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Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese
Farewell, blue box. You have been forever replaced. I don’t care if you are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. Your successor boasts gooey, real cheese bubbling underneath a breadcrumb topping… I’m melting just thinking about it. Have I mentioned before how I adore the Smitten Kitchen blog? Well, I do. I’ve followed Deb’s blog ever since she caught my eye with this recipe for Homemade Oreos. I digress. Now, this dish cannot be whipped together at the drop of the hat. When you are making a dish which calls for shredded cheese, you should almost always shred your own. After grating the cheese, make the béchamel. Then you’ll mix in your spices. Now, mix in half of the shredded cheeses. Cook the pasta only until the outside is fully cooked, but the inside is not. Add the pasta to the cheese, give it a good stir, and put it in a buttered dish. Top with the other half of the cheeses. And the breadcrumbs. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are toasted. 3 tablespoons butter

Use our spice primer to learn what spices go with which foods, and how to experiment. So you’ve stocked your cupboard and are eager to spice up your meals. But what to add to what? The possibilities for seasoning are endless, but to get you started here's a list with some tried and true matches. Don’t be limited by traditional uses, though — some of the most exquisite dishes come from unexpected seasonings. Beans (dried) — cumin, cayenne, chili, parsley, pepper, sage, savory, thyme Beef — basil, bay, chili, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme Breads — anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme Cheese — basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chili, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme Corn — chili, curry, dill, marjoram, parsley, savory, thyme

Cajun Chicken Pasta Note: Since this recipe is featured on the Food Network episode this morning, I’m bringing it to the front for easy reference. This really is one of my favorite recipes here on The Pioneer Woman Cooks, and I regularly hear from people who’ve made it with great success. Crowd-pleaser! This is an exceedingly yummy, decadent pasta dish with chicken, vegetables, and lots and lots of scrumptious carbs. Just remember: part of the deliciousness of this pasta dish is the spicy kick. Here’s how you make it. The Cast of Characters: boneless, skinless chicken breast, olive oil, butter, Cajun spice (make your own or buy the prepared stuff; whichever you prefer), salt, pepper, red onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, fresh parsley, low sodium chicken broth, white wine, and heavy cream. Oh. Start by slicing the veggies: Lop the top and bottom off of the red pepper… Then slice the pepper down the middle. Rip out the innards… Then make slices—not too thick, not too thin. Be generous! Yum. Enjoy!

Unbelievably Easy Roast Beef I present to you all a Christmas roast. It’s the perfect holiday meal. This roast beef is rich and flavorful, while still very buttery and tender without actually using any butter! Believe it, friends, for I speak the truth. This roast beef is perfection. I had never made a roast beef before, so I was extremely happy with this meal. Happy Holidays! Look at how simple those ingredients are! Cover a baking sheet with foil, then place a cooling rack over top. Make the garlic into a paste. Continue to press down on the garlic with the side of your knife until it starts to form a paste. I know this is a terrible picture, but it should be as smooth as possible. Mix the garlic together with the pepper, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper flakes. Rub the roast with olive oil then rub with the herb and garlic mixture. Heat the remaining oil in a medium pan and add the roast, browning on each side for 3-4 minutes. Allow to rest for 5-8 minutes before slicing. Unbelievably Easy Roast Beef Cook time:

Creamy Caprese Pasta Sigh. It’s Monday. I know. You probably don’t have a smile on your face. Maybe you woke up 35 minutes late and couldn’t wash your hair. Dumped hot coffee on your new white shirt? That only means one thing. Mondays are for grown ups. But I have some good news! Monday just got a whole lot more tolerable. Shucks… I sort of like Monday now. So – the pasta! Am I gonna give it up or what? Creamy Caprese Pasta serves 4-6 1 pound whole wheat pasta (noodles such as penne work best) 1 cup of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes 1 pint of grape tomatoes (I cut some in half and left some whole) 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce over low heat in a large saucepan. Top with additional fresh basil and grated cheese. Take that Monday.

Change Your Life Rich Red Wine Sauce You will understand why the French are masters of cuisine. Similar to the classic French Bordelaise sauce, this velvety rich sauce makes a classic topping for beef and lamb. I love it on beef tenderloin or filets mignon, which, although they are beloved by many, often have a metallic or liver undernote. It really illuminates a lightly smoked pork chop. As heretical as it may seem, it is great on pulled pork. This is an easy to make classic red wine sauce for red meat, especially filet mignon. Course. Cuisine. Makes. 1 cup, enough for 4-6 servings of meat Takes. Special equipment. Ingredients 5 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 1 carrot, skinned and coarsely chopped 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped or crushed 2 cloves garlic, crushed or pressed 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crushed 1 whole bay leaf 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 (750 ml bottle or 3 cups) dry red wine 2 cups or a 14 ounce can beef stock 1 pinch of salt

