Frank Said Don't Tell

Twenty years a vegetarian, until I moved to Texas... And I've been making up for lost time. Micklethwait, Franklin's, Terry Blacks, Saltlick, Lambert's, Stiles Switch, Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, la Barbecue, Valentina's Tex-Mex and good old Rudy's, among others, all just a few miles from my house. Whenever we indulge, we like to order a little extra either to use immediately in the following week's lunches, or for a make ahead freezer meal, like the following. Cowgirl twice baked potatoes, the perfect way to enjoy a little barbecue, without over indulging. Inspired by this tasty looking shepherds pie twice baked potatoes from The Candid Appetite , and enhanced with my new found love of brisket, and combined with an irrational fear of ground beef. Hamburger in a restaurant? Yes. Buy fancy ground beef from Central Market to cook my own hamburger? URP, no. A by-product of the 1990's e. coli scares, surely. Also one of the reasons I quit eating meat. Extra silly

Full of good things tucked inside, this make ahead dish holds all the notes of a spectacular grits casserole, the creamy decadence of mac and cheese, and the subtle Tex-Mex twist of roasted peppers. Its full of veggies and about half the fat and calories of typical holiday fare. Double bonus, its GOOD straight out of the oven, AMAZING reheated, perfect for the office potluck, or even your holiday table. Adapted from  Makeover Creamy Macaroni and Cheese from Taste of Home magazine  which was so darn good, I ate two servings in eleven minutes, blowing over a days worth of smart points in one sitting. Damn it. Totally worth it, but still... More about "Worth It" after the recipe. Yield: 5 servings, 9 smart points per serving Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 centimeter) 1/2 poblano, diced (1 centimeter) 1 cup frozen corn 3/4 cup (90 g) uncooked macaroni (I used Dal Raccolto) 25 g table salt, iodized 2 Tbs unsalted butter (I