Pesto Macaroni

- 1/2 bag elbow macaroni
- 1/4 cup pesto (store bought or home-made; if you're making it from scratch ingredients are below)
- 1 1/2 cup fontina cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup asiago cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
- 1 tbsp flour
- water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (optional)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (toasted - optional)

Pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves rinsed w/stems removed
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp fresh pine nuts (or you can use walnuts)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt to the water. Drop in elbow macaroni and cook for 7-9 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente. Once macaroni is finished cooking, drain and set aside.

To create your pesto, using a food processor (or you can use a blender), add basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Add about 2 tbsp of olive oil and blend. If it's chunky keep adding olive oil until you get a nice smooth blend.

In a sauce pan begin making your cheese sauce. Heat pan on medium-high heat. Add margarine or butter and allow to melt fully before adding flour. Once you add flour, use a whisk to make sure all flour is incorporated with the melted butter. Add milk turn the heat to low and allow milk to heat up for about a minute or so. After about a minute or so return heat to medium and add fontina and asiago cheese (note: Asiago is similar to Parmesan so if you prefer you can just use a grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Don't use parmesan cheese from the green can to put in the sauce because it doesn't have the same consistency). Whisk to quickly melt. Once all cheese is melted add pesto. A little goes a long way so you may not need as much as you've made. Whisk and make sure to taste. Since you've added salt to the pesto already and parmesan cheese which is salty itself you may not need to add additional salt to the sauce.

Heat a small separate pan on medium-high heat and add your 1/2 cup of pine nuts. Occasionally flip them until they are a golden brown color. Once they've achieved the desired color remove from heat.

Add the macaroni directly to the sauce pot Fold in macaroni with cheese and peppers until it is fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with dollop of ricotta cheese on top. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts.

Macaroni Florentine

- 1/2 bag elbow macaroni
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
- 1 tbsp flour
- water
- salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt to the water. Drop in elbow macaroni and cook for 7-9 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente. Once macaroni is finished cooking, drain and set aside.

In a sauce pan begin making your cheese sauce. Heat pan on medium-high heat. Add margarine or butter and allow to melt fully before adding flour. Once you add flour, use a whisk to make sure all flour is incorporated with the melted butter. Add milk Turn the heat to low and allow milk to heat up for about a minute or so. After about a minute or so return heat to medium and add cheese. Whisk to quickly melt. Add grated garlic and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Then add spinach. It will immediately wilt from the heat of the sauce.

Add the macaroni directly to the sauce pot Fold in macaroni with cheese and spinach until it is fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper. Serve.

Buffalo Mac & Cheese

I made this for the Super Bowl because it was also my brother's bday. At his request he wanted to see what buffalo mac would taste like. I've been curious too so I decided to give it a shot. It was actually pleasant with just the right amount of buffalo sauce to avoid it being too spicy. You can top it with bleu cheese crumbles, but my family and I hate bleu cheese so I passed.

- 1/2 bag elbow macaroni
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced chicken (I used the leftover Tyson grilled chicken from my Cajun mac for this)
- 2 cups mild cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
-1 tsp white pepper
-1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
- 1 tbsp flour
- water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese (optional)

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt to the water. Drop in elbow macaroni and cook for 7-9 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente. Once macaroni is finished cooking, drain and set aside.

In a sauce pan begin making your cheese sauce. Heat pan on medium-high heat. Add margarine or butter and allow to melt fully before adding flour. Once you add flour, use a whisk to make sure all flour is incorporated with the melted butter. Add milk Turn the heat to low and allow milk to heat up for about a minute or so. After about a minute or so return heat to medium and add cheddar cheese. Whisk to quickly melt. Add buffalo sauce and whisk. Add celery and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften. Then add chicken.

Add the macaroni directly to the sauce pot Fold in macaroni with cheese and celery until it is fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper. Serve.

Cajun Mac

I was in the mood for something spicy and Cajun style. So I paired Andouille sausage and blackened chicken for this week's macaroni.

- 1/2 bag elbow macaroni

- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

- 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

- 1 cup sliced fully cooked Andouille sausage

- 1 cup diced chicken

- 1 cup pepper jack cheese

- 1 cup mild cheddar cheese

- 1 tsp dried basil

-1 tsp dried thyme

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp white pepper

-1 tsp black pepper

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 tsp paprika

- 1tbsp Cajun seasoning

- 1/4 cup milk

- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine

- 1 tbsp flour

- water

- salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt to the water. Drop in elbow macaroni and cook for 7-9 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente. Once macaroni is finished cooking, drain and set aside.

Heat a pan on medium high heat and spray with non-stick spray. In a bowl combine dried basil, thyme, black and white peppers, salt, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper. With a spoon gently mix all spices together. In an effort to save time, I bought a package of Tyson's grilled chicken strips and cut them up into small chunks. If you want to use a regular chicken breast you can do that too, it'll just take a little longer to cook. Take pieces of chicken and roll them around in the bowl of spices. Then place on heated pan. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. If you use pre-grilled chicken like I did, cook one each side for about 2 minutes each or until seasoning on chicken is "blackened." As each piece is cooked set aside.

In a sauce pan begin making your cheese sauce. Heat pan on medium-high heat. Add margarine or butter and allow to melt fully before adding flour. Once you add flour, use a whisk to make sure all flour is incorporated with the melted butter. Add milk Turn the heat to low and allow milk to heat up for about a minute or so. After about a minute or so return heat to medium and add cheddar cheese and pepper jack. Whisk to quickly melt. Add Cajun seasoning. Add peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften the peppers. Then add blackened chicken and Andouille sausage.

Add the macaroni directly to the sauce pot Fold in macaroni with cheese and peppers until it is fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper. Serve.