Mac and Cheese Cups Share this image Share It Pin It When I first graduated from college, and was living in a dreary little apartment, mac and cheese was one of my few specialties. Granted it was straight from a box, but it was one of those meals that made me feel like I was home. Himalayan Salt Blocks, Salt Plates, and Salt Bricks used for cooking Pakistani Pink Himalayan salt blocks, plates, platters, and bricks can be used for sautéing, grilling, chilling, curing, baking, salting, plating, bathing, and contemplating. The Fundamentals of Himalayan Salt A boulder of Himalayan salt emerges from darkness of a 16th century mineshaft in Pakistan and explodes into light, catching and refracting the sun in hues ranging from water-clear crystal to clematis flower pink to deep meaty red. The rough salt rocks are then hand cut by local masons into a variety of shapes, providing the foundation for extraordinary new ways to prepare and serve food. Indeed, there are as many uses for a heavy slab of Pakistani Pink Himalayan salt as there are foods, cooking styles, whims, acts of folly, and shows of bravado. Two other considerations come into play when working with our Himalayan salt plates. Himalayan Salt Block Recipe & Cooking Ideas Armed with that knowledge, we unleash the hounds and set to. f) Impress your Jewish grandma with Gravlax.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese A creamy macaroni and cheese recipe that will satisfy both young and old made with Kerrygold cheese and butter from grass-fed cows. This mac and cheese reheats beautifully the next day with just a bit of milk or cream stirred in. Ole pointed out a few weeks ago that our children were growing up with a different food experience than either one of us had. Things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mac and cheese lunches and daily desserts are not the norm over here. Rather than growing up on lunches made from blue boxes and smeared on sandwich bread, our kids are generally dining on leftover fried rice, sandwiches made from leftover meat and a variety of soups and pastas, which do, in fact, include macaroni and cheese every so often.So, when our Costco recently started stocking their shelves with Kerrygold products, I felt inclined to share one of my favorite macaroni and cheese recipes with you. The secret to this mac and cheese is in the farmhouse cheese that goes into the sauce.

How to Make Proper Barbecue Chicken There's a lot of misconception when it comes to "barbecue." The problem is the word itself. It's used as a synonym for grilling, refers to the grill itself, or to the meat being grilled; it also has a sauce named after it; and sometimes it's just the word for the party itself held outdoors in somebody's backyard. What, actually, is "barbecue"? American purists see things a little differently. To them, "barbecue" is a wonderful Southern tradition of slow-cooking with indirect heat and woodsmoke to transform cuts of meat, often inexpensive ones, into succulent, unbelievably delicious results. Which brings us to barbecue chicken, a staple of the summer grill. The sad fact is that often times the answer is no. The problem, and the result, is charred all over the place, a crapshoot for succulence, often dry and sad. I believe good barbecue chicken is low and slow followed by fast and hot; that's the easiest way to achieve fantastic results. (makes 2 cups) Now, the chicken.

Buffalo Chicken Rolls I’m thinking we’re very comfortable together at this point, me and you. You and me. At best, we’re virtual soul mates bonded through food and cooking. But really, it’s mostly good, isn’t it? Give and take. So today I’m going to ask you a favor. Ready? Okay. Please get your cute bottom to the market, pick up a package of egg roll wrappers, some hot wing sauce, blue cheese, toss in a box of Junior Mints for good measure, and then get situated in the kitchen to make these. Buffalo Chicken Rolls. They are beyond perfect for the Super Bowl. The exterior is a crispy, crunchy flour shell. Here’s the step-by-step process to make them yourself: **Note: Find egg roll wrappers in the refrigerated case of the produce department at your grocery store. Ingredients Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Notes *Note: To make the chicken, place 1 large breast (about 6 to 8 ounces) in a small saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover the chicken.

Braided Spaghetti Bread » The official blog of America's favorite frozen dough We are carb lovers at our house, so when I saw the Braided Spaghetti Bread recipe in the Rhodes Home Baked Family Favorites with frozen dough cookbook I knew we would love it. This is a really simple recipe; it just takes a little planning for thawing the dough. It will take 2-3 hours for the bread loaf to thaw to room temperature or 1-2 hours for the rolls to thaw to room temperature. You will need: 1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature6 oz spaghetti, cooked 1 cup thick spaghetti sauce 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes 1 egg white Parmesan cheese Parsley flakes Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray (or use parchment paper). Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Remove wrap from dough. Make cuts 1 ½-inches apart on long sides of dough to within ½-inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. This was fantastic!

Fluffy Pancakes | Blogger For Hire This pancake recipe is the result of mixing and matching different recipes from many different sources. It is the result of trying and failing so many times, that I almost declared pancakes as the one breakfast recipe I couldn’t master. But I persisted, and this recipe is perfect – as perfect as a pancakes recipe can be, because making pancakes does involve frying, and frying is something that each of us needs to play with. It changes depending on your type of stove (gas or electric), on how hot the skillet is, and on how evenly hot you manage to keep it while frying multiple batches. But the instructions here are as close as it gets to “perfect,” and the result? Truly fluffy, puffy pancakes that are never heavy or dense and that are flavored with a pleasant vanilla aroma and taste. This recipe makes 16-18 pancakes. Fluffy Pancakes Makes 16-18 pancakes. Dry Ingredients 2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1.5 tablespoons baking powder (make sure it’s fresh) Directions 1.

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