Reader Recipe File: Baked Mac & Cheese and Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ready for more reader recipes?  Part Two is pasta-rific!

Today's guest chef is B.J. Foley, a dear friend, beloved Grandmother of eight, football fanatic and all-around awesome cook.  B.J. and I have lunch on a regular basis, and if I'm lucky, she'll also bring along a sample of her latest creation for me to "taste test" for dinner that night.  Hand-delivered home cooking?  That's my kind of take-out!

B.J. has offered up two creamy, comforting pasta recipes for our series, both of which are favorites with her "grands".  In fact, after tasting her trademark Mac & Cheese, the kids finally gave up the blue box!  And as for the Alfredo, how could you possibly go wrong with ricotta, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese?  'Nuff said.

Thanks, B.J.!

Baked Mac & Cheese

3 cups cooked, drained macaroni
1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp. flour
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
4 ounces cubed cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup shredded brick cheese
3/4 cup crushed potato chips
1 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in large saucepan and stir in flour.  Continue stirring until smooth.  Add milk, salt, and cream cheese and continue cooking and stirring until sauce has thickened.  Mix sauce with cooked macaroni and 3 remaining cheeses and spoon into a 9x13 pan or 3 qt. casserole.  Sprinkle with crushed potato chips combined with 1 tbsp. melted butter.  Bake about 30 minutes until golden brown.

Hint from B.J.: "Before mixing the sauce into the macaroni, I add the other three cheeses to it, stir and allow them to thoroughly mix into the sauce.  Then I add the macaroni.  This makes for a more blended cheese sauce."

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

1 pound fettuccine pasta
1 1/2 cups butter, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes
2 16-oz. containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1 pint heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook fetuccini in salted, boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.  Melt 2 tbsp. butter in large skillet over medium heat and saute chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear.  In a large saucepan combine ricotta cheese, cream, salt, Parmesan cheese and remaining butter and cook over medium heat until well combined, about 10 minutes.  Stir in cooked fetuccini and chicken and simmer until heated through.

Enjoy!