grandma smith's macaroni & cheese

all do-respect grandma, but i am embarrassed to post this. by no means do i promote cooking with processed cheese, but the truth of it is, is i love this macaroni and cheese.
i did, however, leave one thing out of her recipe and that is spam. oh spam, why do you come out of can, slimey and in rectangular form?? spam actually stands for shoulder pork ham. according to wikipedia "spam's gelatinous glaze, or aspic, forms from the cooling of meat stock". you can now sleep better knowing what that slimey stuff is. just for fun i thought you would get a kick out of this 1945 spam ad.

okay, enough about spam and on to the important stuff. this is a recipe from the 1960-something version of the better homes cookbook. it's still in there today. feel free to substitute normal cheese or take a stab using the out-of-a-box velveeta as i do.
this is now my third mac & cheese recipe on this blog. i'm looking forward to many, many more. (i know i have a problem).

grandma smith's macaroni & cheese

2 c elbow macaroni
2 tbl butter
2 tbl flour
2 1/2 c milk
3 c velveeta ooey gooey cheese cut up into 2" cubes

1. cook macaroni noodles as directed on package. pour noodles in casserole dish.
2. heat butter in saucepan. once melted, add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. add milk and cook over medium heat until sauce thickens. add cheese a few at a time stirring constantly. continue until all cheese is added and melted.
4. pour cheese sauce over macaroni and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

squash mac & cheese

i promised myself i'd try this "pureed veggies" cooking concept for years, however the truth of it is- it just didn't sound appealing. now that i have a tiny being who throws her veggies on the ground followed by an "uh-oh", i had the perfect reason to give it a shot. to my surprise you couldn't taste the squash at all! this is my perfect blend of ina garten and jessica seinfeld. comfort food + sneaky little veggies. your kiddos won’t know what hit them.

squash mac & cheese

1 lb elbow noodles, cavatappi or gemelli pasta
4 cups skim milk
8 tbl butter, divided
1/3 cup flour
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz mini babybel swiss cheese, diced
2 cups squash puree*
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup breadcrumbs

1. cook pasta according to directions.
2. melt six tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. add flour and cook on low heat for two minutes. slowly whisk in milk and cook on low heat until sauce thickens.
3. add cheeses, squash puree and salt and pepper. stir until melted. add cooked pasta to sauce and stir until combined. pour into a casserole dish.
4. add breadcrumbs to two tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle on top of the pasta.
5. bake pasta at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

* they do sell squash puree in the freezer section nowadays, however, if you feel ambitious, you can do it yourself. simply cube a butternut squash or three of the smaller yellow squash, roast with olive oil, salt & pepper at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and puree in a food processor.

penne rosa

as you can see by the overwhelming amount of recipes i'm a sucker for pasta. i could live on it day and night. i'm an even bigger sucker for penne rosa at noodles and company. i putzed around for a long time to master a copy cat recipe and this is probably the closest i've gotten to the real thing. the spinach is an absolute must!! i like my dishes to have heat so i add at least a 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. if you are unsure, start out with a 1/4 tsp and taste when sauce is near done simmering. you can always add more if it isn't to your liking.

penne rosa

3 c penne pasta
1 c marinara sauce
1/2 c heavy cream
1 c fresh spinach
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to your taste)

1. heat 2 tbl olive oil in saute pan. add mushrooms and tomatoes. heat until mushrooms are cooked thru and tomatoes begin to blister. add marinara, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes (to your taste). simmer on low for 10 minutes.
2. cook pasta according to package.
3. add cream to sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes. add spinach and pasta. stir to combine.

pesto

is there anything better than fresh pesto? i think not. it's such a complex and fresh flavor, you would think it's difficult to make. my friends, it doesn't get any simpler than this. it's literally basil, garlic, walnuts (sometimes you'll see a pine nut variation), parmesan cheese, lemon juice and olive oil. you can toss it with pasta, throw it on top of a grilled chicken breast. spread it on a sandwich or put in a soup. and you can freeze it to use later.
love, love, love.

