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.