Spaghetti Pie

May 19, 2013 · 6 comments

one hour payday loans

in beef,italian,pasta

I mentioned before that I had some odd cravings during my pregnancy, and baked spaghetti was one of them. What made it especially odd is that up until that point, I’d only had it once in my life. Even stranger, at the height of this craving, we visited my in-laws and my mother-in-law made baked spaghetti (without knowing of my craving). Score!

Spaghetti pie or baked spaghetti is pretty similar to baked ziti, but it uses cream cheese in addition to all the other cheeses (and obviously spaghetti in place of ziti).  I made this meal during my pregnancy and liked it so much that I made it again shortly after Ian was  born (and before finding out that he couldn’t handle his dairy quite as well as I could :P). I’ve made it with both cottage cheese and ricotta. I’m not a huge cottage cheese fan, but I find it works well enough in baked pasta dishes. I happened to have half a container of leftover ricotta the second time I made this and since I prefer the flavor, I used it instead. You can use whichever you choose.

Even with a homemade sauce, this meal doesn’t take much time to make. I don’t have a problem making the sauce while the water boils and pasta cooks (although admittedly, it seems to take approximately 1 week to boil a large pot of water on my range).  That said, this can be assembled one night and baked the next. The recipe makes extra sauce to spoon on top of each piece, which is especially nice if you’re assembling ahead of time because you don’t need to worry about the pieces being too dry.

I don’t have a very picky toddler (thankfully), so I know it doesn’t always mean much when I say Zachary loved something, but I can pretty much guarantee this meal will please the whole family. It’s hard to go wrong with pasta and copious amounts of cheese. And the leftovers are great, too!

Spaghetti Pie

Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

12 oz.  whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1 tsp. canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
4 oz. light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided
3/4 shredded cup part-skim mozzarella, divided

 

Spray a deep dish pie pan or baking dish with cooking spray, and preheat the oven to 400°.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt and cook the spaghetti until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and heat, then stir in the onion. Cook for about 2 minutes before adding the ground beef. Cook, stirring and breaking up the beef, until well browned.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes and re-season to taste if necessary.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Immediately stir in the softened cream cheese and toss together with tongs  until the cream cheese is mostly melted. Stir in the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, tossing to coat evenly. Stir 2.5 – 3 cups of sauce into the noodles, and then pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella and bake for about 25 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is golden brown. Allow to cook for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with additional sauce.

{ 6 comments }

Karidopita (Greek Walnut Cake)

May 7, 2013 · 9 comments

in desserts/sweets,greek

I recently went dairy-free, in an effort to see if a dairy sensitivity might be causing a few issues Ian seems to be having. I don’t think I need to tell you that eliminating dairy is tough – I mean, eliminating most dairy is one thing, but living without cheese is quite another. The jury is out on whether this is helping Ian, so I might end up adding it back into my diet into a few weeks, but in a cruel twist of fate, I’m currently still eating this way, which meant no dairy this past Sunday—Orthodox Easter. An Easter without tzatziki, feta, or tsoureki? For.the.birds.

When I was walking to pick up lamb for Easter, Tom mentioned I should pick up some sort of Greek dessert. I said, “Well, I can, but I can’t really eat any of it.” (insert sad face). But, as I was walking, I remembered karidopita, which doesn’t have any dairy in it. And the upside is that it’s one of my favorite Greek desserts of all time. It’s not that different from most Greek desserts in that it’s soaked in syrup (why mess with a bad thing, I guess). But there’s no butter and it’s really easy to make.

OF COURSE after I bought the zwieback biscuits, I looked at the ingredients and the very last one was sweetened condensed skim milk. Of course. But, I figured it was the last ingredient, the toasts are only one component of the whole cake, and it’s not like I would be eating the whole cake (in theory…). If you’re dairy-free and this small amount is too much, however, you can replace the zwieback with breadcrumbs or most likely semolina flour. I’m not sure if melba toasts  have dairy, but those may also be a good substitute.

I’ve been playing with this recipe for a while. I originally cobbled it together from two separate Greek church cookbooks. I’ve since reduced the amount of eggs and syrup, and made a few other changes. A lot of people don’t use honey in their karidopita, opting just for a simple syrup, but I prefer to add it. This is now my standard/go-to recipe. I only made half the recipe below, but this keeps really well, so there’s really no reason not to make the whole thing (unless you only have half the amount of walnuts and are too cheap to buy more from the expensive store where you’re buying the meat. Ahem.).