pesto
3 c fresh basil, (2 oz)
3 tbl walnuts
3 tbl grated parmesan
2 garlic cloves
1 tbl lemon juice
salt & pepper
1/4 c olive oil

1. combine first seven ingredients in food processor streaming olive oil in slowly.
2. that's seriously it... seriously.

blt pasta salad

somehow bacon continues to make an appearance in my recipes. hmmmm...
i think two summers ago i made this as a "dish to pass" for ummm pretty much everything i was asked to bring a "dish to pass". there's something special about cherry tomatoes in the summer. which reminds me... my friend katie asked me to post about tomatoes and when to use which ones. great question!

cherry or grape tomatoes
best for eating raw or using in salads.

plum or roma tomatoes
best used for sauces because they have less water content.

beefsteak tomatoes
best used on sandwiches

globe tomatoes
the most common variety of tomatoes and what you'll see at the grocery store. they are also known for being more bland.

a little tip! do not store tomatoes in the fridge... the texture and flavor changes.

blt pasta salad

1 lb farfalle or bowtie pasta
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb bacon, cooked and chopped
1 c chopped romaine lettuce or spinach
1 c light mayo
1/2 c milk
1 packet dry ranch dressing

1. cook pasta as directed and chill.
2. combine mayo, milk and ranch dressing packet.
3. combine all ingredients and bring as a "dish to pass"

pasta carbonara

guest blog with emily knoelke

i am having one h-e-double hockey sticks (keeping the language kid-friendly) of a week. my husband and i just moved into our first home four weeks ago, and already we are jumping right into the joys of homeownership. flooded basement, check; broken water heater, check; electricity shut off, check and check…did i mention this all happened within 24 hours? so, last night in the midst of the chaos, i turned to one of my favorite recipes for some good old fashioned food therapy. nothing like creamy bacon & pasta goodness to make a girl feel better. that, and a glass of wine…

pasta carbonara

1lb bacon
2tbsp olive oil
1lb spaghetti
4 eggs
5oz parmesan cheese
red pepper flakes (to taste)
one bunch of asparagus (optional)

1. cook the fat in the fat. put the 2tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat (any higher and you’ll be covered in pin size burns from the popping oil- learned that lesson the hard way). cut the bacon into small chunks and add to the oil.
2. while the bacon is cooking, heat up the water to cook the spaghetti noodles. add lots of salt to the water- when it tastes like the ocean, it’s perfect. cook the noodles according to the package directions. optional: last few minutes of the pasta cooking (i’d say about 4-5), throw in bite size pieces of asparagus. my personal preference is to keep the asparagus crispy- if you like it more on the mushy side, throw it in right away with the pasta. when you drain the pasta, save some of the salty water- more to come on that.
3. beat 4 eggs in a large bowl (large enough to hold the spaghetti). add the 5 oz of parmesan cheese, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes (optional) and mix.
4. when the bacon is cooked nice and crispy, drain the oil/grease into a glass container. take 4 tbsp of the oil/grease mixture and add it to the egg/parmesan cheese mixture. throw your spaghetti noodles (and asparagus) and bacon  and toss it with the egg/parmesan/grease mixture.
5. if necessary, you can add some of the salt water to make it more creamy. generally, i never have to, but if you like it extra creamy, add salty water until you get the consistency you enjoy.  
6. (my favorite step) stuff your face until your flooded basement sorrows go away and you drift into a food induced coma.

tortellini pasta salad

this recipe is a tradition at most friend events... showers, baptisms or one year birthday parties (we've surpassed the summers of a bazillion weddings and onto summers of a bazillion kiddo birthday parties) i eat it as a side dish in the summer or as a main course for lunch. yet another recipe with spinach.

tortellini pasta salad
2 bags refrigerated tortellini
6 c fresh spinach
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved.
1 can artichokes, drained & chopped
4 oz shredded parmesan

dressing:
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 envelope italian dressing seasoning

1. cook tortellini as directed on package and cool.
2. mix dressing ingredients.
3. combine all ingredients.

