Mom's Mac and Cheese
2 cups cooked macaroni (about one cup dry)
1 cup assorted, cubed cheese
milk
salt
pepper
bread crumbs (optional)
In a lightly-greased casserole dish, mix the macaroni with the cheese. This dish works best with a mix of different cheeses; I usually use three (e.g., swiss, sharp cheddar, jack). Pour in the milk until you can see it start to rise up through the macaroni - about halfway up the dish. Salt and pepper and if you want, sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake for about 30 minutes ina 350 degree oven, or until all the cheese is melted and gooey and the top is golden.
Showing posts with label macaroni. Show all posts
Showing posts with label macaroni. Show all posts
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
I've been a bad, bad blogger.
Yes, I've been slacking on the blog front. There's just a lot going on; my newest freelance client asked me to work for them in-house, full-time for about a month or so this spring, so I'm scurrying to make headway on other freelance projects before that starts, since I'll be in an office forty hours per week for the first time in a long time. I'm really excited for the change of pace; I'll get to work on some interesting projects and put on real clothes and speak with someone other than my cat.
Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and drop a few photos before I put up some more substantial posts later this week.
If you've been reading Choice of Pies, you know about my culinary slump, and the great news is I'm finally starting to crawl out of it. I decided, in a fit of frustration, to go back to the basics, and that has helped a lot. Over the past couple of weeks, I've made a few dishes that used to be old standbys for me that somehow dropped out of the rotation. Like stuffed shells:
The filling is so easy: low-fat ricotta, part-skim mozzarella cheese, maybe some parmesan or asiago if you have it, an egg, and some dried Italian herb blend (or fresh herbs, if you have them). I had some leftover spaghetti sauce that I used, but since there wasn't much of it, I sauteed a bunch of frozen spinach and mixed it in to stretch the sauce. I stuffed the boiled shells, topped them with my "Florentine" sauce, and sprinkled some mozzarella on top, then baked it at 375 for about half an hour. Easy, not very expensive, and very tasty served with a big green salad; Dan was thrilled.
I also made one of Dan's favorites: my mom's mac and cheese. It's the easiest mac and cheese ever - one dish, no white sauce - and it comes out perfectly every time. I'll post the recipe tomorrow. This is not the healthiest recipe I've got, but it's delicious and worth it and since almost all my dinners are low-fat I figure I can splurge once in a while.
And lastly, that old classic beef stew: perfect for the drizzly mud-season weather we've got now. I made this on Saturday afternoon, while we stayed home and watched movies; the whole house smelled great as it bubbled away, and I let it cook so long that the meat was falling-apart tender. We ate it while watching another movie (on Dan's laptop, since our DVD player is broken) and enjoyed sopping up the broth with spiced Ethiopian honey bread that we had picked up that morning at the farmer's market. I'm going to have to look for a recipe, because that bread was tasty.
So there you have it: there is a light at the end of my takeout tunnel, and I'm finally crawling out of this slump. Check back tomorrow for Mom's mac and cheese recipe and a review of a great food memoir that I read recently.
Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and drop a few photos before I put up some more substantial posts later this week.
If you've been reading Choice of Pies, you know about my culinary slump, and the great news is I'm finally starting to crawl out of it. I decided, in a fit of frustration, to go back to the basics, and that has helped a lot. Over the past couple of weeks, I've made a few dishes that used to be old standbys for me that somehow dropped out of the rotation. Like stuffed shells:
The filling is so easy: low-fat ricotta, part-skim mozzarella cheese, maybe some parmesan or asiago if you have it, an egg, and some dried Italian herb blend (or fresh herbs, if you have them). I had some leftover spaghetti sauce that I used, but since there wasn't much of it, I sauteed a bunch of frozen spinach and mixed it in to stretch the sauce. I stuffed the boiled shells, topped them with my "Florentine" sauce, and sprinkled some mozzarella on top, then baked it at 375 for about half an hour. Easy, not very expensive, and very tasty served with a big green salad; Dan was thrilled.
