Are you tired of the same old side dishes? Me too. I try lots of recipes for main courses, but I seem to get stuck when it comes to sides. On Monday, I was having steak and green beans and I needed another side item. Typically, I would serve a baked potato, noodles, or rice. Tonight, I decided to give a try at Bacon Pesto Mac and Cheese. I knew I had my work cut out for me convincing Mike that this recipe could beat his favorite boxed mac and cheese. I also knew it would be a bit more time consuming, but I was hoping that it would be worth it. First, I cooked the macaroni noodles and set them aside. Next, I started on the roux of butter, flour, and milk. Once the roux was done, I stirred in both cheddar and mozzerella cheeses until they were melted. I pour the cheese sauce on the macaroni, stirred in the bacon, and pesto. We were ready to serve. It was quite good and both of us went back for seconds. I liked the addition of pesto and bacon to make the dish a little bit more grown up. Mike liked it too, but I'm still not sure it beats boxed mac and cheese for him. This dish could also be a main course by adding some grilled chicken to the top.

The New Austonian