The Holy Grail of Macaroni & Cheese

Alright. Here goes. I'm only sharing this recipe because I want a back up for myself in the horrible instance that my written recipe gets lost. This recipe is special. Of all the things I make, I get the request to make this most often. I got the recipe from a friend of mine, because I was so head-over-heels in love with this stuff. I'm tellin ya - worth it's weight in gold. Ready? Here goes. One last thing - this stuff comes with a warning: don't make this unless you want to eternally be disappointed with every other mac n cheese recipe you'll ever make again.

1 lb Creamettes (yes, you must use this brand of macaroni. I'm not sure why it's so much better)

1 lb block of Hoffman's SuperSharp cheddar (don't try to substitute - I know it's expensive, but the whole dish depends on it)

1 quart of milk (that's 4 cups :-) )

1/2 Tablespoon black pepper

1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grate your cheese into a large baking pan.

Stir the sugar, pepper, and salt into the milk.

Boil the noodles for 7 minutes and drain. Pour the hot noodles over the grated cheese. Let sit for about a minute and then mix together until all the cheese is melted. Pour the milk mixture over the cheesy noodles. Do not mix. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Voila! Enjoy and try to share even though it hurts. You can thank me later.

 

Raisin Bran Muffins

I'm craving carbs like crazy today, and I was digging through recipes to post...these sounded delicious.  I forget where my mom and sister actually got this recipe (maybe a newspaper), but I DO remember the dozens of muffins that this recipe made.  The recipe is for 6 dozen muffins (yes, you read that correctly), but obviously you can split it if you want less.  The great thing is that because this recipe uses buttermilk, it can keep in your fridge for up to 6 WEEKS.  Now, that sounds a bit weird to me, but that's what the recipe says.   Here's what you'll need:

 

4 eggs, beaten

1 quart buttermilk

5 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups sugar

5 cups unsifted flour

1 cup cooking oil

15 ounce box of raisin bran flakes

 

Combine all ingredients well and refrigerate the batter at least overnight.  Batter will keep up to six weeks (see, I told you.  You can make the entire batch or make just enough for the week or even make some each morning if you want).  Spoon the desired amount of batter into greased muffin tins (or you can use those cute little cupcake liners).  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Summer Squash Casserole

Happy Monday, everyone!  Here is another one of those perfect summertime recipes, when the zucchini and yellow squash in your garden seem to be multiplying by the second.  What to do?  My parents used to make this casserole for summer picnics and get-togethers, and it was always a hit.  Even with me, the world's pickiest kid!   It's delicious and full of vegetables, but still has a savory, homey, comfort-food quality.

 

3 cups squash (zucchini or yellow squash, or a mix of both)

2 carrots, shredded

1 small onion, grated

1 cup cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 package Pepperidge Farm stuffing (the cubed kind)

1/3 cup melted butter

 

Cut the squash into bite sized pieces.  Lightly cook and drain.  Mix the stuffing with the melted butter.  Mix the squash, carrots, onion, soup, sour cream, and half of the stuffing mixture.  Pour into a casserole dish and top with the remaining half of the stuffing mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.  Serves 8-10 people.

Garlic Parmesan Bread Bites

Drop whatever it is you're doing and make this. I'm serious. It's totally worth it. This is so easy and delicious! I think I'll probably make this everytime we have Italian (or you know, when I want an awesome snack).

First, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and cut up one of those Pillsbury cans of Italian bread dough into bite-sized pieces. When you're done cutting the dough up, in a cast iron skillet, melt a nice big chunk of butter (about 3 Tablespoons) and add 2 nice rounded teaspoons of minced garlic, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan, and 2 teaspoons of Italian dipping spices (the kind with herbs and salt that you mix into olive oil). Once the butter is melted and everything is mixed in, turn off the heat. Stir in the pieces of dough and arrange them in one layer on the bottom of the pan so all the pieces are touching. Put the pan into the oven for 25-30 minutes until you get a nice golden color on top. The house smells awesome as this is baking :-) When it comes out, you have this incredibly addictive, super delicious pull-apart bread. It's good later, but it's the best when you eat it hot out of the oven. Enjoy!

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

First, can I say that I can't believe I've missed two Photo Fridays in a row?  How terrible!  I'm going to attempt to make it up to you with this recipe and a promise that I will knock your socks off with Photo Friday this week. 

