Tried It...Ate It...Loved It...: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

My second attempt at Mac and Cheese was to try to get a recipe that was “normal”.  Everyone really loved the Gouda Bacon Mac and Cheese but I figured I needed one that I could feed my kids friends and everyone like.  We were having 6 kids over for dinner coming up so I scoured recipes to see if I could find one that I liked.  This one ended up being great.

 I got this awesome recipe from allrecipe.com - my favorite recipe website

Mom's Favorite Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 (8 ounce) package processed American cheese, cut into strips

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, salt, mustard and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils and thickens.
3.	Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
4.	To the milk mixture add the Cheddar and American cheeses; stir until cheese melts. Combine macaroni and cheese sauce in a 2 quart baking dish; mix well.
5.	Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

**before I put it in the oven, I took out a servings worth and added truffle salt, cayenne, some Worcestershire and extra salt – it was divine but probably a little spicy for kids.

Come see me at these fun link parties:
     

Tried It...Ate It...Loved It: Gouda Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

I hate boxed mac and cheese. The smell of it makes me nauseous.   I think this is inherited from my mom as she is the same way. I do make it for the girls because I know how much they love it and it is a simple dish to make, however, I will not eat it at all.  I do love my girlfriend’s mac and cheese that she makes from scratch.  I decided that I should have a good recipe that I can make. My first attempt was a Gouda Bacon Mac and Cheese and it was AWESOME.

I got this awesome recipe from Shugary Sweets.

Gouda Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Prep Time: 25 minutes            Cook Time: 25 minutes           Yield: serves 10-12

Ingredients

·  16oz elbow macaroni, cooked and drained ·  4 Tbsp butter ·  2 1/4 cup skim milk ·  1/2 cup flour ·  1 1/4 cup heavy cream ·  2 tsp kosher salt ·  1 tsp ground black pepper

·  1/2 tsp dry mustard ·  2 tsp Worcestershire ·  1lb smoked Gouda cheese, shredded ·  1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded ·  5 slices bread (about 2cups crumbs) ·  3 Tbsp butter, melted ·  1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1.       Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Set aside.

2.       In large pot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add skim milk and bring to near boiling. Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle in flour. Whisk vigorously over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Mixture should be thick and boiling. Slowly add cream, while whisking. Add in salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and continue to stir for about 5 minutes.

3.       In food processor, shred Gouda and Cheddar cheese. Add to pot, stir until thoroughly combined.

4.       Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture. Pour into a 13x9 dish.

5.       In same food processor bowl (no need to wash it after shredding the cheese), process 5 slices of bread to a fine crumb. Add melted butter. Sprinkle over macaroni. Top with crumbled bacon.

6.       Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.ENJOY!

Tried It...Ate It...Loved It: Crepes

Do you have a birthday meal?  My mom makes our favorite meal every year on our birthday – even after all these years.  My meal is ham and cheese crepes and carrot cake.  Yum-O!!  My mom has been making them forever and I decided that I needed to try to make them at least once.  They turned out great.  They were time intensive but not necessarily hard.  As soon as you get used to the swirling motion of getting the batter all around the pan, it becomes pretty easy.

Basic Crepes from All Recipes 

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1.	In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2.	Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3.	Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot. (I made a lot of them and put them between paper towels and then just heated them when I filled them)

I filled them with savory and sweet.  For savory, I used ham & cheese and pepperoni & cheese.  For sweet, I used Nutella and banana.  They were delicious.

Tried It…Ate It…Loved It: Terribly Terrific Toffee

A.K.K Christmas Crack.  I have no idea where my original recipe came from but here is mine with a few notes.

Terribly Terrific Toffee (Christmas Crack)
1 cup unsalted butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar, packed tightly (ok to mound)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers (or enough to fit the whole cookie sheet)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a 12x17-inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes (mine only takes about 4-5 minutes), or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes (I sprinkle the choc chips right away). Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt (I pop mine back in the oven for about 45 sec-1 min), and then spread them into an even layer.  You can add nuts, cracker crumbs, or whatever else floats your boat at this point) Let cool or refrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces the size of your choice.