Karidopita

Cake
8 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
12 Zwieback toasts
2/3 lb. walnuts
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. orange zest

Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
strip of orange peel
cinnamon stick

Whole cloves or walnuts for topping, if desired

 

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9×13″ baking dish. If desired, line with parchment paper and grease (the syrup added later will be sticky so parchment will make for easier cleanup).

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until stiff. Place the egg yolks in a large bowl (or a second stand mixer bowl, should you be so lucky) with the sugar and beat until pale and yellow. Beat the vanilla into the egg yolk mixture.

Grind the zwieback toasts in a food processor and place in a bowl. Add the walnuts to the food processor and pulse-process until they are crushed into very small pieces (but not like a powder; you don’t want to make walnut meal).  Stir the walnuts into the bowl with the zwieback crumbs, along with the cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Then, add to the egg yolk mixture, just until combined. Slowly fold the egg whites into the mixture in 3 additions, folding just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake completely, and then cut into triangle or diamond shapes.

To make the syrup, combine the water, sugar, honey, orange peel, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a low boil and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes, until thickened slightly. Allow the syrup to cool for just a few minutes before removing the cinnamon stick and orange peel and pouring the syrup over the cut cake (Alternatively, you can pour room temperature syrup over a hot cake). You may have a little extra syrup; use your judgment but remember the syrup should soak through the cake. Stud each piece with walnuts or whole cloves, if desired.

{ 9 comments }

Roasted Chicken with Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange, & Ginger

April 25, 2013 · 7 comments

in chicken/poultry

I recently got Melissa Clark’s cookbook Cook This Now. Not only are the recipes organized seasonally, but they’re listed by month, too. I love this approach. I always say I wish I had the foresight to organize my saved recipes on Reader or Pinterest by season because it would make it so much easier those nights I’m searching for things to add to our menu. Of course, it should come as no surprise that as I was flipping through April, I automatically stopped at a roasted chicken recipe. My love for roast chicken of different kinds is well documented here, and I knew this one would be a hit. We love smoked paprika, and citrus of any type is always a plus on chicken. I’m not huge on cilantro, as you know, but the amount in the marinade was minimal so I hardly noticed it. And of course, I took pictures of Tom’s plate because I didn’t want that soapy cilantro covering my delicious chicken. ;)

This chicken turned out great. The marinade is delicious—a little smoky from the paprika and just a hint of spice from the jalapeño, but the orange juice and ginger keep it light. Adding a few squeezes of blood orange juice over the roasted chicken makes it even brighter and more springy than your typical roast chicken. The skin is nice and crispy, and the meat is moist and perfectly cooked. Plus, it really couldn’t get easier. Take a couple minutes to throw together the marinade, and then toss the chicken into a pan when you’re ready to cook it. The oven does the rest of the work for you. I diced up some yukon gold potatoes and seasoned them with sweet paprika, a little garlic & onion powder, and salt and pepper. They roasted alongside the chicken so everything was hands-off while the meal was cooking. During the last 15 minutes or so, I tossed in asparagus (how happy am I that it’s asparagus season? SO  HAPPY.) to make this a complete—and winning—meal.

Roasted Chicken with Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange, & Ginger

Adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, preferably blood orange
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. cilantro
1 jalapeño, seeded if desired, chopped
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
1.25 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. smoked hot paprika
1.75 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Sliced scallions, cilantro, and orange wedges for serving

In a blender or food processor, combine the zest, juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, ginger, salt, and paprika. Blend until pureed. Combine the chicken and marinade in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate at least one hour but preferably longer.

Preheat the oven to 475º. Place the chicken in a pan and roast until skin is golden and meat juices are no longer pink, about 40 minutes. Serve sprinkled with scallions and cilantro, with orange wedges for squeezing over the meat.

{ 7 comments }

Yeast-Raised Waffles

April 18, 2013 · 13 comments

in breakfast/brunch

I don’t make waffles very often. Though I like them, I always have issues with my waffle iron and, in general, I just find pancakes a little easier (or, at least, a little less messy since I inevitably overfill the waffle maker and have batter pouring out of the sides…). I’ve made some waffle recipes we enjoy, but I hadn’t really found “the one.” I asked for a new recipe on a cooking message board, and Brianna recommended these yeast-risen waffles to me. We’ve made them a few times now, and they are officially my favorite among waffles I’ve made. The texture, to me, is perfect. The outside edges are slightly crispy while the inside is airy, which a little chew to it.

