Champagne Risotto

As part of an early Valentine's Day dinner, I chose to make this recipe with my other recipe, Champagne Chicken, to have a whole Champagne-themed meal.  I've never made risotto before and my husband had never eaten risotto before, so this was a slight risk...we both really enjoyed this and I will make it again!  It had very creamy, rich flavor and was very delicious, though slightly tedious in the adding/stirring/etc...

Champagne Risotto
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 12 asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 3/4 cup Champagne
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Blanch the asparagus in the chicken stock for 2 minutes. 
• Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon. Set the asparagus aside and keep the chicken stock at a low simmer.
• In another medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. 
• Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. 
• Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. 
• Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more. Add the Champagne and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. 
• Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. 
• Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. 
• Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the asparagus, remaining butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. 
• Spoon the risotto into serving dishes and garnish by breaking the crisp prosciutto into smaller pieces over the top of the risotto. Serve immediately.

PW's Buttered Rosemary Rolls

Pioneer Woman's website is chock full of wonderful recipes...but not for the faint of heart, butter phobic or anyone really remotely on a restricted diet.  But her recipes sure are good!  This one even utilizes a pre-made item from the freezer section, making it so simple to make...the hardest part is remembering to put them out to rise 3-5 hours in advance.

Buttered Rosemary Rolls
Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• Frozen, unbaked dinner rolls
• Melted Butter
• Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• Coarse sea salt

Directions

• Spray a small iron skillet or round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
• Place frozen rolls in the skillet, leaving room for rising. 
• Cover & allow to rise for 3-5 hours.
• After rising, brush rolls with melted butter.
• Sprinkle on chopped rosemary. 
• Brush with additional butter. 
• Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
• Bake according to roll package directions, until rolls are a deep golden brown on top.
• Serve warm.
  

Pastor Ryan's Pan-Seared Mushrooms

What goes better with a great steak than sauteed mushrooms?  Not much, aside from a big glass of wine....  I had this recipe for sauteed mushrooms starred in my Google Reader for quite some time and am so glad I finally made this one!

Pastor Ryan's Pan-Seared Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of Pastor Ryan via The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbs. butter
  
• 2 shallots, chopped finely

Directions

• Place a stainless steel pan or an enameled cast iron pan/dutch oven on stove over very high heat.
• Add vegetable oil & heat until almost smoking.
• Add mushrooms & let them sit for a minute or two.
• Stir & add salt.
• Let sit again, you want to form a crust on the mushrooms.
• At this point, I noticed that my mushrooms released a LOT of liquid...so I just kept cooking/stirring until the liquid reabsorbed/evaporated.
• Then add the butter, shallots & pepper.
• Stir & cook until shallots are soft.
• Serve over steak, in a side dish or even as a side dish on their own.
  

Mushroom Garlic Orzo

What side dish goes well with Eggplant?  After thinking about that while I picked up some other groceries, I decided to make a new side dish I had never made before...or even worked with!  Orzo pasta.  I had it before in salads and in restaurants, but I had never made it at home.  No time like the present!   I felt that a few simple additions would make that pasta more flavorful and I sure was right, it turned out delicious, was really easy and looked beautiful, I will be making this dish again when we have company!

Mushroom Garlic Orzo

Ingredients

• 1 c. orzo pasta
• 1 tbs. butter
• 1 c. mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tbs. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 tbs. olive oil

Directions

• Boil water and cook orzo pasta as directed.
• In a separate non-stick pan, melt butter and add chopped mushrooms.
• Cook mushrooms until soft and add garlic, mixing well.
• Drain pasta and return to pot.
• Add mushroom mixture to pasta, then add salt, pepper, parsley and olive oil, stirring well to mix.

Paul's Famous Potatoes

I am so blessed and lucky to have a husband like mine, he never expects me to make dinner (though I love it) and he always wants to help me prepare it.  So when he offers, I often will gladly let him!  I cannot make pan-fried potatoes like Paul can...these are his "signature" potatoes, which everyone always loves!

