Play Dress Up with Your Mac & Cheese

 I love Mac & Cheese! Easily it ranks right up in my top ten favorite foods to eat anytime. Mac & Cheese has been around since the medieval times with a recipe found in the oldest known cookbook, Libre de Conquina. As it has stood the test of time and become a favorite of most all kids, big and small, it is also a dish that can be and has been prepared in so many ways.  Some have it homemade, semi-homemade, frozen or from a box. Nonetheless, there is not real right or wrong way to make mac & cheese. 

  Often times I like to dress up my mac & cheese with different ingredients to mix up the flavor a little bit. I start off with one of the Drake's Frozen Mac & Cheese Dinners. I love Drake's because it has the right amount of cheesy sauce and the bigger elbow noodles that are made from fresh pasta! They also use milk and cheese that has no artificial hormones or antibiotics. I will defrost the mac & cheese in the fridge ahead of time making it easier to mix in the ingredients before baking (and it cuts the baking time down by more than half.) Often I will also have to transfer the mac & cheese to a bigger baking dish to make sure there is enough room for all the ingredients!

Broccoli Mac & Cheese

Broccoli Mac & Cheese

  To make Broccoli Mac & Cheese just add 2 cups of broccoli florets (defrosted) to 1 Drakes Mac & Cheese. Transfer the container of the Mac & Cheese to larger baking pan or dish. Mix in the broccoli and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 375*f until the top is brown and it is warm all the way through. 

 

P.S. Sometimes if I have left over chicken I will add it as well ;)

Jalapeño & Bacon Mac & Cheese

Jalapeño & Bacon Mac & Cheese

  This makes a great side dish to tacos, fajitas, mexican chicken or just on it's own! Just add one can of chopped jalapeño peppers and 6 strips of bacon that is cooked and chopped into small pieces. Mix the two ingredients to the mac & cheese and bake. Top with chopped green onions before serving.

Hot Dog Octopus!

  How cute are these guys?!? They are such a great idea for a party or just for any day. All you need to do is slice the hot dog in half half way and then cut the halves in half again to make for legs ( I know it four legs shy of a real octopus but, it is for the cuteness factor.) Put the uncooked hot dogs in a pot of boiling water and cook as the instructions suggest. Top each plate of mac & cheese off with an octopus.  For a little more flair you can add goldfish cracker and peas too.

Happy Chicken Cacciatore Day!!

Today is Chicken Cacciatore Day and what a perfect day it is for this warm flavorful fall dish! Chicken Cacciatore is super easy and a healthy dinner to make. You use just one pot for the Cacciatore and one for the pasta! It is best to give yourself a little time for the dish to cook and is even best made ahead of time to allow for the flavors to develop. 

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 green pepper sliced
• 1 red pepper sliced
• 1 red onion sliced
• 2 stalks of celery sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic smashed
• 1 package of mushroom sliced
• 1 cup of dry red wine
• 1 can of San Marzano Crushed or Diced Tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 spring of rosemary
• salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

  In a large pot or dutch oven over medium/ high heat add the olive oil to pot. Warm up the 1/2 the oil for a minute or just until it begins to swirl and loosen up. Using a pair of tongs and being careful of the oil splatter add the chicken thighs first, layering them evenly on the bottom of the pot. Next add the chicken breast. Let each cook just until they are browned before flipping to the other side (about 5 minutes.) Once both sides are brown remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. Add the last of the oil, the garlic and the vegetables. sauté the mixture for 8 to 10 minute or until the onion starts to become clear. Add the cup of wine, scrape the bottom of the pan to remove and bits that may have become stuck. Next add back in the chicken and top off with the can of tomatoes and fresh herbs. Bring the contents of the pot to a low simmer and cook for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Add water if needed. Taste before serving to measure the amount of salt and pepper to be added.

 Serve over pasta (egg noodles, tagliatelle, linguini or cavatelli) or over homemade creamy polenta. 

How to Make Soft Pretzels using Frozen Pizza Dough

 It seems like I am always on a search on how to multipurpose different foods and products. In one of my search the other day I stumbled upon this great idea over at All You that had a bunch of different uses for pizza dough. My favorite was the tip for making Soft Pretzels.

 There is no real recipe since the dough is already made, you just need to defrost the dough and give it a good twist!

 Instructions:

• Defrost 1lb of white or wheat pizza dough
• Divide thawed dough into 12 pieces
• Form each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape
• Brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt
• Place on a lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown in a 375*f oven
• Serve with a side of mustard

Buffalo Bites for Game Time or Anytime

 Buffalo Chicken bites and tenders are one of my favorite things to have as an appetizer out with friends or as a game time snack. However, the deep fried and breaded chicken is not the healthiest thing to eat, especially if it also being dipped in bleu cheese dressing!

 Betty Crocker has a recipe that you can lightly bread pieces of chicken in Bisquick and cornmeal that you can dip in reduced/ lower fat homemade Bleu Cheese Sauce.