The batter needs to be made in advance, but that makes these perfect for a quick breakfast in the morning. We usually do breakfast for dinner 2-3 times a month, and I’ll mix the batter in the morning before work so all I really need to do when I get home is heat the waffle iron, pour the batter, enjoy. Since this is just a base recipe, the waffles are endlessly adaptable to whatever you want to include.You can sprinkle some some chocolate chips over the top before cooking them, top them with fruit, or just eat them as-is with some maple syrup. The only change I make to the original base recipe is adding some vanilla extract (or sometimes a combo of vanilla and almond), because I really love it in waffles.

By the way, this plate of waffles in particular is topped with jarred morello cherries from Trader Joe’s, which have sort of become my new obsession. They are sort of like eating canned cherry pie filling (which I’ve admitted to loving) without all the junk that’s usually in there.

Yeast-Raised Waffles

Slightly adapted from Marion Cunningham

1/2 cup warm water
1 package dry active yeast
2 cups milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Place the warm water in a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle in the yeast. Once dissolved, stir in the milk, butter, salt, sugar, flour, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for several hours (I have mixed the batter at about 7:30 am and cooked the waffles at about 6pm for breakfast-for-dinner nights).

Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the baking soda. The batter will deflate and will become thin, similar in texture to soft yogurt. Cook the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions for your waffle maker.

{ 13 comments }

Chicken with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Arugula

April 11, 2013 · 15 comments

in chicken/poultry,quick and easy

A few weeks back, I had a really proud mom moment when we were eating dinner and my not-yet-three-year-old said, “Mom, is this a sundried tomato?” Add to that him telling me he ate all his prosciutto a few weeks later without my reminding him what it was called, and I was pretty much beaming. This kid eats, recognizes, and loves things that I probably didn’t even get to have until I was in my twenties. Lucky, lucky dude. He’s also in a phase where he calls things his “favorites” and the night we had this he asked what was for dinner. I told him we were having crispy chicken with cheese and ham. He said, “But I want one of my favorites!” and I told him, “I know you’re going to like this dinner because it has a lot of things you like.” Sure enough, he asked for more chicken twice and by the end of the meal, he declared it a new favorite.

Of course it wasn’t just Zachary who enjoyed this dinner—we all did. I adored this meal for so many reasons. You really can’t go wrong with crispy, panko-coated chicken, even if it’s just served on its own. Topped with creamy cheese and salty prosciuitto, this meal feels indulgent, but the fresh and peppery arugula on top keeps this from feeling too heavy and is the perfect counterpart to the rest of the components. Plus, it’s incredibly quick and simple to make, but feels special and is totally company-worthy.

The original recipe actually calls for a triple creme cheese or brie but :::shielding self::: I’ve just never been a huge brie fan. I know, I know, I’m crazy. I can eat it but it’s just never been one of my favorite cheeses.  Instead, I went with something that melts well and is still pretty creamy—fontina. It paired really well with the prosciutto and I’ll likely use it again next time, though I’m sure that several cheeses will work in its place if you are so inclined.

Chicken with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Arugula

Adapted from Bobby Flay via A Taste of Home Cooking

Arugula Salad
1.5 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dijon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. baby arugula

Chicken
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
4 (4-5 oz.) chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4″ thickness
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. fontina cheese, thinly sliced
8 thin slices prosciutto

To make the arugula salad: Whisk the vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste together in a large bowl. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking, to emulsify. Add the arugula and toss to coat.

To make the chicken: Place the flour, eggs, and panko in 3 separate shallow bowls. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on each side, and then dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip into the egg , letting excess drip off, and then dredge both sides into the panko mixture, being sure to coat the chicken completely.

Heat a large nonstick skillet (or two) with the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, add the chicken. Cook until golden  brown on one side and then flip and cook until done, about 5-6 minutes total. During the last minute, place the fontina on top of the chicken so it begins to melt.

Plate the chicken and top each piece with 2 slices of prosciutto and 1/4 of the arugula salad.

{ 15 comments }

Meatless Monday: Easy Mushroom Paprikash

April 8, 2013 · 10 comments

in healthy,quick and easy,vegetarian

We try to eat meatless 1-2 times per week but admittedly, I have a really hard time getting past pasta on those nights. Not only because it seems that a lot of the vegetarian recipes I come across are pasta-based, but also because I tend to already have a pasta dish on the menu once per week, and don’t really like eating pasta more than that (or, more accurately, I really would like that, but can’t really justify it).

We really enjoy chicken paprikash and, being the big mushroom fans that we are, I knew we’d like a mushroom version as well. And yes, paprikash is often served over egg noodles, but we had this over rice instead—although I didn’t have time to make brown rice this particular day so considering we had white rice, I probably should have stuck with pasta anyway. :) At any rate, what I like about mushroom-based meatless dishes is that they still have a hearty, meaty quality to them. I ended up increasing the amount of mushrooms in this recipe. I used cremini, but I think sliced portobellos would also work really well. This dish is easily made ahead—and even tastes a little better that way—but it’s also incredibly quick, so it can easily be made on a weeknight.

