Macaroni & Cheese Three Ways

I have loved macaroni and cheese since I can remember. There are so many variations that you can come up with with a little imagination. As much as I love the blue box, these are a few of my favorite "adult" versions.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Shrimp and Shallots

1 pound medium shell pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cups fat free half and half
1 cup fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 gloves garlic, pushed thru a press
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 large shallots, sliced thin
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
Salt and pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, drain and set aside. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute then whisk in the half and half and chicken broth. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and cook until the shallots are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Preheat broiler. Stir the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the white sauce. Add the pasta and shrimp mixture and toss. Pour into a buttered casserole and top with Asiago cheese. Broil until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

White Cheddar Mac & Cheese with Bacon

1 pound bow tie pasta
6 slices thick cut bacon, coarsely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
5 cups low-fat milk
One – 8 ounce package low-fat cream cheese, cut into chunks
One – 8 ounce bag shredded white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan boiling, salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain, then return to the pot. Meanwhile in a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon and onion over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is just crisp and the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Melt the butter in the skillet, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for one minute. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often until just thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and cook, stirring constantly until just melted. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese a handful at a time, until smooth. Add the cheese sauce to the past and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Top with bacon and onion mixture.

Italian Mac & Cheese

12 oz. uncooked mini penne pasta
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 clove garlic, very finely minced
1/8 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk, warmed
3/4 cups grated Romano cheese
Dash of ground nutmeg

Cook mini penne according to package; drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until just fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the white wine. Gradually whisk on milk until well blended. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thick end, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and nutmeg. Toss penne with the sauce and sprinkle with additional cheese.