Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I have had a request for this recipe.... I got the original from my American Cuisine book from culinary school.  I have changed a few things so this is the one we use at our house.  This is one of the kids MOST favorite dishes.  We eat it as a side with meat entrees or by itself for a meatless dinner.  I get this recipe request for all birthday celebrations and comfort food treats.

2 cups of elbow noodles... can use gluten free noodles if you like and it works great.
4 Tbsp REAL butter not margarine.  ;)
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups colby/jack
2 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
salt and white pepper to taste

Cook elbow noodles according to package.

Strain water off and add the butter.  Stir in to melt

While you are waiting for the noodles to cook you can heat the evaporated milk in a saucepan just to boiling and then turn off.  Temper  the hot milk into the eggs (meaning whip the eggs while you slowly pour hot milk into them so they don't cook or curdle).  Add the cheese into the hot milk and eggs to start incorporating and melting the cheese.

Once the pasta is done and buttered and the cheese/egg/ and milk mixture is ready stir all together plus a bit of salt and pepper to taste and put into a baking dish.   Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Some upcoming menu stuff for spring break...

My mom sent this in my e-mail this morning and it is going to make the list of stuff to make for this week.

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Spaghetti with summer squash and tomatoes

Kosher salt

1 zucchini, sliced in thin rounds

1 summer squash sliced into thin round

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1\2 onion finely shopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

¼ dup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spaghetti

Handful of arugula leaves or spinach

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese plus

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the spaghetti

Preheat oven to 400 degrees combine the squash, tomatoes onion, garlic and oregano in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and give it all a good toss. Dump that onto baking sheet and roast for 10 to 12 minutes until the squash is tender and caramelized tomatoes with pop open scrape into large pasta bowl and cover with a plate to keep everything warm.

Add spaghetti to boiling water stir cook 8 to 9 minutes until done

To finish scoop out about ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and add to veggie mix drain spaghetti and dump into bowl of veggies add arugula and parmigiano and plenty of black pepper and toss. May need more salt or parmigiano

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Since I am on spring break I am going to do a bit more cooking at home this week and try some new things. Among the new stuff will be cooking a duck that Dan got for us over Christmas break. We shoved it into the freezer and now have opportunity to make it this week. I am also going to be trying a new recipe from one of my new chocolate books I got recently.

I am also doing a bit of Foodie viewing, too...

See, I still live, breath, eat and sleep foodie endeavors daily... even when I am not here sharing it. LOL I promise to do better. Oh, and just so you know. My main computer is out of commission and I am using my hubster's until further notice so my time is limited online for a bit. Thanks for still reading in the midst of my crazy life. I think often of blogging here... I really do. ;)

Later with more stuff from spring break week! :)

Mommy... can I have some more YUCKY???

That would be how the 3 1/2 year old says Gnocchi! LOL
Made some this week and I cheated using mashed potato flakes.
This is one the kids can help make.
You make the dough and they can cut and roll it into shape.
Mine love doing this project!
Here is the recipe I used...

GNOCCHI WITH INSTANT POTATOES

Preparation - Easy
Serves 2

A quick and easy version of a robust winter dish favored from Genoa to Bologna.

This recipe doubles or triples and works well with a simple tomato sauce, butter and sage, etc.

2/3 cup dry potato buds for instant mashed potatoes

2/3 cup boiling water

1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten with a fork

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

PUT the potato flakes or buds in a medium-size bowl. Add the boiling water; stir until blended. Let cool.

FOLD in the egg and salt with a wooden or plastic spoon or spatula.

ADD flour slowly, folding with the spatula, until you have a fairly firm dough that doesn't stick to the bowl.

TURN dough out onto a well floured surface and knead lightly into a ball. You want just be able to work with the mixture without it sticking unduly - but too much flour will result in gnocchi that are more lead than light.

CUT dough in half.

ROLL each half into a long cylinder about the thickness of your thumb. Cut into bite-size pieces. You can dust lightly with flour or semolina and set aside for a few hours.

TO COOK - put 6 - 8 gnocchi in a few quarts of boiling, salted water (too many at once interferes in the cooking process). As the gnocchi rise to the top of the pot, remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in a sieve over a plate to drain further until you are ready to serve. Repeat until all are cooked.

YOU can eat these gnocchi with butter or good olive oil, a grind of black pepper and some Parmesan cheese, or serve with a sauce of your choice.

I tripled this recipe for my family. :)

and they turned out yummy....
NOT yucky... ;)

Pasta Salad

Last night we had fresh veggies and some whole wheat pasta. I basically roasted up some squash, cut up some fresh cherry tomatoes and yellow pear tomatoes, grated some Parmesan cheese, and cooked some whole wheat Rotini pasta. I toasted off some pine nuts and added them, too. Mixed together and added some Italian dressing and enjoyed. Here is a pic I was able to snatch before it was gone. By the time I got this Dan had picked almost all the zucchini out to snack on. LOL It was a hit!!!


I will put more up as I go... Thanks for commenting to all of the ladies that stopped by!!! :)

Making Gnocchi...

Well, I had some cheeses in the 'fridge and some fresh herbs in the garden along with a passel of potatoes so I made gnocchi with the kids today. Doesn't that look YUM?!?!

I don't actually follow a recipe too much.
I make up a few potatoes by boiling them with skins on until they are fork tender.
Then, I peel them and use a potato ricer to break them up.
Thirdly, I would add some flour and an egg or two
until I get the consistency of pasta dough
and knead it for a few minutes with a light dusting of flour on the counter.
Make a big ball and cut it into four equal sections.
Then roll out the sections like a big playdoh snake.
Cut little "pillows" out of that and roll on a fork or gnocchi board to make the ridges.
Drop them into boiling water until they float
and use your favorite sauce
or a bit of butter and parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.
I will saute them in olive oil or butter to heat them back up
before saucing and serving and that is it.

This particular sauce you see above is basically
a Bechamel sauce (white cream sauce)
with parmesan and ricotta cheese added
and it is topped with a bit of Italian Parsley from my garden.




My middle boy got into it and enjoyed eating what he made, too.


Here are some rolled and ready to go in the boiling water.


Here is another angle of rolling out the little gnocchi dumplings
with my NEW TOY.
That is a gnocchi rolling board and it gives gnocchi it's ridges.
You can also use a fork but this is so much more fun to play with
and it only costs a few dollars.
The ridges are important for allowing the sauce to cling to the pasta or dumpling.
I got that board for Mother's Day.
The gnocchi was delicious and now it is ALL GONE!!!

Some new reading...

I am heading into my last Italian class on Wednesday. It has been such a delight to be in that class this summer. There have been lots of fun people to share it with, too. We are going to be eating together one last time and asking some last minute questions on things we want to know. One of the things that Jenn shared with us was a variety of sauces throughout the summer. She gave this book as a reference. I was looking around at Amazon this last week and found a copy of this for about $1.90 and could not pass it up. It came in the mail today and I cannot wait to sit down and read through it. It will have to wait until I get back from the RV trip, though. It is a HUGE resource and full of great information. I also got an RV cooking book in the mail today and will be planning menus for our trip. I am getting so excited about starting the fall semester in the culinary arts program. I am living my dream and cannot believe God is letting it all happen. Throughout the semester I will be sharing more on my passions and goals in getting this degree. I am still pinching myself over it all!!!