Mushroom Paprikash

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms
1 medium bell pepper, diced*
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup sour cream

Heat the oil in skillet or small Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, and cook about 7 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and onion; reduce heat to medium and add a pinch of salt. Sauté 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.

Stir in the wine, and cook 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the flour and paprika; stir 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and broth and cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made ahead to this point. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before continuing.)

Stir sour cream into mixture just until warmed through. Re-season if necessary.

*I had frozen tri-colored bell pepper strips in my freezer, so I used about 1 cup of those.

{ 10 comments }

Chorizo and Romesco Burgers with Manchego Cheese

April 2, 2013 · 11 comments

in beef,burgers and sandwiches,latin,pork,quick and easy

Burgers are always a hit in this house. Not only are they endlessly adaptable, but they’re incredibly quick to make, which is a working mom’s (or at least this working mom’s) priority. In fact, today is Zachary’s birthday (how did my kid turn THREE?) and he asked for burgers for dinner, which is sort of unexpected and crazy, if you’re aware of his love for quesadillas—the kind of love that has him ordering a quesadilla immediately upon sitting down at a restaurant, to the busser who brings out water.

These Spanish-style burgers are a great change-up from your typical burger, and really don’t take much more time to make. Chorizo is mixed into the patties, giving them tons of flavor, and then they’re topped with one of my favorite cheese ever and a fresh romesco sauce. The romesco takes just a minute to make, especially if you used jarred peppers, and your food processor does all the work for you. Dinner is on the table in 15 minutes (particularly if you’re like me and mail it in with store bought chips :)). And, of course, the best part is that we all really enjoyed dinner!

Chorizo and Romesco Burgers with Manchego Cheese

Adapted from Honest Cooking

Romesco:
4 roasted red peppers, skins removed, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. water
salt and pepper to taste

Burgers:
1/2 lb. chorizo, casings removed*
1 lb. ground beef
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded or thinly sliced manchego cheese
4 rolls or buns, split

To make the romesco, combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. It should have the consistency of a thick pesto. If it’s too thick, add a little bit more water.

Combine the chorizo, beef, and salt (about 1 tsp.) and pepper.* (see note) Form the mixture into 4 patties. Preheat a grill or pan (or broiler) to medium-high. If using a pan, add a small amount of oil (or cooking spray). Cook the burgers until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. During the last minute of cooking, place an equal amount of cheese on each patty and melt.

Serve the burgers on the buns with the romesco sauce on top.

*Note: You can use fully cooked or raw chorizo. If using fully cooked, remove the casings and dice into small pieces before combining with the beef. If using raw chorizo then remove from the casing (if necessary) and brown in a skillet. Drain the fat and combine with the ground beef.

{ 11 comments }

Chewy Sugar Cookies

March 28, 2013 · 12 comments

in desserts/sweets

During my pregnancy, I craved sugar cookies like a mad woman. I pretty much never bought them, but any opportunity to make them, I did. When it came time to whipping up a batch of cookies for Santa, my mind immediately went to a simple sugar cookie—huge emphasis on simple.

These were really easy to make, especially with the assistance of my favorite kitchen helper.

The cookies are soft and chewy, thanks to the cream cheese and oil (I know sometimes it sounds weird to add oil to cookies but I find that cookies and muffins/cakes made with oil are always really tender and moist). You can change up what you roll or top the cookies with based on the occasion. We kept them simple with just a little bit of silver decorating sugar, but these would be great with some pastel sprinkles or decorating sugar for Easter or springtime renditions. These were a big hit with our family and Santa too (yes, I’m posting them just a wee bit late). Zachary was happy to see the cookies gone the next morning – though his prediction was wrong. The night before I asked him, “Do you think Santa will eat the cookies we leave for him?” to which he replied, “I think  he’s just going to eat one of them and tell us to eat the rest.” Nice try, kid.

I’m happy to report that I have about 1/3 of a batch of these in my freezer at the moment, and these will be making a reappearance very soon.

Chewy Sugar Cookies

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated via The Nifty Foodie

2.25 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 cups sugar
3 oz. cream cheese, cut into small pieces
6 Tbsp. butter, melted and warm
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
1 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup additional sugar and/or decorating or turbinado sugar for rolling
sprinkles if desired

 

Preheat the oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Place the sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl; pour the warm butter over it and whisk to combine—it will be slightly lumpy. Whisk in the oil until blended, and then add the egg, milk, and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until dough forms.