eggplant

my grandpa watches the food network and has mentioned on several occasions how much he likes giada de laurentis. he's the first to admit it's not necessarily for her yummy food. yuk! i watch giada because i love her recipes NOT because of the way she looks.

rigatoni with eggplant puree

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 whole garlic cloves
3 tbl olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c toasted pine nuts
1 lb rigatoni
3 tbl olive oil
1/2 c grated parmesan

1. spread eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper, red pepper flakes on a baking sheet. roast 35 min at 400 degrees. roast pine nuts on a baking sheet for 8 min.
2. cook pasta, reserving 1 1/2 c pasta water.
3. puree vegetables in food processor or blender.
4. stir vegetable puree with pasta, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, olive oil adding pasta water in small batches until your desired consistency.

adapted by giada de laurentis

kid tested

so i'm a mac & cheese connoisseur. i've ordered it many a time at restaurants. i have yet to come across anything better than my grandma's (minus the icky spam she put in there... i know, gross). i'll post that one later. i like this recipe because it uses broccoli and anytime you can sneak those veggies in there is a positive in my eye.
my friend macie mae indulged in this dish and i thought it was important to mention that she approved. she called the noodles "nu nus". she was a bit confused about the broccoli as this was the first time she tried it!

mac & cheese with broccoli

2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb cavatappi
2 1/2 c broccoli florets
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
3 c milk
1 c chicken stock
3 c sharp cheddar
1 tbs dijon mustard

1. heat a medium pan over medium to medium-high heat. add olive oil and onion and cook 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender. add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. whisk in milk and stock and raise heat to bring the sauce to a quick boil. simmer until the sauce thickens about 5 minutes.

2. add pasta to boiling water and cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.

3. add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, a minute or so. stir in mustard and seaason sauce with salt and pepper. pour sauce over broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine.

4. bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

adapted from rachel ray

birthday dinner party

it was my best friend's birthday recently and she asked for risotto. every time i make this recipe, it turns out fabulous. i'm going to give jamie oliver all of the credit here. isn't he also known as the naked chef? i realized while writing this that i had no idea why! so... i googled it. apparently it's the name of a show he does in the uk. the idea behind the naked chef is stripping food down to it's bare essentials proving you don't need a lot of ingredients for a tasty fare. funny because i don't believe his risotto recipe would fit into that category. i add white truffle oil at the end- but that's totally up to you. i served the risotto with a roasted salmon wrapped in swiss chard. it was a hit.
on another note, jamie oliver has done some pretty impressive things lately. check out his website on the food revolution. 

risotto bianco with asparagus

2 pints stock (vegetable, chicken or fish)
2 tbl olive oil
dollop of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 head celery, finely chopped
2 c risotto (arborio rice)
2 wineglasses of dry white wine
asparagus, cut in 1-2 in pieces
5 tbl butter
2 tbl white truffle oil
4 oz. parmesan cheese

1. heat the stock and set aside. put olive oil and butter in a sauce pan, add onion, garlic and celery. cook for 15 min slowly on low-medium heat.
2. once veggies are softened, add the rice and turn up the heat. fry rice for a minute. add wine and keep stirring allowing alcohol to cook off.
3. add a ladle of stock and a pinch of salt. turn heat down to a simmer stirring occasionally. keep adding ladlefuls of stock and stirring until rice is cooked. this should take between 15-30 minutes. add asparagus in last 5 minutes of cooking.
4. remove from heat and add 5 tbl butter, 2 tbl white truffle oil and parmesan.

adapted from jamie oliver

roasted salmon wrapped in swiss chard

2 tbl unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbl fresh tarragon, finely chopped
2 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 1 tbl lemon juice
4 leaves swiss chard
4 (6-8 oz each) salmon fillets

1. bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. cook swiss chard in water until tender (about 4 minutes). use tongs to remove and lay flat on a foil lined baking sheet.
2. combine butter, tarragon, lemon zest and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. place one fillet on top of a leaf, near tip; repeat with remaining fillets. sprinkle fish with lemon juice. spread butter mixture over each fillet and wrap leaf around tucking the stalk underneath. roast in oven at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

adapted from martha stewart

if i could eat one meal before i died...