Paul's Famous Potatoes

Ingredients

• 7 large Red Skin potatoes, cut into 1 in. pieces
• 4 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating all pieces
• 1 1/2 tbs. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbs. dried parsley flakes

Directions

• Coat non-stick pan with olive oil and add potatoes, stirring to coat all potatoes evenly with oil (using more oil, if necessary). 
• Place pan on stove over medium high heat and cover with tight fitting lid, cooking until potatoes become soft.
• Add all seasonings, except parsley and stir gently.
  
• Turn heat to high and constantly gently stir potatoes to form the uniform crust.  At this point, you need to give them constant attention to ensure they get the crust and do not burn.  
• When potatoes are uniformly cooked, add parsley and toss, then serve!

Makes 4 servings

Great American Taste Test

I obtained a copy of America's Most Wanted Recipes by Ron Douglas from the lovely people at Atria Books.  Flipping through this book was nothing but a joy!  To see all the recipes we can make at home, most likely better tasting and cheaper is perfect for those of us who are trying to cut down on unnecessary spending on things like dining out.  There are many more recipes I can't wait to try, but of all of them, I wanted to try these Cheddar Biscuits first because I have tried other "copycat" recipes and they weren't quite right. 

These tasted JUST like Red Lobster and my husband agreed.  We have had the Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits many, many times....and a lot of those times, the basket has had to be refilled.  Though I'm not a HUGE Red Lobster fan, I love their Cheddar Biscuits, brought out nice & warm in the basket.

These came out nicely browned on the outside and light, fluffy & cheesy on the inside and the very best part was that they came together in a snap and were done in no time!

Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits
Recipe found in America's Most Wanted Recipes, Ron Douglas, page 186

Ingredients

• 2 c. biscuit mix
• 1/2 c. shredded mild Cheddar cheese (I used sharp)
• 2/3 c. milk
• 4 tbs. (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Parsley flakes for sprinkling

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Stir together the biscuit mix, Cheddar & milk until a soft dough forms.  Beat with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds.
• Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet.  Smooth down the tops to prevent hard points from forming.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the tops are brown.
• While the biscuits are baking, melt the butter in a pan and stir in the garlic powder.
• Once the biscuits are done, brush the butter on the tops, sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve hot.
  

Easy & elegant meal

I am a huge Food Network fan...I watch most shows on there with few exceptions and I watched every episode of this season's Next Food Network Star. The winner, Melissa d'Arabian had me hooked when she showed an easy 4-Step Chicken and her individual Potato Gratins! Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to catch her new show yet, but I know I really liked her presentation on the NFNS, where she gave plenty of kitchen tips for the busy person.

Overall, this recipe is a HIT. It was easy, while I couldn't find my muffin tin (it's MIA apparently!), I used ramekins for the Gratin and they turned out wonderfully. They came together so easy and while they baked, I got everything ready for the chicken dish. The chicken was very flavorful, I took the advice on the Foodnetwork.com website and only used 1 lemon instead of 3...it was very lemony with one, I wouldn't use 3. My husband and I absolutely loved the Gratin, it looked elegant and tasted amazing. I will definitely be making this again!!!

Flexible 4-Step Chicken - Rustic Lemon-Onion Chicken
Recipe courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian, The Food Network

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced thin or pounded (I used tenderloins)
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I added this)
  
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

• Season chicken with dried thyme & salt & pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat & add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil & saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.
• In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions & fresh thyme & cook until aromatic.
• In a measuring cup, measure broth & add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high & deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.
• Remove the pan from the heat & finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.
• Spoon the sauce over the chicken & serve.

Individual Potato Gratins
Recipe courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian, The Food Network

Ingredients

• Vegetable spray
• 2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray.
  
• Layer potato slices, cheese & onions into each muffin cup.
  
• Season with salt & pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
  
• Cover with foil & bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time.
  
• Invert gratins onto plate & serve.

