Oven Baked Macaroni & Cheese - UPDATED VERSION

I was asked to make macaroni and cheese for a function today.  When I went back through my old blog posts and pulled out the original Macaroni & Cheese recipe that I used many times I realized that the old recipe doesn't state the amount of flour to use or the method of blending the flour into the milk to make the roux. I decided to do an update with a more accurate recipe that you will find below.

Oven Baked Macaroni & Cheese

16 oz of uncooked elbow macaroni
1 stick of butter
4 cups of milk
1/2 cup flour
12 oz sharp cheddar (grated) cheese, reserve a handful to sprinkle on top
1 teaspoon of salt (I cut this down from 2 teaspoons in the original recipe)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.
3. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in flour to make a paste.
4. Warm the milk in microwave for 2-3 minutes.
5. Slowly add milk to the paste.
6. Whisk in the milk until thickened (about 1-2 minutes).
7. Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, mustard and cheese, stir until smooth.
8. Stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce and pour into a 3 quart casserole dish.
9. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.

(You can easily do half the recipe in a 1-1/2 or 2 quart baking dish or even double the recipe for a large crowd.)

Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

This is a great way to make cauliflower. It is very tasty.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Ingredients:

2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets
2 leeks, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts only
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the cauliflower, leeks and red peppers on the prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, thyme, and salt.  Add to cauliflower mixture, tossing gently to coat.

Bake until the cauliflower is tender, 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve

Enjoy!

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

I tried this smoothie a few weeks ago. It was great. The recipe comes from Ellie Krieger. It is simple but satisfying.

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup nonfat or 1% lowfat milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup frozen blueberries (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon honey

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Classic Vinaigrette

This is a nice easy vinaigrette to make when you don't want the bottled stuff with all its chemicals and such.

Classic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1-1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Combine vinegar, shallots, salt, Dijon mustard and pepper. Gradually add olive oil, stirring until incorporated.

Snow Pea Salad with Shallot and Tarragon

I have to hand it to Martha Stewart for this recipe. I loved this vinaigrette so much that I would put it on a salad or any vegetable. It is delish! The only changes I made were to par boil the snow peas and I used dry tarragon. Next time, I will slice the peas but this time, I didn't.

Snow Pea Salad with Shallot and Tarragon
by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne or white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 pound snow peas, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add shallot, snow peas, and tarragon and combine.

To store, refrigerate covered, up to 6 hours.

Vegetable Soup

This is the soup that I thought would solve all my problems with getting my son to eat his veggies. It worked for a short time but he is now "over" this soup. I really enjoy it as does my husband. Oh well... The recipe comes from the Cooking Classy website.


Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (about 4)
1-1/4 cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (undrained)
3 cups peeled and 1/2-inch thick diced potatoes (about 3 medium)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups chopped frozen or fresh green beans
1-1/4 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 cup frozen or fresh peas

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour in broth and add tomatoes, potatoes, parsley, bay leaves, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then add green beans, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes, then add corn and peas. Cook 5 minutes longer. Serve Warm.

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Enjoy!

Italian Pizzelles

I brought these cookies to a family reunion and and my cousin Jennie asked me to give her the recipe for the Pizzelles. Her boyfriend said that "they were to die for."  In order to make them properly, you need an electric pizzelle baker.

Italian Pizzelles

3 eggs
1-3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter* (melted)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar**

Beat eggs and sugar. Add cooled melted butter, vanilla and anise. Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Batter will be stiff enough to be dropped by spoon. Batter can be refrigerated to be used at a later time. Makes approximately 30 pizzelles.

*Do not use oil or margarine as a substitute.

**I reduced the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup just because I don't like things to be too sweet.

Also, I have a Prima Pizzelle Baker by VillaWare (Classic Italian Kitchenware).