it would be this. i know you're confused because i said my favorite recipe "ever" was the chicken lasagne. but this, my friends, is my favorite thing to eat ever. i'm actually embarrassed to admit that as this is a down right cream of- casserole, and by no means is it healthy. my mom always made this. in fact, she would always bring a casserole dish of this to my apartment in college. well, it was my sister's birthday yesterday and i asked her what she wanted me to make... crunchy bake it was.
this recipe reminds me of ken, who always raided our fridge in the wee hours of the night in our college day. there is one foggy memory that my old roommates remind me of time and time again. unbenounced to me, ken ate all of my leftover crunchy bake one night. apparently i was pretty upset about it. rightfully so.

crunchy bake casserole

1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
2 c uncooked macaroni
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 small can durkees french fried onions

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. cook noodles. brown ground beef.
3. add all ingredients to a casserole dish except for french fried onions.
4. bake covered for 25 minutes. add french fried onions on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
5. eat all of it.

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my favorite recipe evah

one of my favorite cook books...pasta cooking by jeni wright. i found this recipe and thought i'd give it a shot. i've made it a million times since. this is my version of chicken lasagne. it sounds scary- it has carrots, but it's delectable. and folks, there's bacon in it... now i got your attention! when i cut the bacon i use just the lean part (not the fat). your call obviously. i cook my own chicken, but feel free to shred rotisserie chicken.
on another note, did you know the average american consumes more than 17.9 pounds of bacon per year? yikes.

chicken lasagne

2 tbl olive oil
4 bone-in chicken breasts (cooked in oven for 60 min at 375 degrees, cooled and shredded)
8 oz bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
3 tbl tomato paste
1 3/4 c chicken stock
12 sheets lasagne, cooked

for cheese sauce:
4 tbl butter
4 tbl flour
2 1/2 c milk
1 c sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp mustard powder
salt and black pepper

1. heat olive oil in large stock pot. brown bacon. add garlic, onions and carrots. cook for 5 minutes or until softened. add tomato paste, stock and seasoning (salt and black pepper). bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 min. add chicken for last 10 minutes.
2. on to the sauce... melt butter in saucepan, add flour and gradually blend in the milk, stirring until smooth. bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened, and simmer for several minutes. add half of the cheddar cheese and mustard. season to taste.
3. layer the following in casserole dish with chicken mixture, lasagne noodles, cheese sauce (save some for top) repeatedly ending with chicken mixture.
4. pour the cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle remaining cheddar. bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until lightly browned on top.

 

adapted from jeni wright

my first ever post...

i feel like it's gotta be good, right?
a lot of my friends cook and cook well. and then i have those few (who will remain nameless) that refuse to do it and claim they can't. my husband would fit into this category. i find this completely odd knowing all recipes have step by step instructions from start to finish. i think it comes down to the fear of the unfamiliar. let's dedicate a few posts to those few near and dear... the easiest, most simple and delicious recipes ever. (you'll notice i will post others' recipes but will give them the credit they deserve.)

fusilli alla caprese

1 lb. fusilli pasta
2 pints cherry tomatoes
handful of basil, torn
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed
3 tbl olive oil
black pepper and salt to taste

1. heat the olive oil in a saute pan. add the tomatoes and let them go at it for a good 10-15 minutes at a low temp. about half way thru, simply mash with a fork or potato masher. the idea here is to get a tomatoe-y ragu. add a generous amount of salt and pepper to your liking. keep in mind this is the only seasoning in the dish, so you'll need quite a bit.

2. cook pasta to al dente (mushy pasta is the worst). drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water.

3. pour the pasta into the ragu. add reserved pasta water a half a cup at a time if needed to loosen up the ragu. turn off the heat and add the basil and mozzarella and stir until the mozzerella oozes a tiny bit.

adapted from giada de laurentis