or until it is bubbly.

Yields 6 servings.

Recipe by David Bonom, Cooking Light Magazine, July 2004.