Roasted Veggies with Macaroni and Cheese

So even though we have been busy lately, we took some time and went and picked asparagus. We are lucky to have a U-pick-it farm close by, as Brady has mentioned before. The kids really enjoy picking the vegetables we get there, and this was no exception. When it was time to go home, we had a grocery bag full. So naturally, for dinner we had to include some. We chose to mix some with zucchini, crookneck squash, a red bell pepper, and some Italian salad dressing. We put that into a foil pan, covered with foil, and roasted it on the grill. Along with it, and also cooked on the grill, was macaroni and cheese from a recipe I had on hand. Of course, we had to experiment with the grill to make sure the bottom did not burn. If you try it, turn the burners low or off under the macaroni and use the radiant heat from the other burners.

1 lb. radiator or elbow macaroni
¼ c. flour

16 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

3 ½ c. milk

½ tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350º. Grease a shallow 3 quart baking dish (13 x 9). Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water as package directs until firm-tender. Drain in a colander; rinse with cold water and let drain again. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan. Add bread crumbs and cook over medium heat, stirring often, 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Scrap into a small bowl and stir in 2 Tbsp. each Cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Wipe saucepan clean and add milk, flour, and garlic; whisk until blended. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking often. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in remaining cheeses, mustard, and salt. Add pasta to baking dish. Stir in sauce. Sprinkle evenly with crumb mixture. Bake 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly around edges.

The asparagus was extra yummy being as fresh as it was. Hopefully we will be able to go pick some more soon.