Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese

{Meatless Monday}

This is definitely a keeper!!  It was absolutely delicious and very simple to throw together.  It was in the oven in under 15 minutes!

Here's what you need:
The original recipe called for just 8 oz pasta and baked in an 8 inch pan.  I essentially doubled most everything...so here is what I did:

16 ounces elbow macaroni (I used large elbow)
1/2 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup flour (I used wheat, as always)
4 cups whole milk ( I used some half&half and some 1%)
4 oz feta cheese
1/2 cup pepper jack (the recipe called for 8 oz feta, but I used both kinds of cheese)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (it said drained, but I just poured in the whole can)
1 cup chopped olives (I used 1/2 black and 1/2 green...it was SO yummy)
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and Pepper


Preheat oven to 400.  Cook pasta 2 minutes less than instructions.  Drain and return to pot.

Combine in bowl: tomatoes, olives, and oregano.  Set aside.

While the pasta cooks,  melt butter in medium saucepan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.  Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.   Whisk in milk and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium and whisk until the sauce thickens, 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 the feta and all the pepper jack.  Stir in tomato mixture.  Pour over pasta (I did this in my huge bowl...it made a very full 9X13...Love leftovers!!).

Pour pasta into buttered 9X13 and top with 1/2 feta (I used about 2 ounces on top).  Bake until bubbly and lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. 

I never got a picture once it was cooked.  It was one of the craziest nights for our family schedule...I really needed a couple clones of myself to be everywhere I was supposed to be!!  We each ate whenever we could...I actually ate on the way to pick up some kids from choir practice.  It was too bad I couldn't sit down and enjoy it, because it was delicious!


If you wanted to make a smaller amount of pasta, just make a smaller batch of white sauce...that's pretty much what I doubled.

I really liked having all the tomato sauce in there...it was very creamy and flavorful.  My very favorite tomatoes EVER are the Western Family Petite Diced Garlic and Olive Oil.

They make everything taste better.  I use them in ALL my tomato recipes and I love their size and flavor!