This is a recipe that I used to only make at Christmas but it is so easy and so well loved that I have been making it all the time.  I had a party to go to and knew that the hostess loved it.  I made a double batch and dropped it off at a girlfriend last weekend who loves Valentine’s Day.  We have new neighbors and I brought some over to greet them.  It is simple, yummy, and a great size that it fits nicely in a little bag or take out box.

Come see me at these fun link parties
 

Tried It...Ate It...Loved It: Pizza Chicken

January is clean out the freezer month.  What that means is that my grocery store trips should only include perishables and we do not go out to eat.  Sounds like a great idea and I try to do it every so often but towards the end of the month, I am stretching for new things to eat.  Luckily out of this, came a new dinner that the kids gobbled in seconds (always a good thing).

Pizza Chicken:

• Boneless Skinless Chick Breast
• Tomato Sauce - add Italian seasoning to make it more pizza flavored
• Pepperoni (I used Turkey)
• Mozzarella cheese

I baked the chicken in an oven dish.  I used my Prepara Roasting Laurel because it allows both sides to get cooked fairly evenly.  About 10 minutes in, I added the pepperoni, and sauce and baked for 5 more minutes, then I added the cheese and removed when melted.

No recipe there and was glad it turned out.  Not saying it hasn't been done but I just put together what was in my pantry and fridge.

Want to Party? I am linking to these parties:
 

Tried it...Ate it...Loved it - Jalapeno Poppers

This is my new go-to appetizer.  I was asked to make something "man-friendly" for a couples wedding shower and after a lot of Internet searches, this is what I came up to.  I now make it for all my events.  Maybe a little too often... as last time I was making them my husband says "Oh, poppers again, I'm going to turn into a popper"  and then proceeds to eat 5 of them.  They are definitely best right out of the oven.

http://www.tablespoon.com/

Jalapeno Popper Bites

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury crescent rolls
6-8 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
4 jalapenos, seeded and diced finely
8 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used bacon bits)

Directions

·  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray.

·  Open can of crescent rolls and separate each roll along the perforation. Cut each triangle in half.
·  Place 1-2 teaspoons of cream cheese on each roll and top with a teaspoon of diced jalapeno, teaspoon of cheddar cheese and a teaspoon of crumbled bacon.  Sprinkle with garlic salt.
·  Gather the edges of the dough up and pinch them together making sure all the filling is sealed inside. Place the ball of dough seam side down and bake for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe courtesy of:  http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/jalapeno-popper-bites/088ade17-2718-419e-a312-4c9a808f5ae0

Yum Yum: Black Bean Soup

Here is another recipe that I got from a friend that has become a staple when we make Mexican food.  I am not a big bean eater (translation - I can't stand them) but everyone else likes this.

• 2 cans black beans with juice
• 2 TBS chili powder (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 16 oz chicken stalk

1. Smash beans a little
2. Mix all together and heat
3. Serve with sour cream

Yum Yum: Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes and I have a love hate relationship.  I love to eat them but hate making them.  It is one of those dishes that I haven't seemed to master and mess up more often than not. I think it is because we didn't eat a lot of potatoes growing up.  I may have been in college the first time that I had mashed potatoes.  I like my mashed potatoes chunky.  These are delish!!

• 2 lb peeled and diced potatoes (I don't peel them)
• 1/2 to 1 head garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
• 4 tbsp butter
•  1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream or milk

1. Put potatoes in heavy pan with water to cover and bring to boil with lid on.  Cook until soft
2. Drain potatoes and set aside.
3. Return empty pan to heat and add butter
4. Bring cream to boil in separate pan.
5. Mash potatoes
6. Beet in butter and hot cream to desired texture
7. add garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

Yum Yum: Mom's Bread Stuffing

I came from a family where we eat white bread stuffing and my husband grew up on cornbread stuffing.  So I hate his stuffing and he hates mine. Since we spend every Thanksgiving with his family, I really miss my mom's recipe.

