Thanksgiving/Anniversary Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese

Here is a recipe we made last year for Thanksgiving. It was so good, that we've made different variations of it throughout the year, depending on what cheese and vegetables and pasta we had on hand. Once it was onions and bacon with Gruyere and Parmesan over rotini. Another time we had mozzarella with tomatoes and basil with penne. This is a great recipe to experiment with. We're making it again this year, but adding some baby bella mushrooms.

Anyway, here's the original, which was pulled from delish.com. This one's for you, Madaline! Happy Three Year Anniversary!

You will need:

• 1 pound(s) plum tomatoes
• 6 cup(s) broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoon(s) butter
• 3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
• 4 cup(s) milk, warm
• 2 1/3 cup(s) grated aged Asiago
• 2 1/2 cup(s) grated sharp Cheddar
• 2 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 2 teaspoon(s) fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh thyme
• 1 pound(s) penne, cooked and drained

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tomatoes 1/4 inch thick. Toss the tomatoes and broccoli with the oil and roast separately on parchment-lined baking pans for 30 minutes.
2. Whisk the butter and flour in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat until foamy. Add the milk. Whisk until thickened and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Whisk in the cheeses, mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir in the pasta and broccoli and transfer to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Top with the tomatoes and bake about 30 minutes.

Finished product!

How it looks on a full Thanksgiving plate by candlelight...