Roasted Vegetable Macaroni & Cheese

The second dose is scheduled for February 12th. Two weeks of waiting, then the second shot, then two more weeks for full immunity, then — then — the door opens. The timeline I have been running in my head since March 2020 finally has an endpoint. Not a vague "soon" or a hopeful "maybe" but a date. A specific, circled, marked-in-red date: approximately March 1st, 2021. One year. One full year from when the pandemic started to when I can hug my father without fear.

The side effects from the first dose were mild: sore arm for two days, mild fatigue, a headache that Tylenol handled. Jessica monitored me like a hawk (she is both an accountant and a nurse when the situation requires it). I was back on shift by Monday, masked (still — vaccine does not change the protocols yet), functioning, cooking Taco Tuesday for the crew with the knowledge that I am one step closer to being safe.

Super Bowl planning has begun. The Sixth Annual Rivera Super Bowl Cookout will be... small. Again. But the pandemic has taught me that small does not mean lesser. Six people around my table — Roberto, Elena, Jessica, Sofia, Diego, me — is enough. The food will be the same. The smoked mac and cheese, the wings, the burnt ends, the sliders. The menu does not shrink because the guest list does. The food honors the tradition even when the tradition is operating at reduced capacity.

Roberto and Elena's vaccine appointments are confirmed: February 8th and 9th (they are at different sites, different days, because the scheduling system is a bureaucratic nightmare that even Jessica, the spreadsheet queen, could not optimize). I have offered to drive them. Roberto said, "I can drive myself." Elena said, "I am driving. He will close his eyes during the needle." Roberto, from the background: "I do not close my eyes." Elena: "Roberto, you closed your eyes at the dentist last month." Roberto: "That is different. The dentist has sharp tools." Elena: "The vaccine is a sharp tool." Roberto: Silence. The man has been outmaneuvered by his wife for forty-three years and still walks into the trap every time.

The menu does not shrink because the guest list does — that’s the rule I set for myself, and I’m sticking to it. Smoked mac and cheese has been a Rivera Super Bowl staple since year one, and six people around the table is no reason to pull back. This roasted vegetable macaroni & cheese is the version I’m running this year: it feeds exactly the six of us with enough left for Roberto to quietly fill a second bowl when he thinks no one is watching, and the roasted vegetables give it enough going on that it holds its own next to the wings and burnt ends without getting lost in the spread.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

12 oz elbow macaroni
1 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup broccoli florets, roughly chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted (for topping)

Instructions

Roast the vegetables. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss zucchini, red bell pepper, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread in a single layer and roast 20–22 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized at the edges. Set aside. Reduce oven to 375°F.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni 1–2 minutes less than package directions (it will finish in the oven). Drain and set aside.
Make the cheese sauce. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute until lightly golden. Gradually whisk in warmed milk, continuing to whisk until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, Gruyere, smoked paprika, and dry mustard until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine. Fold the cooked macaroni and roasted vegetables into the cheese sauce until evenly coated. Transfer to a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Add topping and bake. Mix breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter and scatter evenly over the top. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling.
Rest and serve. Let the dish rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve directly from the baking dish at the table.

Nutrition (per serving)

Roasted Vegetable Macaroni & Cheese — The Super Bowl Spread That Doesn’t Shrink