Quick Fix: Chicken mac and cheese with lettuce and tomato salad

"I was looking for a quick and comforting meal for this busy time of year, and creamy mac and cheese with store-bought cooked chicken was the perfect answer. Once the elbow macaroni is boiled, the rest of the ingredients come together in minutes. This dinner can be ready in just 10 minutes. For a festive touch, I added fresh tomato pieces to a bag of washed, ready-to-eat greens for a simple red-and-green side salad."

"Place a pot containing 3 to 4 quarts of water on to boil for pasta. Add macaroni and boil 8 minutes. Meanwhile, Add chicken broth to a saucepan and place over medium high heat to bring it to a simmer. Add onion and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar cheese and ricotta cheese. Mix well. Add smoked paprika, chicken and Parmesan cheese. When ready, drain the macaroni and add to cheese sauce. Toss well and add salt and pepper to taste."

Creamy mac and cheese uses cooked elbow macaroni combined with a quick cheese sauce made from no-salt-added chicken broth, shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar, nonfat ricotta, and freshly grated Parmesan. Diced red onion and smoked paprika add savory depth. Store-bought cooked or rotisserie chicken is cubed and folded in before tossing drained pasta with the cheese sauce. The pasta cooks in about eight minutes, and the assembled meal can be ready in roughly ten minutes total. A simple side salad of washed romaine and fresh tomato provides a festive red-and-green accompaniment. Any short-cut pasta or any onion may be substituted.

Read at Boston Herald