• 4 cups coarse bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup finely minced onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (stalk and leaves)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp poultry seasoning

1. Melt butter, add onion and cook till yellow
2. Stir in rest of ingredients except bread crumbs and cook for 2 minutes
3. Turn into deep bowl all ingredients
4. Put in pan or bird and cook

**for dry stuffing, add 2 TBS water
**for moist stuffing, add 3-4 TBS water

Yum Yum: Pepper Salad

My dear friend gave me her recipe after we had this at her house and fell in love with it.  So simple, refreshing, and good.

• 4 peppers - seeded and diced (I used different colors to make it pretty)
• 3-4 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBS mint
• 1 mozzarella ball - diced
• 3-4 TBS olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Yum Yum: Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad

This is such a refreshing and yummy side and very easy to make.

• 4 tomatoes, cut in 1/8 (I typically chop)
• 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (also good with red onion)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Garlic Powder
• Vinegar to taste

Combine all ingredients and serve cold.

Yum Yum: Green Bean Bake

As all mother's know, getting kids to eat their vegetables is sometimes challenging. My girls love green bean casserole so why not make it on a regular basis and not just for Thanksgiving. Here is the recipe that I started using but now I just do it by memory and look. I typically don't add the entire can of soup because I don't use multiple cans of green beans to make it for just one night. I also add less french fried onions. Even though they are the best part, they are overly nutritious for a week night meal.



picture from frenchs.com

 http://www.campbellskitchen.com/Recipes/RecipeDetails.aspx?recipeId=24099
Classic Green Bean Casserole
What You'll Need

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

How to Make It

• Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.                                                   
• Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
• Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown

Yum Yum: Mexican Grilled Corn, Street-Stall Style

My 4 year old girls can eat an entire cob of corn.  It's unbelievable.  I don't put all the stuff on it for them but they just love corn on the cob.  In the summer, we would grill out after getting in the pool and eat corn outside on the porch.  As for me, I hate biting into corn on the cob because it touches my cheeks.  One of my (many) weird eating perculiarities.

This corn is awesome.



picture from eatingwell

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn, unshucked and dipped in water
• 1/2 cup mayo
• Salt to taste
• Ancho chile powder to taste
• 1 cup finely crumbled queso cotija
• 3 halved key limes
• Mexican hot sauce (Tapatio or Chlula)
• Aluminum foil

Instructions
Heat up grill to a four count (your hand can be about 4" above it for 4 seconds).  Wrap corn in foil and cook on the hot grill, rolling every minute or so for about 12 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, unwrap and shuck the corn. T hen smear on the mayo as you would butter.  Add salt, ancho powder, cheese and squeeze of lim and hot sauce.  Yum Yum!!

Yum Yum: Brie and Brisket Quesadillas with Mango Barbecue Sauce

So you may remember that the first time I made this it didn't go so well (here).  I hadn't had much luck with my crock pot so decided to get a new one.  I went to wal-mart and just picked up a $20 crock-pot and have made this awesome since then.  Can I blame all my failed meals on a broken crock pot? :-)

The flavor combination of brisket, brie and mango barbecue is really good.  And I will typically have brisket leftover for sandwiches or something for later.

Yum Yum: Chili

My father-in-law asks for this every time he comes in town.  It is great for football season.

• 2 lb ground turkey
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 can chili beans
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (10 oz) diced tomato with green chili
• 1 can (4.5 oz) peeled and diced tomato
• 1 (11.5 oz) tomato juice - I use spicy V8
• 1 can (4 oz) diced green chili
• 1 (2.5 oz) package chili seasoning

1. Cook turkey and onion
2. Combine all ingredients and put in crock pot
3. Cook until hot

Yum Yum: Seafood Gumbo

My girls do eat the shrimp out of this but they don't necessarily eat all of this.  However, it is good for everyone else.  This is not a dish that freezes will.

