Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese

I found this on the Brown Eyed Baker.  Very creamy.  Ignore my mix of elbow and shells...I didn't have enough for just one type and had to get creative.

http://www.browneyedbaker.com

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes

2 eggs
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, divided
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon salt, plus additional 1½ teaspoons for pasta water
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces American cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1. In a small cup, dissolve the dry mustard in the water; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, dry mustard mixture, salt, and pepper; set aside.

3. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add the pasta and 1½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to the pot over low heat. Add the butter and stir until completely melted.

4. Add the egg mixture and three-quarters of the cheese mixture to the pasta and toss until thoroughly combined and the cheese starts to melt. Gradually add the remaining evaporated milk and remaining cheese mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Spicy Tomato & Turkey Soup

I found this on Iowa Girl Eats.  I made it twice in the same week.  Delicious.

Spicy Tomato & Turkey Soup with Ditalini

Print this recipe!

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

10 baby carrots (or 2 whole carrots), chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1lb 99% fat free ground turkey breast

salt & pepper

1 jar marinara sauce (23-28oz will work fine)

3-14oz cans chicken broth

1 can cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup ditalini, or other small pasta

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add in carrots, onion, garlic and turkey breast, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until turkey is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks.

2. Pour in marinara sauce, chicken broth, beans, red chili pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then add in pasta. Simmer soup for 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Add more salt & pepper if necessary, and ladle into bowls to serve.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I'm always looking for a good baked macaroni and I think I finally found a really good one, maybe even my favorite...and it's even light! My kids even loved it.

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Gina's Weight Watchers
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Points: 6 ww ptsCalories: 296.67 • Fat: 9.7 g • Protein: 15.8 g • Carb: 34.5 g • Fiber: 5.3 g

12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp light butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth
8 oz Sargento 2% reduced fat mild cheddar
salt and pepper
4 cups baby spinach
1/8 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
Pam butter flavored spray

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Spray a baking dish with buttered flavor Pam. Preheat oven to 375°.In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Add flour and cook over low heat stirring with a whisk. Add onion and cook another 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and baby spinach. Pour into baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more buttered flavor Pam on top.Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden

Mandarin Chicken Salad

This is one of our very favorite salads. I got the recipe from my friend Kim. My sister always requests it. So, for Easter, this was one of my assignments.

Mandarin Chicken Salad


8 chicken breast halves (I usually like them grilled)

1 (12 oz.) pkg. pasta (bowtie or rotini

1 1/2 bottles Brianna's poppy seed dressing

1 pkg. chow mein noodles

1 pkg. slivered almonds

3 c. romaine lettuce

3 c. iceberg lettuce

1 can sliced water chestnuts, cut in halt

2 cans mandarin oranges (drained)

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Cook the chicken, chill and cut into chunks. Mix together the cooked pasta, chicken and 1/2 bottle of dressing. Let this marinate for awhile. Mix together the chow mein noodles, lettuce, water chestnuts, slivered almonds and green onions. Pour on the other bottle of salad dressing. Combine with the marinated chicken and pasta. Add mandarin oranges and toss gently. Serve immediately. Serves about 15.

Macaroni and Cheese

I am constantly looking for a good homemade mac and cheese. I've tried several and they never turn out very good. I found this recipe on "The Pioneer Woman Cooks". For those of you who have never heard of her blog, she is AMAZING and her blog is hilarious, actually making her recipes enjoyable to cook! And, if you still don't feel like cooking, it's still an entertaining read.

York does not enjoy mac and cheese. This is a rarity because, as I've said, he'll eat just about anything. I'm pretty determined to find a recipe that even he will like. So, I tried it and he said it was alright and even added that it had good flavor. My kids seemed to really like it. I actually received a "thanks for dinner" from an eleven year old boy. Words not heard very often from him! My four year old, who usually claims to be allergic to my cooking, said "I don't think I'm allergic to this!" Of course, 4 bites into it, he claimed he was full and after the usual lecture about not asking me for anything else tonight, he left a mostly full plate. 30 minutes later, he was hungry again and begging for bubble gum.

Macaroni & Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
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 (1 pound is 2 cups for those of you who would need to look this info up!)
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


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 and 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, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and 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 and stir to melt.Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDER SALT.Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.