This southern staple has it all and then some: Cheddar and mozzarella for a deeply cheesy flavor, eggs for a custardy base, "plus I included some Cajun spice and smoked gouda to add that hint of smokiness you never knew your mac and cheese needed," says Food Network culinary producer Nikki Scott. Nikki learned the recipe from her mother, who was taught by her own mother after the family moved from South Carolina to New York City.

"Growing up in a very large family, there was always a guarantee there would be a huge Sunday dinner at my grandmother's house, which usually included Southern baked macaroni and cheese," says Nikki, shown here in the 1980s with her mother, Ellen, in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. "Over the years, the richness of the recipe made it an exclusive for special occasions. My version is slightly elevated but equally indulgent, requiring a three-cheese minimum, always in a big batch and loaded with love."

The homemade noodles in this cozy pantry soup are not only incredibly easy-- they are also really, really fun. You just pulse together the ingredients in a food processor, then grate the dough directly into the simmering broth. Chock full of carrots, onions and shredded rotisserie chicken, the soup is inspired by the comforting meals Food Network recipe developer Emily Weinberger ate growing up.

"We lived right outside the snow belt of Lake Erie," says Emily. "That meant a quick chicken noodle soup with extra-wide egg noodles was on the menu pretty much every week." Fast forward 25 years: "It might not be as cold where we live in New York as it was in Ohio," says Emily, who is mother to Ben and Annie. "But with my mom as their 'nanny,' my kids are eating grated pasta chicken soup well into the summer." Emily's recipe swaps out the store-bought noodles of her mother Laura's version. "But I promise you, I channeled her love throughout the whole development process."