Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

Ok, what I actually wanted was a a Wawa bowl with either bacon or fried chicken on it.  No Wawas where I live, so this came in second.

The tomatoes were because I had a lot of them again.  The bush in the front yard isn't doing all that great, but it produced a bunch of them before the first vine growth died.  The back yard, by contrast, turned all leaves.  I admit, I was ignoring maintenance of the Pond.  Everything got a deep water once a week, but that was about it.  A major trim later, it was still overgrown.

Anyway, this is an herbed-up, moderately healthy version of baked Mac'n'cheese that hits all the comfort food buttons.

3 C elbow macaroni
2 Tb butter
1/2 C diced onion
1 Tb flour
1 C milk, plus more for thinning
1 C shredded cheddar
1/2 tsp paprika
*1 tsp dried parsley
*1/2 tsp dried basil
black pepper to taste
1 Tb sherry or 2 Tb white wine (optional)
*2 Roma or 8 grape tomatoes, sliced in wedges
1 slice stale or toasted bread

1.  In a large pot, boil about 3 quarts water.  Add macaroni and cook according to package directions.

2.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Butter an 8"x8" casserole.

3.  While pasta is cooking, sauté onion in butter until softened.  Add flour and cook into a paste.  Gradually add milk, allowing mixture to thicken every 1/4 C or so.  Add spices, herbs, and sherry.

4.  Sprinkle in shredded cheese, then decide if sauce is too thick to blend with pasta.  Add one tablespoon milk at a time until desired thickness is achieved.  Remember that the tomatoes will give off a little water as they cook.

5.  Drain pasta, but do not rinse.  Stir tomato wedges into pasta to distribute.  Add pasta to sauce and turn to coat.  Pour into casserole.  Tear bread and sprinkle pieces over the top.  Bake about 15 minutes, until casserole is bubbly and topping is crisp.  Allow to stop boiling before serving.

Difficulty rating  :)