Stuffed Jalapeno Bites

As the summer flies by, our patio garden is just flourishing. While we're still waiting for our tomatoes to ripen, our jalapenos are getting along just fine...we've picked 4 so far and the rest are just growing more every day. Though I don't like a ton of heat, one thing I love is Jalapeno Poppers, but didn't want to drag out the fryer or the hassle of breading them, so I whipped up a filling and baked them. They turned out great! The heat really mellowed out and the filling was delicious.

Stuffed Jalapeno Bites

Ingredients

• 4 jalapenos, sliced in half, ribs and seeds removed
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
• Cut a very thin strip off the back of each jalapeno half so they will sit flat on the baking sheet.
• Mix the last 5 ingredients together until well combined.
• Spoon mixture to fill each jalapeno half & lay onto baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes, until jalapenos are just tender & the filling is bubbling & brown on top.

Makes 8.

Mushroom Broccoli Mac & Cheese

When grocery shopping calls and I'm not feeling like running out after work, I scour the fridge and cupboards to see what I can whip up that is tasty and easy...hence this dish came to be. I found macaroni, a bag of cheese, mushrooms and broccoli that both were needing to be used up. The results turned out great, the mushrooms and broccoli kicked up your every day mac & cheese, giving it great flavor and texture.

Mushroom Broccoli Mac & Cheese
Recipe courtesy of me

Ingredients

• 1 c. dried macaroni
• 2 c. fresh broccoli florets
• 1 c. fresh mushrooms, chopped in large dice
• 4 tbs. butter
• 4 tbs. flour
• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 c. milk
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Directions

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium low heat.
• Add mushrooms and saute until just slightly softened.
• Add flour 1 tbs. at a time and stir to combine with mushrooms, cooking off the raw flour taste for about 2-3 minutes.
• Slowly add the milk while stirring. Turn heat up to medium high & let it come to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened to coat the back of a spoon.
• Turn heat back down to low & add in cheese, salt, pepper & garlic powder, stirring to incorporate & melt the cheese.
• Boil macaroni for the directed amount of time on the package & when there is about 3 minutes left, add the broccoli in with the macaroni to cook the broccoli at the same time.
• Drain the broccoli & macaroni in a colander & then add into the cheese sauce, mixing to coat.
• Serve & enjoy as a side or a main dish!

Watermelon & Feta Salad

I have been intrigued by the combination of Feta and watermelon for a long time now and today was the perfect, warm, sunny day to experiment. I'm not usually a person who mixes foods that do not "seem" to go together, but I knew that I love Feta cheese and I love watermelon, so what's not to love when you put them together?

I found many recipes online calling for a dressing for the salad, for red onions, etc... I chose not to go with any of those recipes, but to take bits of each and put them together into an easy and refreshing salad that I'm happy to say was delicious!

Watermelon & Feta Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups of diced, cold watermelon (seedless, preferably)
• 1/2 cup of Feta cheese crumbles
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. of black pepper
• 6 mint leaves, chopped

Directions
Mix all ingredients together and serve! Easy enough for you?

PW's Mac & Cheese

*ok, ok...wipe the drool away and go make this!*

Well, after seeing this post by Lauren on Lauren's Kitchen, I knew instantly what I was making for dinner tonight! I adore reading the posts on the Pioneer Woman website and want to try so many things she has on there! Get ready for some delicious, cheesy goodness when you make this macaroni & cheese...and now go on.....make it already!!! It makes a lot, so either have a large dinner party or get ready for some awesome leftovers!

Macaroni & Cheese
Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 4 cups dried macaroni
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons) butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 pound cheese, grated - I used mostly cheddar and a little bit of mozzarella
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• *Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme - I used paprika

Directions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter & sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard & whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce & slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese & stir to melt.
Add salts & pepper. Taste sauce & add more salt & seasoned salt as needed!
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni & stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy - this is what I did) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese & bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly & golden on top.

A fantastic way to eat your veggies...