Of course I made just a few modifications from the original to get in some Munroe Dairy/ Cowtruck love!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg white
• 1/3 hot wing sauce (like Frank's Red Hot)
• 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1" pieces
• 3/4 cup of Original Bisquick mix
• 3 tbsp of Kenyon's Cornmeal
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of pepper

 In a large bowl mix the buffalo sauce and egg white until combined. Add the chicken bites to the mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour to marinate the chicken.
 In a resealable plastic bag add the Bisquick, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon add a few pieces of the marinated chicken to the bag and toss around until evenly coated. remove the coated chicken from the bag with the spoon and place on a line cookie sheet. Repeat until all of the chicken is coated. 

  Place the cookie sheet into a 400*f oven on the middle rack and cook the bites for 15 to 18 minutes or until fully cooked (times may vary depending on the thickness and size of the chicken bites.) 

 You can also do the same thing to Cauliflower!!! This is perfect for those Meatless Monday Night Games...

 Just switch the chicken out for one head of cauliflower. Cut the into 1" florets and treat it the same way. The cooking time even remains the same!

Reduced Fat Bleu Cheese Dipping Sauce:

• 3/4 cup of crumbled Bleu Cheese
• 6 tbsp of Low Fat Cabot Sour Cream 
• 6 tbsp of Low Fat Mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp of Low Fat Milk

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and combine together. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

  Tis the season of apple picking, squash, pumpkin and all things Fall. The leaves are now turning their seasonal bright red, yellows and oranges, the nights are getting crisper and there is the faint smell of a fireplace burning. In my household this also means it is the time of year for soups, chili and stew. I love soup and could eat it almost everyday! I am not sure if I have a favorite type but, Butternut Squash is in the top 10 of favorites and over the years I have made many different varieties of it. Some have bacon, carrots, cranberries, and sweet sweet fall apples.

 

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium Yellow Onion (chopped 1" pieces)
• 1 rib of Celery chopped
• 1 Carrot chopped 
• 2 Shallots chopped
• 4 cloves of Garlic
• 1 - 20 oz package of Diced Butternut Squash
• 1 large hearty Apple cored and diced (Gala, Granny Smith, or Fuji)
• 4 cups of Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 tbsp of Olive Oil 
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 cup Whole Milk or Light Cream

Photo Credit: Choosing Raw 

 On a lined cookie sheet place the onion, celery, shallots, garlic, apple, squash and bay leaf. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast in a 425*f oven for 25 to 30 minutes or just until softened and the corners are turning brown. (Can be roasted ahead of time by one day.) Remove the Bay Leaf and discard

  In a large stock pot add the butter over medium heat. When the butter has just melted add the roasted vegetables to the pot and cook for 5 before adding the broth. Once the broth is added simmer for 30 minutes until all the vegetables are very soft. Let the soup cool slightly before adding it to the food processor for blending or before using an immersion blender. Once the soup is blended add the milk to the cooled soup and incorporate it before returning the pot to the stove to bring to serving temperature.

Serve the soup in bowls with a dollop of Cabot Sour Cream! 

Shameless French Fries in All Flavors

Photo Credit: Oprah.com

 French Fries are often a favorite of kids (and adults too!) They are the ying to a burger or chicken tenders yang. With more families watch the quality of food and nutrition that makes it to the dinner table these days french fries are more of a treat than a stable.  But, this does not always have to be the case... French fries do not have to be made with potatoes and they do not have to be fried. They can be made with all types of vegetables and baked in the oven with a deceiving crisp of deep fired goodness.

  It all starts with a simple batter or coating for the "fries." My favorite is a simple base of Kenyon's Cornmeal, flour, salt, and eggs. It is a the foundation for a crispy coating that will impress event the pickiest of eaters and you can build on it by adding your own seasonings like, fresh herbs, dried peppers, and grated cheeses.

Coating Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of sliced vegetable (sticks) 
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 cup of Kenyon's Cornmeal
• 1/4 cup of unbleached flour   

In a medium shallow bowl beat the eggs and set aside. In a large shallow bowl combine the salt, cornmeal, flour and seasoning of your choice.
 First dip (or dredge) the vegetables in the egg and then coat them in the cornmeal four mixture. Place the coated vegetables on a lined cookie sheet. Bake the fries at 425*f for 15 to 20 minutes or until the coating is crispy and golden brown.

Serve with BBQ, ketchup, or any sauce of your choosing!

Here are a few of my favorites...

Quick and Easy Cheaters Aioli:

Spicy Siracha Aioli

• 1 tsp of roasted garlic(from a jar or tube)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil (not EVOO)
• 3/4 cup of light Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp of Siracha Sauce

 In a bowl combine all of the ingredients together and serve. 

Chipolte Aioli

• 1 tsp of roasted garlic(from a jar or tube)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil (not EVOO)
• 3/4 cup of light Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp of Chipolte Pepper Flakes

 In a bowl combine all of the ingredients together and serve. 

Tarragon Aioli

• 1 tsp of roasted garlic(from a jar or tube)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil (not EVOO)
• 3/4 cup of light Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp of dried Tarragon or 2 tbsp of fresh chopped

 In a bowl combine all of the ingredients together and serve.