Chicken Feta Bake

(This one's from Tyler too)

Chicken Feta Bake

- Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a glass pan
- Place your boneless, skinless chicken breasts the pan
- Salt and pepper the chicken breasts, then sprinkle lemon juice over the tops of them to your liking
- Top with "Athenos" dried tomato and basil(?) feta cheese - it comes in a round container and is reddish in color
- Place in the oven at 375 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes (until the chicken is done)
- Top with diced red pepper and parsley
- Serve with couscous and a Cesar salad or hummus and pita chips in keeping with the Mediterranean theme

Chicken Taco Soup

(Tyler emailed this to me, so this is actually his recipe, not mine)

Chicken Taco Soup

- 1 can black beans
- 1 can of corn
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 1 can of green chilies
- 1 can of chicken
- 1 envelope of taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients and heat them up! It's that simple. (When I made it for dinner group, I just doubled everything to make more so that gives you an idea of how many it serves)
- Add cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips to your liking

perfect macaroni and cheese...

...according to the title on Martha Stewart's website.

Serves 12
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

Katie's comments:

A lot of the comments on the recipe said the dish was too greasy with the breadcrumbs, so I left those out. A lot people suggested adding bacon as well, which hello, would be delicious because everything is better with bacon. Also, if you can't find any gruyere cheese (I know at least Smith's doesn't carry it), you can substitute swiss for a slightly milder flavor.