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Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni & Cheese

by | Feb 25, 2021 | Recipe, Side dishes | 1 comment

Macaroni & Cheese

This was served with love by some wonderful people to whom we are grateful that they shared--the recipe and the finished product.
Print Recipe
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

  • casserole dish
  • sauce pan
  • whisks and spoons
  • cheese grater

Ingredients
  

  • 6 slices white bread, crusts removed torn into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces
  • 1 stick butter, unsalted
  • 5 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 4 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (about 18 ounces)
  • 2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated (about 8 ounces) or 5 ounces grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 375 F. Butter a 3 qt casserole dish and set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl.
    In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Pour the melted butter over the bread pieces and toss to coat. Set them aside.
    In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk.
    Melt the remaining butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute
    Slowly pour the hot milk into the flour-butter mixture while whisking constantly. Continue cooking and whisking until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the 3 cups of the cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano, if using) and stir until combined. Set aside.
  • Prepare the macaroni according to the package instructions EXCEPT cook them 2-3 minutes short of done. Strain the macaroni through a colander and rinse under cold water, running water. Drain well.
  • Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce mixture. Pour all that into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top. Scatter the buttered bread crumbs over the top.
  • Bake until browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer the casserole dish to a wire rack to cool for five minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Keyword cheese, macaroni, bread crumbs
Delicious Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

Delicious Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

by | Feb 25, 2021 | Breads & flatbreads, Recipe, Savory Baking | 0 comments

Delicious Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

These are made with pureed squash - a great way to get some winter veg into your diet.
Print Recipe
Course Bread
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • mixing bowl
  • baking sheets

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups warm milk
  • 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup pureed squash of your choice
  • 5 tbsp butter or coconut oil
  • 4-5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then add the egg and beat well to combine.
  • Add the squash and butter (or coconut oil) to the liquid; mash with a fork until the butter is in small pieces. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Gradually mix in more flour by the cupful until the dough collects around the spoon and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You might not need all the flour.
  • Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes. Put dough in a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour or so.
  • Preheat the oven to 400F and butter a large baking sheet.
  • Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until it is smooth and supple, about 7 minutes. Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Then cut each piece into 4-6 smaller pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a round ball and around the rounds on the baking sheet so they barely touch. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
  • Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then pull apart to eat.
Keyword rolls, dinner rolls, yeast, squash
Banana Nut Cookies

Banana Nut Cookies

by | Feb 25, 2021 | Dessert, Recipe, Sweet Baking | 1 comment

Banana Nut Cookies

yields about 4 dozen cookies
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • baking sheets
  • mixer
  • Silicone spatula
  • mixing bowls

Ingredients
  

  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup butter, salted and softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp milk
  • 3/4 cup banana, mashed (about 2 bananas)
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer blend the sugars. Add the butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg, milk, and banana and beat at medium until smooth.
  • Add flour mixture along with the nuts and chocolate chips and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.
  • Drop rounded teaspoons onto an un-greased cookie sheet, 2" apart.
    Bake for 20-24 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to brown. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack with a spatula
Keyword cookie, cookies, banana
Easy No-Knead Bread

Easy No-Knead Bread

by | Feb 3, 2021 | Breads & flatbreads, Recipe | 1 comment

No-Knead Bread

The Kitchen Company
This is the easiest way (that I know of) to make delicious bread!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 18 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 19 hours
Course Bread, recipe, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people

Equipment

  • Cast iron dutch oven
  • glass mixing bowl
  • Silicone spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups flour, all purpose
  • 1/4 tsp yeast
  • 1 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions
 