Use your hands to gently form 2 dozen balls with the dough, being sure not to over-handle the dough. Place the turbinado/decorating sugar into a shallow bowl, and roll each ball around in the sugar before placing on the lined baking sheet. Flatten each dough ball gently with the bottom of a small glass, so they are uniform in size. Sprinkle with a little additional sugar (and sprinkles, if desired) and then bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are just set.

Cool on wire rack.

 

{ 12 comments }

Introducing Ian Gregory!

March 26, 2013 · 44 comments

in misc.

On March 20—my due date—Ian Gregory was born! He was 8 lbs. even and 20.5″ long (his big brother was 8 lbs. 1 oz and 20.5″ so they were so close!). I think a lot of people were surprised he wasn’t a girl. :) We’re all doing really well and adjusting to being a family of four.

Zachary has been a-maz-ing with little Ian. He came to visit at the hospital, and he held him and just wanted to look at him (well, and pet him – hah). The day we came home, we all went together to pick Zachary up from school, so they could enter our home together. Zachary gave Ian a tour, telling him what all the rooms in our house were. He has since been narrating his life to him (Look, Ian, I’m eating my chicken! Ian, I went to the potty!), telling him “It’s okay” when he looks fussy, and always asking about him. It’s been making my heart melt into a puddle.

Unfortunately, the night we got back, Zachary came down with a fever that reached over 104 the following day. So, we felt bad but we basically had to try to keep him from being too close to Ian. The next morning, I ended up with pink eye, and the following night, my own fever/chills. Oh boy. So, we’ve had a bit of a rough start in that regard, but everything else has been great.

We feel more confident as parents this time around, I think, and we’ve actually managed to get things done while trying to divide attention between the boys (which I’m sure will become incredibly more difficult once I go back to work). We’ve even managed to cook a couple meals at home – which I don’t remember doing for a long time after Zachary was born.

So, in that regard, I hope to have some  food updates for you soon (and I already have a few pics/meals waiting in the wings), but bear with me as we get into the swing of things.

{ 44 comments }

Meatless Monday: “Revolutionary” Macaroni and Cheese

March 18, 2013 · 10 comments

in pasta,quick and easy,vegetarian

Macaroni and cheese is probably my ultimate comfort food. We don’t eat it very often because it’s really not terribly good for you, but every once in a while, you just have to have some macaroni and cheese. Homemade macaroni and cheese is pretty easy and straightforward, but it can take a while and, depending what kind you’re making, can also dirty quite a few pots.  The reason this particular macaroni and cheese is “revolutionary” is because the pasta cooks in the milk, so there’s no need to make a roux/cheese sauce, and everything is done in one pot, which always wins me over. I added a little more milk (umm…and cheese) to the recipe, but otherwise just followed directions and was left with a quick and creamy macaroni and cheese that is a little healthier for you than the standard versions.

While this is not my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe (that would be reserved for baked mac and cheese with a buttery, crispy topping), it definitely has its place as a good, quick, and easy macaroni and cheese. You can use pretty much any cheese, really, and it barely takes any more time or effort than making macaroni and cheese from a box—but it definitely tastes better and you can feel better about its nonprocessed-ness. :) The pasta takes slightly longer to cook, just because it’s cooking at a slow simmer rather than a rapid boil, but you can shred the cheese while it’s cooking, and it’s all done really quickly, making it easy for weeknight dinners. I would definitely recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself, because the pre-shredded kind generally includes cornstarch and other things to keep it from clumping, and those things can make the texture of macaroni and cheese very gritty. I used a combination of extra sharp cheddar (for flavor) and leftover fontina (melts beautifully). The whole family liked this, and I’ll gladly add a super quick macaroni and cheese recipe to my cookbook!

 

One Pot, Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from White on Rice Couple

2 cups small dried pasta, like small shells or elbow noodles (about 8 oz.)
2.25 – 2.5 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1.25 cups loosely packed shredded cheese (I used a combo of extra sharp cheddar and fontina)

Place the dried pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water quickly; let drain. In a medium saucepan, add 2.25 cups milk, butter, dry mustard, salt, and rinsed pasta.

On medium heat, slowly bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking the pasta, stirring frequently, so that the pasta doesn’t stick and cooks evenly. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until nearly all nearly all the milk has been absorbed and pasta is cooked. If additional milk is needed, add a couple tablespoons at a time.

Stir in the cheese evenly, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes. Stir once more and season to taste if necessary before serving.

 

{ 10 comments }

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