This recipe is my Grandma Jones's.  I think everyone probably has some version of this recipe in their back pocket, but I promise you that this is the best of them all.  I'm sure everyone probably always says that too, but can everyone else make an onion-hater into an onion-eater?  No.  I hate onions.  And my grandma made this...and I ate it.  I did not ask questions, I did not complain, I did not pick through the pile of deliciousness on my plate in search of rogue onions.  So there.

2 pounds hashbrown potatoes, defrosted

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion (chop this finely...mince it, even!)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

topping:  2 cups crushed corn flakes and 1/2 cup melted butter, combined

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 9x13 inch baking pan.  Spread mixture out evenly.   Sprinkle the corn flake topping over the top of the potatoes, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Hello, is any people pleasing recipe easier than this one?  No!  This is a super simple side dish to serve along with your Christmas dinner.  Or any dinner.  Or you can make it on its own and eat it out of the pan with a fork and...oops.  That was just between me and the potatoes.  Not anymore!   Enjoy, everyone!

Basil Pesto

This post is for my lovely Rose :)  Apparently, Rose and her very green-thumbed and wonderful mother have a crop of basil that would make any Italian jealous.  So my BFF called me up and asked me for my family's pesto recipe...and I figured it was good enough to share.  This is my sister Gina's version, which I think is the best.  It's yummy, fresh, and garlic-y...and here's a little tip:  you don't have to put this on pasta.  My favorite is using it with steak...it's so delicious and it just kicks up the flavor of the steak in a way that's phenomenal.  Last time I had it, I swear my tastebuds threw a party.

1 and a half cups basil leaves, packed

half cup parsley

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil (most likely less)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Make sure that when you measure the 1 and a half cups of basil, that you are packing the leaves down tightly to fit as much in as possible (kind of like you would with brown sugar).  Add the basil, parsley, and garlic cloves to a food processor.  Put the lid on and leave the top open (you know, the way they do it on the Food Network) and add the olive oil gradually as the pesto is blended.  The pesto should be thick - not runny!  You will most likely use less than the 1/4 cup of olive oil.   When the pesto is just blended together enough to stick together, stop blending and stop adding the olive oil.  Put the pesto in a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese separately.

The great thing about this pesto is that you do NOT ever cook it.  If you want to heat it up, add a smidge of the hot pasta water.  Or just hot water from a tea kettle if you're not using pasta at all.   Buckle up for deliciousness!

Pumpkin Biscuits

Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit on fall flavors, but I can't help myself.  For once, it wasn't a thousand degrees here and felt a breeze (that wasn't fraught with an overwhelming amount of humidity) hit my face.  I got excited for fall, it's true.  I also get excited about biscuits pretty frequently, so I figured that this would be one heck of a great post. 

1 and 1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)

1/2 stick softened butter

2 to 4 tablespoons milk (depending on consistency of the dough)

Mix the dry ingredients together.  Mix pumpkin and softened butter together.  Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin and butter.  Gradually add the milk to the dough - the dough should not be too dry or too wet.  Knead the dough lightly on a floured board.  Roll dough out to 1/2 inch thick, and use a cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass) to cut circles in the dough.  Place the cut biscuits on a greased pan, and brush the tops with butter.  Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.  

These are great for desserts, or breakfast, or a side item with a delicious fall meal (try Restaurant Quality Chicken or Rose's Not Your Mom's Meatloaf).  Basically, these things are savory and sweet bites of pure pumpkin heaven! 

One more tip - if you want to add a bit more fall flavor, try adding some cinnamon or nutmeg into the dry mixture when you're making the biscuits.  Deeee-lish!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

10 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
15 red skin potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic cloves in a small baking dish. Coat in olive oil, cover, and bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Place roasted garlic, milk, parmesan cheese, and butter into the bowl with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Mash until creamy and smooth.
Something tells me this would be the perfect side for Jenny’s Chicken Marsala.  Spoon all that extra delicious sauce over these bad boys and revel in the perfection you just created. Go ahead, revel.

Oriental Coleslaw

Before we start, go get a big bowl. No, bigger. Seriously, the biggest bowl you have. The first time I made this, I think I had to transfer it twice. There is a massive amount of this stuff when you’re mixing, but after it sits a while and comes together, it reduces by about half. Typing this recipe makes me want to go whip up a batch. I haven’t had it in a while and now I’m getting the craving for it. I’m not a fan of mayonnaise based slaw, and really don’t think cold raw cabbage sounds delicious at all. However, this recipe has an explosion of flavors and really goes well with a variety of main dishes.