OK, I'll warn you right now, this is NOT the healthiest vegetable dish...pretty much far from it, but man did it taste great. It is a Paula Deen recipe, so hold on to your butter!

I didn't necessarily want her version of the dipping sauce, so I used Guy Fieri's recipe for a Garlic Aioli - was that ever a hit....Paul & I love going to Carrabba's & getting their Zucchini Fries & Dipping Sauce - this was as close to that dipping sauce as I have ever gotten, it was zesty, garlicky & wonderful!

I paired this with pan cooked chicken.

Beer Battered Asparagus
Recipe courtesy of David Tutera/Paula's Party/Food Network.com

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 cup beer
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan until it reaches 375 degrees F.

Whisk together flour, salt, pepper lemon & zest in a bowl. Add beer & whisk ingredients until smooth. Dip asparagus in batter to coat. Remove excess batter before frying. Gently transfer battered asparagus to oil & fry until golden. Stir gently to prevent asparagus from sticking together.

Transfer to a baking sheet that has been lined with paper towels & keep warm in a preheated 200 degree F oven.

Garlic Aioli
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri/Food Network.com

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, zested
• 4 tablespoons finely minced garlic - I pressed 4 cloves
  
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt

Directions

In a food processor, combine all ingredients well. (I just whisked everything together) Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

My aunt Darlene had made this for past family gatherings and I hadn't had it in so long, I decided that this would be a perfect side dish for the ham dinner I was making for my in-laws who were coming over. Just as I remembered it! I doubled the below recipe and it made a 9x13 pan full.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Recipe courtesy of my Aunt Darlene
Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Minute Rice
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1 small jar of Cheez-Whiz

Directions

• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, transfer to a baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Do-Ahead Mashed Potatoes & 2nd No-Knead Bread

We hosted my mother-in-law's birthday party today and I have spent the past 2 days preparing everything for it so that today would go smoothly and I could enjoy the day as well! This is a recipe that my mom had made previously, so I knew that it would be perfect for a make-ahead dish!!

Do-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of Cooks.com

I didn't deviate from the recipe listed above, so check it out there!!

I also made another loaf of the No-Knead Bread...it turned out so great....I am in love with this bread. Everyone loved it...this time, it turned out more in an oval shaped loaf. I love the variations that each of these loaves have had so far!! Find my original post here.

A delicious experiment

We had frozen Tilapia filets for a while now and with groceries dwindling in the house, it was time to get over my fears of making fish....what if it isn't done enough? What if we get sick? What if it turns out tough and rubbery? It will stink up the entire house!

Well, those fears were all completely unfounded! This mild, flaky fish was a cinch to put in the oven and 18-20 minutes later, a delicious meal! Along with this, I decided to make an Italian Baked Macaroni and Cheese...no recipe, just an idea based on this delicious mac & cheese that Paul and I had in the Italian Steakhouse on our cruise...this was close and with a few tweaks, it will be VERY close to what we had and loved!!

Baked Tilapia with Garlic Butter
Recipe courtesy of About.com

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• dash pepper
• dash salt
• pinch dried dillweed or parsley
• dash paprika
• 4 tilapia fillets

In saucepan, combine butter, garlic, pepper, salt, dillweed, and paprika. Heat over low heat until butter is melted and starts simmering. Remove from heat. Brush a little of the butter mixture in the bottom of a shallow baking dish (line baking dish with foil, if desired) then place tilapia fillets on the buttered area. Brush top of each tilapia fillet with the seasoned butter mixture. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until tilapia flakes easily with a fork.
Serves 2.

Italian Macaroni & Cheese
Recipe courtesy of me

• 2.5 cups Mini Farfalle (or any shaped/sized pasta)
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 tbs. cream cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 4 tbs. butter
• 4 tbs. flour
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
  
• 1 cup half and half

Breadcrumb topping:

• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 tbs. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Cook pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in smaller pot and add garlic, paprika, thyme, salt & pepper. Let set over low heat for the garlic to infuse into the butter for about 5-6 minutes.