I also made one of Dan's favorites: my mom's mac and cheese. It's the easiest mac and cheese ever - one dish, no white sauce - and it comes out perfectly every time. I'll post the recipe tomorrow. This is not the healthiest recipe I've got, but it's delicious and worth it and since almost all my dinners are low-fat I figure I can splurge once in a while.
And lastly, that old classic beef stew: perfect for the drizzly mud-season weather we've got now. I made this on Saturday afternoon, while we stayed home and watched movies; the whole house smelled great as it bubbled away, and I let it cook so long that the meat was falling-apart tender. We ate it while watching another movie (on Dan's laptop, since our DVD player is broken) and enjoyed sopping up the broth with spiced Ethiopian honey bread that we had picked up that morning at the farmer's market. I'm going to have to look for a recipe, because that bread was tasty.
So there you have it: there is a light at the end of my takeout tunnel, and I'm finally crawling out of this slump. Check back tomorrow for Mom's mac and cheese recipe and a review of a great food memoir that I read recently.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Comfort Food
I have a cockroach of a cold - it just can't be vanquished. It's like the horror movie killer that roars back to life every time you think that you can relax, that he's finally gone. I woke up Friday to find my throat under siege, and even though I managed to be productive, by dinner time, I was completely wiped out. I almost succumbed to takeout but after December's convenience-food spree, we're trying to cut back. I definitely needed comfort food, and after rifling through my pantry, one option jumped to the fore: American chop suey.
Chop suey is a comfort food for me because I ate it a lot growing up. I used to have dinner at my grandparents' house once a week, if not more, and chop suey is one of my grandmother's classics. Luckily it is simple and requires few ingredients, so even in my exhausted state, I was able to throw this together. Eaten on the futon, next to my hubby, while watching mindless TV, it was the perfect ending to a long and tiring week.
***This recipe is an approximation, thrown together with what I have, but the result tasted exactly like Grammy's. I'm not sure, but she might use some tomato paste as well - Mom, if you're reading, can you weigh in in the comments and let me know if I'm missing anything?
Grammy's Chop Suey
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (I used three or four shallots)
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
28 oz can whole tomatoes
2 teaspoons Italian herb blend
pinch of sugar
4 cups cooked macaroni (about 2 cups dry)
salt and pepper, to taste
Add olive oil to saute pan and warm over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic 3-5 minutes. Add ground beef, crumble, and stir occasionally until meat is cook through and onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, herbs, and sugar. Add up to half a can of water if necessary - it depends on how much juice was in the can with the tomatoes. You don't want the mixture to be dry but you don't want soup, either. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. This is a good time to cook your macaroni if you haven't already. When tomatoes are good and cooked, stir in cooked macaroni and season to taste. Top with grated parmesan or asiago if desired. Serves 4.
Chop suey is a comfort food for me because I ate it a lot growing up. I used to have dinner at my grandparents' house once a week, if not more, and chop suey is one of my grandmother's classics. Luckily it is simple and requires few ingredients, so even in my exhausted state, I was able to throw this together. Eaten on the futon, next to my hubby, while watching mindless TV, it was the perfect ending to a long and tiring week.
***This recipe is an approximation, thrown together with what I have, but the result tasted exactly like Grammy's. I'm not sure, but she might use some tomato paste as well - Mom, if you're reading, can you weigh in in the comments and let me know if I'm missing anything?
Grammy's Chop Suey
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (I used three or four shallots)
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
28 oz can whole tomatoes
2 teaspoons Italian herb blend
pinch of sugar
4 cups cooked macaroni (about 2 cups dry)
salt and pepper, to taste
Add olive oil to saute pan and warm over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic 3-5 minutes. Add ground beef, crumble, and stir occasionally until meat is cook through and onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, herbs, and sugar. Add up to half a can of water if necessary - it depends on how much juice was in the can with the tomatoes. You don't want the mixture to be dry but you don't want soup, either. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. This is a good time to cook your macaroni if you haven't already. When tomatoes are good and cooked, stir in cooked macaroni and season to taste. Top with grated parmesan or asiago if desired. Serves 4.
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