Grown Up Mac 'n Cheese

I have been known to drive almost an hour to Ann Arbor just to have the Smoked Chicken Macaroni and Cheese at Zingerman's Roadhouse. It probably is a good thing that the restaurant in not located closer!

I've played around with making my own version of this dish. And please don't let my doctor (who wants my cholesterol level to go down) know that I have been making it! I did use lighter cheese when I made the latest batch. And although it sounds rich, it really isn't overwhelmingly cheesey. I usually eat a couple of meals of it, and then freeze the rest in those little plastic containers, which seems to work fine and lets me pull out a serving when I need a touch of comfort food!

This is one of those recipes that is easy to play with. I've made it with seafood and with proscuitto instead of the chicken. I've used different cheese combinations and left out various veggies. So give it a try with whatever you have leftover in the fridge.


Grown Up Mac 'n Cheese

• 1 pound macaroni style pasta (I used Martelli penne which is an excellent but pricey imported pasta, but any kind should work)

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Leave the pasta slightly undercooked (or it will get mushy when you bake it). Save a cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.

While the pasta is boiling, combine the following in a large bowl:

• 8 ounce container of mascarpone cheese or creme fraiche
• 3 cups cheese (I used 1 1/2 cups Cabots 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups lite cheese blend - both from Trader Joes.)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to your preference, but a little adds a great kick!)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add the pasta into the cheese mixture and combine. Then mix in:

• 2 to 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I buy the grilled chicken strips from Trader Joes to make this easy)
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 ears fresh corn - slice the corn off the ears and use raw (trust me, this adds a sweet crunch!)
• 3 ounces of sun dried tomatoes, chopped

If the mixture seems dry, add a little of the saved pasta water. You could even add more cheese or cream if you want a cheesier creamier sauce.

Spray a large lasagna pan with non-stick spray. Fill the pan with the pasta and cover with foil. Bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes until heated through. Remove from the oven and then top with a mixture of:

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup cheese
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Return to the oven for about 10 more minutes until the bread crumbs are slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let set for about 5 minutes before serving.