Caprese Mac and Cheese

Summer is here! You know what that means... fresh tomatoes... fresh basil... this calls for "caprese-ing" everything! I've made caprese risotto, caprese orzo pasta salad, caprese bruschetta... adding tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella to everything is what it's all about. This time, I made Caprese Mac and Cheese.  I seriously love this recipe.  It's so easy, but looks fancy.  You can serve it with anything on the grill and it's not as "boring" as regular mac and cheese.  Serve it to your guests and you will blow them away... or just make it for a quick and easy dinner! We served it with BBQ chicken sandwiches and it was a huge hit for our 11 month old.  I seriously have never seen him eat that much for dinner in his little life.  I'm adding it to his "favorite meals" list so we can make this more often.  Enjoy!

Caprese Mac and Cheese

Serves: 10-12 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 16 oz package of elbow noodles (rice noodles for gluten free)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour (use rice flour for gluten free)

1-2 cups of milk (I used whole, but use what you have on hand)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

10-12 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium sauce pot, boil noodles according to package instructions (7-10 minutes, don't overcook as they will continue to cook in the sauce) Strain and set aside until needed.

Meanwhile, make a roux in a large sauce pot.  Melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk butter and flour for 2 minutes on low heat and then add 1 cup of milk.  Turn heat to medium high and whisk until there are no more flour clump.  Turn to low and let thicken gradually whisking as you go.  Add the shredded cheese and whisk until melted, adding milk if needed.  

Pour the noodles into the sauce and stir. Add more milk to make creamier.  At the very end, add tomatoes and basil and give a quick stir.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

That's it!