Pizza Mac and Cheese

I have discovered that my son LOVES pepperoni.  I usually buy the REAL pepperoni sold at the deli counter, but recently I discovered these little mini turkey pepperonis.  They are so cute and not too terrible when it comes to ingredients (meaning that I don't find any of of the items on my "yucky no-no" list in them).  

Daniel also LOVES macaroni and cheese and I was in need of a last minute dinner since plans had changed tonight.  I threw this mac and cheese together super fast and it was SO yummy and creamy!  I also used a new technique that my best friend Heather shared with me, and it was DELICIOUS! You boil the macaroni in the milk instead of in water! Give it a try!  You will LOVE IT! The best part?  My son gobbled it up and asked for more!  I am definitely going to add this to my repertoire of mac and cheese recipes.  


Pizza Mac and Cheese

• 1 box elbow macaroni (I use smart pasta but any variety will do the job)
• 4 cups milk (the trick is, equal parts milk and pasta, so if you use only two cups of pasta, two cups of milk- you can use low fat milk but I wouldn't use skim.)
• 1 tbsp. butter (you can leave the butter out if you want)
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (you can use whatever cheese you have but I used cheddar and jack for this recipe)
• 1 pkg. mini turkey pepperoni (or you can use regular pepperoni diced)

In a large dutch oven, add the milk, macaroni, butter, dijon, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Over medium heat, bring this mixture to a simmer, making sure to stir constantly.  Do not let the mixture come to a full boil, keep stirring!  Once simmering, turn the heat down to low and stir frequently.  Make sure the heat is on low, you don't want the milk to absorb too quickly.  It is also very important to keep stirring!  Cook about 15 minutes or until the milk has been completely absorbed and the pasta is creamy.   Once the milk is completely soaked into the pasta, add the cheese and pepperoni.  Stir to combine.  Remove pan from the heat and cover with the lid.  Let stand for about 5 minutes.  Stir once more to combine and enjoy!  YUM!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!!!