1 pound pre-packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)

1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles

1 cup slivered toasted almonds (350 degrees on tin foil for a few minutes)

3 green onion, chopped (optional – I don’t use them)

½ cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

Mix the dressing and ramen seasoning. Pour over slaw and mix well. Refrigerate over night. Immediately before serving, top with crushed ramen noodles (not cooked – crunchy right out of the package). Observation: I have found that I really don’t need all of the dressing, but I prefer to use it and right before I serve it, I add another ¼ - ½ bag of slaw so that there is some that's saturated and some that's crisp. Up to you!

Corn Casserole

1 egg, beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 stick melted margarine

1 can corn (drain ½ of the water off)

1 can cream style corn

1 box (8 ½ oz) Jiffy corn muffin mix

Bake in greased 8x12” dish at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

It’s weird how I want this with totally different foods. I think it goes great with summer cookout food as well as with Mexican. This stuff is delicious and gives a nice sweetness that balances out savory main dishes.

Creamy Spinach – a healthy switch-a-roo

This one is a spin off on a “hungry-girl” classic. When I’m on a diet kick, I tend to get creative. I love Boston Market creamed spinach, but let’s face it – too much of that stuff and my butt will be the size of Utah. I guarantee that when you try this, there’s no way you’ll be able to tell it’s low cal/low fat and actually good for you. So get in all that delicious creamy, cheesy, hidden Vitamin K.  Plus, it’s really easy - you only use one bowl, and you make it in the microwave.

1 package of frozen spinach

2 wedges of Laughing Cow light (garlic & herb)

1 generous sprinkle of garlic salt

1 tablespoon fat free sour cream

1 tablespoon (a little less) grated parmesan

Thaw out the spinach in the microwave, and drain well (get in there and squish out all of that extra spinach juice) Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Put back into the microwave until the sauce is melted and it’s nice and creamy.

Homemade Fresh Mozzarella

I can’t begin to tell you the satisfaction you will receive from making your own cheese. I love cheese. If something is cheesy, I want it. Gooey, cheesy deliciousness. I can’t believe it’s possible to make your own mozzarella at home (and in less than an hour and with a microwave!) I’ll be honest, the first time is not all that easy, but practice really does make perfect on this one. I make this often now as a beautiful caprese salad with gorgeous tomatoes and basil from my garden. And I’ll tell you what – I’ve never bought mozzarella as delicious as this before.

The milk: this is the holy grail of cheese making and you have to get it right. I wasted lots of milk and money by using the wrong kind. It’s essential that you have a local, not ultra-pasteurized milk. Milk with the least amount of processing and shipping will work best. I tried a local brand first, Turner Dairy, only 5 miles away, only to end in failure – it was ultra-pasteurized, but labeled “pasteurized” Mis-labeling is a big problem and unfortunately, it’s pretty much trial and error. In Pittsburgh, I’ve found the perfect milk. It’s reasonably local (only from Ohio) and they don’t over-process the milk with high temperatures. I get Snowville Creamery whole milk (low fat will produce a drier, less flavorful cheese and not as much of it), and I buy it at Whole Foods in the East End. The end result is heavenly.

Special ingredients: You are going to need rennet (I use liquid animal rennet) and citric acid. While I think you can find this in some specialty grocery stores, I just did it the easy way and ordered from www.cheesemaking.com. This also ensures you are getting exactly the right stuff with the perfect potency. It’s reasonably priced and shipping is incredibly fast.

Thermometer: Make life easy on yourself and buy a nice digital thermometer that you can hook on the side of the pot. It prevents operator error by being precise. I hate to admit this, because I’m not a dumb-dumb. I’m pretty smart, but I screwed up reading the temperature on the first 3 batches I tried to make. Turns out Celsius and Fahrenheit are REALLY different and I was reading the wrong side of the traditional thermometer I had. The result was a metallic tasting lump of weird tiny curds. Delish.

Be prepared: I think the cheese knows when you’re frustrated, because after I did this a few times, everything just seemed to work. If you put lots of love into the process, you will make a delicious product. Get out everything you need before you start and mix everything together so it’s ready to go. Clean up your area – no dirty dishes, rags, or sponges around, this affects the curd formation. Use antibacterial cleaner to wipe down all the surfaces you will be near. Like I said, this may take a few times before it flows smoothly.

For a complete step-by-step with photos, go here. Mine looked nothing like these photos the first 5 or so times I tried to make it. Once I got the milk right, though…oh man. My curds were beautiful and looked just like Ricki’s. She really is the Cheese Queen. Many questions you have will be answered somewhere on this site: http://www.cheesemaking.com/includes/modules/jWallace/ChsPgs/1Mozz/Index.html