Add flour to the butter, whisking constantly to form a roux. Cook for 3 minutes over medium low heat.

Add cream, whisking constantly. Let thicken over medium high heat for about 3 minutes.

Add cream cheese and stir in until mixed well and melted.

Add shredded cheeses and whisk until incorporated and melted. If too thick, add a splash of milk and whisk more.

Take drained pasta and add to cheese mixture, folding in until well coated.

Pour into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray.

Melt 2 tbs. of butter and mix with the 1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the mixture on top of macaroni.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

This made the absolute perfect side dish to the Chicken Enchiladas I made! It had a great flavor and was so easy to put together - which I always love! I would make this again in a heartbeat! I found this delicious recipe on Lauren's Kitchen blog!

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.

In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, green chile peppers, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, corn, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Hot Crash Potatoes

From Pioneer Woman Cooks - everyone is making these and had me drooling with each post I read about them! I have tried various methods of obtaining crunchy potatoes in the past, but these were extremely crunchy on the outside with a soft inside, the perfect texture to compliment the chicken I made for dinner! Paul loved them and I know he'll be requesting these again and again! Thanks Pioneer Woman for the inspiration and sharing the delicious recipe!

• New Potatoes (or other small, round potato) (I actually cut thick rounds of Idaho potatoes and it worked well!)
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Whatever herb(s) you like (I used basil, rosemary, parsley and chives from my "garden")

Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender. Drain.Next, generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan.Place the potatoes on the sheet pan and grab a potato masher, gently press down on each potato, then turn the masher 90 degrees and mash gently the other way forming almost a cookie-like shape.Next, brush the tops rather generously with olive oil.Next, season the potatoes with lots of salt, pepper and any herbs you wish.Now throw them onto the top rack of a very hot (450-degree) oven, and cook them for 20-25 minutes…(My oven required about 30 minutes - probably because the potatoes were Idaho and a little thicker)

My first ever non-box Mac n' Cheese!

This is the first time I have made a homemade macaroni and cheese. I found this recipe online and it seemed easy enough to try on the first go...We did like it, though you can easily add other cheeses and ingredients to perk it up even more. The flavor of the nutmeg and the cayenne pepper grew on us and we believe it will be even better tomorrow when the flavors get to sit and mingle.






Cheddar Cheese and Macaroni Recipe by Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals 2

• 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 8 minutes or al dente to package directions
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or EVOO (once around the pan)
• 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
• 3 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• Salt, to taste

Heat a medium-sized deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, stir in flour. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a baking dish, top with remaining cheese, and place under a hot broiler for a minute to brown the top.

Oil and butter in the pan.












Whisking in the milk.


















































The cooked and drained macaroni, all ready to
be drenched in cheesy goodness!













Stirring in the cheese mixture, spread into glass pan and with the sprinkled cheese on top.

Cheesy Potatoes

I made these, with the help of my mom in the pictures below, for a family gathering we had this weekend...you can't beat good food, family and lots of fun!



Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. of Simply Potatoes fresh hashbrowns
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup of Milk
• 1 small onion - chopped fine
• 1 16 oz. package of shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste

You also need Non-stick cooking spray to coat a 9x13 glass pan and tinfoil. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.



Mix together the can of soup, onion, cheese, sour cream, milk, salt & pepper. The consistency should be thick enough to stick together, yet thin enough to add the potatoes and spread into a 9x13 glass pan... Add the potatoes and spread out into the pan (coated with non-stick spray).






Place pan in the oven and bake covered for approximately 35-40 min. , then take the tinfoil off and continue baking until set through and golden brown on top. The time can vary, I think these took about an hour...so keep an eye on them.

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but they were gone!!! Everyone really liked these and it is my sister's recipe...I will be making them again very soon.

Also, it would be very easy to double this recipe to make more...the recipe listed made a 9x13 pan filled half way...if you doubled the ingredients, you could use the same sized pan, just filled to the top...and then just keep a good eye on them to bake through.