Welcome to Good 2 Eat, where every Thursday 2une In will be cooking with Chef Kevin Belton to show you a new and delicious recipe to try at home!

Chicken Alfredo Bake

1 lb. penne
4 Tbsp. butter, plus more for baking dish
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. chicken thighs, boneless 
1 tsp. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup parsley, freshly chopped

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain immediately and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large 9"-x-13" baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Season both sides of chicken with Italian seasoning, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add to skillet and cook until chicken is cooked through, 6 minutes per side. Remove chicken and wipe the skillet clean. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing crosswise.

Return skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Add garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook until the mixture is bubbling and golden, 1 minute more. Gradually pour in half-and-half, whisking constantly.

Bring mixture to a simmer and stir in Parmesan. Let simmer until sauce thickens, 1 minute, then season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, and alfredo sauce. Spread about half of the pasta mixture on the bottom of the baking dish, then sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Add the remaining pasta mixture and top with more mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melty, about 15 minutes.

Garnish with parsley before serving.

Cannoli Dip

2 cups ricotta cheese, drained
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
broken waffle cones, pizzelle, Nilla wafers or any kind of cookie you might like for serving

In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, beat ricotta cheese and mascarpone together until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to mix until the sugar is completely incorporated. With a rubber spatula or large spoon, fold the mini chocolate chips into the cheese mixture.

Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. Serve with cookies, or waffle cones, broken into chip-size pieces to scoop cannoli dip. This can be stored in the refrigerator in a airtight container for 3-5 days.

Optional: chopped pistachios can be sprinkled on top, 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips can be melted and stirred in to make the cannoli chocolate.