Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese. It's so delicious. I mean, really... talk about comfort food. It's an American staple. I don't make it often, but every once in a while, it's good to have the real thing. Home made from scratch and not from the blue box. (That's not a knock on the blue box. I'm pretty sure I ate a box of it a day when I was pregnant with Abby. That could also be why I gained like 65 pounds in that pregnancy. Maybe.) In the past, I've always made this mac and cheese from The Pioneer Woman. It's delicious and rich and just about perfect. But it packs a lot of calories, and it calls for a lot of cheese, which can get a little expensive.

I've been cooking a lot lately using recipes from all the Cooking Light magazines I have stacked up around here, and I came across their mac and cheese recipe. We tried it last night and it was yummy! It really didn't even feel "light", which is a major bonus, and it's pretty cheap to make. I usually have almost all of the ingredients on hand.

INGREDIENTS

10 ounce large elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat macaroni)
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken stock, divided
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
8 teaspoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
3 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I may have used 4)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Set aside.
2. Preheat broiler to high.
3. Heat Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add garlic to pan; cook 3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring frequently (do not brown). Stir in 1 cup stock; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute. Combine remaining 1 1/4 cups stock, milk, and flour; stir with a whisk until flour dissolves. Add milk mixture to garlic mixture, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Remove milk mixture from heat; add cream cheese, stirring until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta to milk mixture, tossing to coat. Let stand 5 minutes. Pour pasta mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cheddar evenly over pasta mixture. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown. Let stand 5 minutes.

SERVES 6

Serving 1 cup | Calories 358 | Fat 15g | Protien 14.4g | Carbohydrates 40.7

Roasted Butternut Squash

I've discovered over the past couple of years that I really like butternut squash. Trouble is that every time I try and make it, I fail miserably. After tasting a particularly delicious version of Butternut Squash in Ireland, I came home resolved to try one more time. 

So I came across this post on the "Perfect" roasted butternut squash. And then sort of improvised from there. So here goes...

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash
Olive oil (or other oil)
1 T. butter
2 T. cream or milk
Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, then coat with oil (skin as well as the exposed insides).
3. Put flat sides down on cookie sheet (with skin up), then place in preheated oven.
4. Cook the whammy out of it. At least an hour, but probably more. Maybe an hour and 20 minutes or so? It should be very tender and mushy.
5. Let cool for a few minutes, then scoop out and discard seeds. Scoop squash into a bowl and set aside.
6. In a saucepan over low-medium heat, add cream and butter. 
7. Once butter melts, stir in squash until blended. For extra creaminess, blend using an immersion blender. 
8. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

Tomatillo Salsa

This salsa is from 100 Days of Real Food and is delicious on tacos! Also good for chips and dip.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ lbs tomatillos (they look like little green tomatoes with husks around them)
• ½ cup white onion
• ¾ cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat broiler on high.
2. Peel and discard husks off tomatillos. Rinse and cut tomatillos in half. Place cut side down on foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Broil for 5 – 7 minutes until skin is lightly blackened.
3. Puree tomatillos and rest of ingredients together including onion, cilantro, lime, and pepper using a food processor, blender, or hand immersion blender until ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
4. Cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Bacon Wrapped Jalepenos

We've got tons of jalepenos growing in our garden at the moment. Every few days I'm picking handfuls of them. (And that's just off of one plant!) I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them until the other day, and then I realized, of course! I mean is there really anything else to do with a jalepeno besides stuff it with cream cheese and wrap it in bacon?

INGREDIENTS

• Jalepenos
• Cream cheese (I use the reduced fat whipped)
• Green onions, chopped small
• Bacon, strips cut in half

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Halve jalepenos and discard the seeds. (Also, do not touch your eyes, nose, face, or any other important part of your body until you have thoroughly washed your hands. A word to the wise.)
3. In small bowl, combine cream cheese with green onions to suit your taste.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture into the jalepeno halves.
5. Cut bacon strips in half and use one strip to wrap each jalepeno.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until bacon is crispy. (I can't remember how long I cooked them. Will try to update next time I make these and am paying attention more closely.)
7. Go sit in a corner and eat the whole tray before anyone else finds out what you've done!

Bre's Easy Baked Beans

You had me at, "when bacon grease starts to bubble up through the sugar..."

Ingredients

• 1 28 oz. can baked beans
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces
• 8 oz. brown sugar
• 1 t. liquid smoke
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 t. spicy mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pour beans into 2 qt. casserole dish. 
3. Place bacon in a 9 in. skillet, completely covering bottom of pan. Spread brown sugar over bacon and cook on medium heat. When bacon grease starts to bubble up through the sugar, transfer to the casserole dish and mix with beans and other ingredients.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Cream Corn

If you're like me, you grew up eating cream corn from a can. Don't get me wrong, I liked it fairly well... but then I went to Rudy's BBQ and my life was changed. This creamed corn was different, and I craved it. I found a recipe years ago and this is a regular for potlucks, holidays, and barbecues!

Ingredients

• 2 10 oz. packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. granulated sugar
• 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T. butter
• 1 c. whole milk
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, combine corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper, and butter.
2. Whisk together milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture.
3. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.

Garlic Knots

You might want to double this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury Breadsticks
1 T. EVOO
2 T. butter
1 t. finely choped garlic

Directions:
Grease 12 muffin tins and preheat oven to 375. Tie each breadstick into a knot and place in muffin tin. Melt butter with olive oil in microwave (about 30 seconds), then add garlic, then brush/pour onto dough. Bake 10-15 minutes until golden and delicious. Try not to eat all 12 yourself.

Coconut Rice

I love rice. But unless it's the instant variety, I'm not so good at making it. I somehow always over or under cook it. I hear that a rice cooker is the way to go, but I haven't been able to justify spending the extra money. So the other day, I did some research in order to improve my skills, and I discovered that I can cook rice in the crock pot! Then I decided to get creative and see if I could do something fancy with it, and I made coconut rice. And it turned out good! (Hear the shock in my voice?) And, while it tastes fancy, between you and me, it's quite easy to make!

Ingredients

1 c. Jasmine or Basmati Rice
1 c. Lite coconut milk (or more if you want. You just need 2 cups liquid total between the coconut milk and water.)
1 c. Water
1 T. butter
Salt to taste
Cilantro (optional)

Crock Pot Directions
Rub butter on inside of crock pot. Pour rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in crock pot. Turn to high and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours (or low for 3-4 hours). Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Stove Top Directions
Bring Coconut Milk and Water to a boil. Add salt and butter. When boiling, add rice. Lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff and serve!

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients
1 can of black beans (drained)
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can of mild rotel
1/2 cup grape tomatoes (sliced)
1  lime (squeezed)
chopped cilantro (to taste)
Sliced Jalapenos in their Juice (optional)
Salt (to taste)
Garlic powder (to taste)

Directions Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and voila! You're done! Keeps well (and becomes more flavorful) for several days. Tastes great with tortilla chips or on it's own!