Serious Mac 'n Cheese

Here it is. The ultimate Mac 'n Cheese. I searched high and low for a great recipe that didn't include flour because Matt really doesn't like it with flour. I always try to tell him you can't really taste it but he swears he always can. Anyway, his mom can really make some mean Mac 'n Cheese. The only problem is, she doesn't have a recipe. She just throws whatever cheese she happens to have in her fridge at the moment in a baking dish and lets her rip. Sometimes that includes Velveeta. Sometimes not. Sometimes it includes Colby Jack. Sometimes not. That really doesn't work well for me considering I don't have a great variety of cheese here. So I had to find something a little more concrete. And, lo and behold, Paula Deen came through. She calls hers The Lady's Cheesy Mac. Of course, she also has The Ultimate Lady's Cheesy Mac 'n Cheese. I would try it but my husband has a family history of high cholesterol and I just don't have the guts. Sorry.



4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated Cheddar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
pinch ground mustard (not part of Paula's recipe, but it just helps. Trust me.)



Not pictured: butter. Oops.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While the macaroni is cooking, combine eggs (whisked a little first), sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, mustard, and butter.



Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar.



Now add your egg mixture to the macaroni.



Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish.



Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese (or add some more if you're feeling naughty).



Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes.



Enjoy!

Makes about 6 servings.

*Borrowed from Paula Deen on Food Network.

Curtis' Spinach Dip

Matt and I have this friend from College Station who just so happened to move up to Ft. Worth our last year to attend seminary. We love Curtis. He has a great voice, a contagious laugh, and I love his teeth. They're very white. Anyway, Curtis can cook. He came to our house one night and made grilled pork steaks, rosemary potatoes, and spinach dip (all heavenly!). I've never been able to match any of them. I can get pretty close with the dip, though, and that is why it is the only dish of Curtis' that will be making an appearance here. Anyway, the recipe is so simple and versatile. You can add to the basic recipe all you want to make it your own (like artichoke hearts). Here goes.

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 8-oz package cream cheese or about 450 grams (I use light sometimes but never fat free)

Saute the garlic in oil until just soft.



Add spinach then cream cheese.





Serve with carrot and celery sticks or tortilla chips or crackers or bread or toast or, well you get the point.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Possibly the easiest and fasted potatoes. Ever. As good as french fries but much healthier.

4-5 medium sized baking potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 - 1 tbsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper

Start with peeled potatoes like these:



Cut them up into bite sized pieces, however you like.



Add some of this:



And some of this:



Spread in a single layer on a greased baking sheet.



Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden.

Easy Homemade Croutons

We've always loved croutons with salad, soup, or even as a snack. In Prague we've been able to find exactly 2 types of croutons: plain jane (no spices) and Mexican. While I'd never hesitate to admit I'm a Mexican food junkie, I'm not so sure about Mexican flavored croutons on my Caesar salad. I did some looking and found some really good recipes for making your own croutons. Paula Deen, surprise, surprise, had my favorite. The recipe, however, instructs you to fry the croutons in oil and then sprinkle with seasoning, which is really yummy but not so healthy. I changed it up a bit by simply drizzling the croutons in oil, sprinkling with Paula's House seasoning, and baking in the oven. These turned out equally as yummy. Best of all, there's no special ingredients involved, just simple spices every kitchen in any part of the world would have.

1 loaf French bread, cubed (or whatever bread you have on hand)
Olive oil
Dash Paula's House Seasoning, recipe follows

Paula's House Seasoning (I scaled it back a bit because I didn't need quite so much):
1/2 cup salt
1/8 cup black pepper
1/8 cup garlic powder



I know you're thinking, "Whoa, that's a lot for a batch of croutons." And you're right, it is a lot. So you can use what you need now, put it in a zippy (for up to 6 months) and save it for next time you want fresh homemade croutons.

Allow bread cubes to sit overnight to become stale. If this isn't an option, simply spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in your oven on the lowest setting for about 15-20 minutes.

Drizzle olive oil over each cube. Sprinkle with Paula's House Seasoning. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until desired crispiness.

Roasted Zucchini, Onion, and Peppers

2 large zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper



Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine vegetables on a large bowl; drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.



Toss to coat. Place vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet.



Roast until vegetables are tender and browned in spots, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cowboy Beans

Remember Ranch Style Beans? Mmmmm. I do. I miss them immensely. I was trying to duplicate them when I created this recipe. I didn't really get there but what I got was more of a barbecue/mexican type of beans. The kind you can eat with you know, barbecue and mexican food. I'm calling them Cowboy Beans because they taste like some I had once at a barbecue and they were called, well, Cowboy Beans. I'm going to keep trying for the Ranch Style Beans (I think maybe a little tomato paste might do it) but, in the mean time, these are equally as yummy.

1 lb dry pinto beans
4 slices bacon, cut into pieces
2 tbsp oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 jalapenos
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Rinse beans and soak overnight. The next day about 3 hours before dinner, drain, rinse again and cover by about 1 inch with water. Add bacon and bring to a boil.



Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Meanwhile, saute vegetables in skillet with oil until tender.



Add chili powder, stir and set aside.



Once beans have cooked down and made a sauce/gravy (about 1 1/2 - 2 hours), add vegetables and spices. It should look kind of like this.



Simmer, covered for about 30 more minutes.



Number of Servings: 8

Creamy Roasted Red Potatoes

This recipe is easy and delicious, that is if you can get your hands on some ranch dressing. If you can't, beg for someone to bring you the mix so you can make it yourself. It's worth it! If you can't get all the different cheeses, mozzarella works fine.

2 lb red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup light Ranch dressing
1/2 cup Italian Five Cheese Blend (or the equivalent blend of mozzarella, provolone, romano, parmesan, and asiago)
1/4 cup Bacon pieces
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ranch dressing, cheese and parsley in large bowl. Add potatoes and toss lightly. Spoon into lightly greased baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 40 min then remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

Number of Servings: 6

*adapted from Kraft Food & Family Magazine