  • Stir together dry ingredients. Add water all at once. Stir until all flour has been incorporated. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 12-18 hours. Try not to leave it in a drafty or particularly cold area. If your house is really chilly, let it rest inside your oven--NO HEAT.
  • After 12-18 hours, fold the dough a few times putting the seams on the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes. (if pressed for time, you can actually skip this step without affecting your final product too much).
  • Sprinkle your work surface with flour and tip the dough onto it. Quickly shape it into a ball. Sprinkle with more flour or some cornmeal. Cover with a cotton (not terry cloth) towel and let rest for 2 hours. TIP: If you place your dough on some parchment paper at this stage, it is easier to pop it in the pan and remove it from the pan.
  • Preheat your oven to 500F with your cast iron Dutch oven inside. After the 2-hour resting period and a preheated oven is ready, carefully flip your dough ball inside the hot pot. Lower the oven temp to 450F then cover and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Uncover and continue to bake for another 15-30 minutes or until sufficiently browned. Cool the loaf on a wire rack. Try to resist cutting it until it's cooled as it's still cooking inside the crust.

Notes

This recipe is very easy to tweak by adding herbs or cheese or whatever. Add-ins can be stirred into the dough at the very beginning. Crust toppings can be added either before the 2 hour rise or just before baking. If adding spices to the crust, a light spraying of water will help the spices stick during baking.
Keyword bread, no-knead
Easy Chocolate Syrup

Easy Chocolate Syrup

by | Feb 3, 2021 | Dessert, Recipe | 0 comments

Easy Chocolate Syrup

The Kitchen Company
This is a quick and easy make-at-home version of a Hershey's-style chocolate syrup
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Mason jar
  • Silicone spatula
  • Measuring cups

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cacao (or cocoa) powder
  • 1/4 cup boiling water

Instructions
 

  • Boil some water. While it's boiling, add the sugar and cacao (or cocoa) powder to a mason jar (pint size minimum) and stir well until no white sugar is visible.
  • Slowly pour about 1/8 cup boiling water into the jar. Use a silicone spatula to begin stirring the water down into the powder mixture. Add a bit more water as needed and continue to stir. Keep stirring until the sugar is dissolved and there the syrup is smooth and shiny. It's OK if you don't use a full 1/4 cup. The amount of water used will determine the consistency of the final product. Less water yields a thick, fudgy sauce (great on ice cream).
  • You can kick up the flavor by adding cinnamon or cayenne to the mixture. You can also adjust the sugar content to your liking using a bit more or less sugar.
  • Keep refrigerated and use to taste with cold milk, coffee, hot milk, smoothies, etc.

Notes

I like to keep a jar of this on hand for when I need a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day or to have a glass of chocolate milk with my grilled cheese sandwich (or mac and cheese) or to drizzle over ice cream.
Easy Chicken Soup

Easy Chicken Soup

by | Feb 2, 2021 | Recipe, Soup | 1 comment

Easy Chicken Soup

This is an easy recipe for chicken soup using a store-bought rotisserie chicken and store-bought chicken stock. Of course, you can always start with a fresh, whole chicken and make your own stock.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Rotisserie chicken
  • 8 cups Chicken stock
  • 2 cups Celery, chopped
  • 2 cups Carrots, chopped
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 1 bunch Cilantro or parsely, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter or bacon fat
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • fresh herbs optional

Instructions
 

  • Remove meat from the carcass and set aside. Place bones and skin of the chicken in a large pot with the chicken stock; bring to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer; skim any scum if needed.
  • While the chicken carcass is simmering, chop veggies into smallish pieces. Saute veggies in butter or bacon fat at a fairly high temp to induce a little browning but not necessarily soften them. Stir as needed to prevent burning. Remove from heat and set aside when they are nicely browned.
  • Chop or tear the meat into edible sized pieces and set aside.
  • Remove the bones and skin from the stock. Add the vegetables and simmer until al dente. Add the chicken and heat through. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Add cilantro or parsley to the pot or as a garnish in each bowl. Top with chopped avocado for a real treat.
  • This recipe can easily be tweaked to what you have on-hand. Use whatever vegetables you have, add noodles or rice (precooked is better), add white beans, use whatever fresh herbs you have. Add kale (that has been cut into chiffonade ribbons) when serving. Serve with crusty bread.