• 1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 - 14.5 oz can Cajun-style stewed tomatoes
• 2 6-oz cans hot-style tomato juice
• 1 8-oz package frozen, peeled, cooked shrimp
• 10oz package frozen sliced okra
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking rice
• 1/2 package of frozen crab

1. In large saucepan cook green pepper and onion in hot oil until tender; stir in cornstarch.  Add stewed tomatoes and tomato juice.  Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly.
2. Add okra; return mixture to boiling.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes
3. Add shrimp, crab, rice and beef broth.  Return mixture to boiling.  Reduce heat.  Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Yum Yum: Chicken Tetrazzini

This is another dish that I bring to people often.  I also get asked for the recipe quite a bit and am a little embarrassed to give it with how easy it is.

This is a good dish for weekends and make double batches to freeze but also quick enough to make during the week.

• 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is great for this)
• 4 cups Hot cooked Spaghetti
• 1/3 cup Dry Bread Crumbs
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 1/4 cups Milk
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. Mix soup, milk, cheese and onion powder
2. Stir in Chicken
3. Add spaghetti and toss to coat
4. Pour into 3 quart baking dish
5. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter
6. Bake 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Yum Yum: Baked Ziti

This is one of the meals that I make for others.  It is a great freezer meal and good for new moms or people who are sick.

Baked Ziti

• 1 - 16oz package rigatoni pasta
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 (28 oz) jars spaghetti sauce
• 6 oz sliced provolone cheese
• 6 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
• 1.5 cups sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Cook pasta until al dente.  Drain
2. Brown turkey over medium heat and add onions; saute until no longer pink.  Drain off fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. In lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place 1/2 pasta; top with layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices.  Spread on layer of half the spaghetti sauce mixture and sour cream.
4. Repeat; Sprinkle on layer of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
5. If you are going to give this way or freeze - stop here and put in freezer.  If not, continue..
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly.

Yum Yum: Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce

I love to cook.  I enjoy looking through my cooking magazines and finding new recipes that look great and trying them out.  However, working full time and having a family - who has the time?  Recently, cooking has become more stressful than enjoyable.  I decided to go through my recipes and pick out the staples that everyone in the family likes.  I have 2 categories, ones for week nights and ones for weekends where I can make double batches and put them in the freezer or have leftovers.

I'll start to share these every week.  Typing these will have  dual purpose - a good blog post and typing them up so they could be printed on 5x7 note cards to have them feel more organized.

Spaghetti and meatballs does not have a lot of hands on time but it does take a while to cook.  They are a great freezer food.

Herbed Meatballs

• About 1.25 lb ground turkey
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp Italian seasonings
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. Mix all ingredients and form into 1"-ish size meatballs.
2. Put on baking sheet with space between them and cook them at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Until they are browned but not completely firm.
3. Either add to spaghetti sauce or freeze individually.

Spaghetti Sauce

• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.
2. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar, and bay leaf.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 90 minutes. 
3. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more.

Yum Yum: S'mores Cobbler

My husband's favorite dessert is S'mores or anything close to that flavor.  The girls and I made him Smores cobbler that I found on pinterest (here).  It was awesome.

S’more Cobbler (printable recipe)

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 5oz chocolate pudding (cook&serve)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 whole graham crackers
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 40 large marshmallows

1. Combine milk and pudding mix and place into greased 13×9 baking dish
2. Place graham crackers (broken in half) on top of pudding mixture with space in between each one
3. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
4. Spread DRY cake mix over top and place the butter by tablespoons on top of dry mixture.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Mix slightly so there isn’t large areas of dry ingredients.
6. Add marshmallows and bake for 8-10 minutes and if needed 1-2 minutes under a high broiler to brown.