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White Cheddar Mac n' Cheese

Mmmm. Mac n' cheese is such a good comfort food, espcially in the winter. I just want to curl up with a warm bowl of this stuff and snuggle in a blankie. I can't stand that blue box of mac n' cheese cause it tastes like plastic. I do however, completely love this stuff! The sharp white cheddar is so delicious and grown-up tasting. I put a teeny bit of sugar in it for a touch of sweetness and to offset the sharp taste of the cheddar a little. I just can't wait to have a big ol' bowl of this again soon!

to make mac n' cheese:
adapted from Shugary Sweets

1 pound short pasta (any short pasta such as elbows, shells, rotini, etc.)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar

Cook the pasta according to the package's directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot on medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk until combined. Let cook for a minute or two. Turn the heat down to medium and add the milk, cream, salt, pepper, mustard, and sugar. Keep whisking until it starts bubbling, about 5 or so minutes. Bring the heat down to low and stir in the cheese until it's melted.

Add the pasta and toss until completely coated. Enjoy it while it's hot!

 

 

Baked Spaghetti Pie

One dish that my sister always made for the family growing up was a delicious spaghetti bake. It was so awesome with puff pastry and TONS of cheese. I decided to make a version of it myself that is slightly smaller than the 9 x 13 dish that she would make for our entire family. Since it's just David and I at home, I decided to make a dish in a pie pan, which worked out perfectly. I'm not a huge fan of red sauces, but I love this dish partly because it's delicious and partly because it reminds me of my big sister.

My biggest tip for this dish is to use really good sauce. This is my favorite homemade sauce and Rao's is my favorite store-bought sauce. When you start with a really great sauce, then it makes the dish about a thousand times better. Also, use cheese that you wouldn't mind eating by the handful. I used pre-grated mozzarella, but I fresh cheese that is sliced would be fantastic with this.

My favorite parts about this dish are that: it comes together really quickly (as long as you're not a blogger taking a thousand pictures of each step); the puff pastry crust is so yummy with the pasta; and that baked cheese on top is...well, baked cheese, which is my favorite kind of cheese. If you don't want the cheese to get as browned as I like mine to be, just place a piece of tinfoil over the top of the cheese onces it gets to the toastiness that you'd like it to be.

Look at the steam coming off that sucker! I had just pulled it right out of the oven. Let it cool for a bit before you start digging in. And maybe, just maybe, share with someone. Aren't Italians all about family and love?

 

to make baked spaghetti pie:

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
3-4 cups red tomato sauce
9oz noodles (I use thin spaghetti, but really even a penne would be good here)1-2 cups mozzarella cheesesalt & pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Cook your noodles according the packages instructions and heat your sauce. Once the noodles are done, drain the water and mix the pasta with the sauce. The noodles should be just a little more than lightly coated. Set the noodles aside.

Butter your pie pan and press the puff pastry into it. I had to do a little bit of stretching for some of the sides to meet, but there were no tears in mine. Do this gently. Cut off the corners of the dough that are hanging off the side of the dish. Pour in the pasta and sauce and cover the top with cheese. I add about a cup and a half of cheese, but obviously do whatever you're comfortable with.

Place dish in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Keep a close eye on it at the end, especially if you don't want the cheese to brown entirely.

Once finished baking, let cool slightly and then serve warm.

 

Baked Tacos

One of David and I's go to meals for dinner are baked tacos. They're so easy, quick, and delicious! It takes us about 20 minutes or so to make these and we almost always have (most of) the ingredients on hand. So, here's to an easy dinner! (sorry I don't have more to say today, but my sister is getting married and that's all I can think about!)

 

to make baked tacos:

1/2 pound ground turkey or beef (we use turkey)
1 packet of taco seasoning, or homemade seasoningSpanish or Mexican rice (whatever you wanna call it)Queso fresco6 hard taco shells

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan add the ground meat and brown at medium heat. Add the taco seasoing. Once mixed in, set aside. Cook the rice according to package directions (or you can be fancy and make your own! We're not that fancy).

After the rice and meat are both cooked, take out a baking sheet and line with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place the taco shells down and large spoonful of rice, then meat. Crumble a little bit of queso fresco on top. Bake tacos for 10 minutes. I serve with with some taco sauce and it is delicious!

 

Better Than Eating Out

I love eating out with David for date-nights! However, sometimes after a long day I'd rather be at home alone with David cooking up a nice meal! Here are some ideas for you to use as well!

1. Love Olive Garden? Try this delicious take on potato gnocchi soup and cheater breadsticks.

2. We are big fans of Thai food and David makes a delicious version of our favorite chicken katsu!

3. I love these chicken & biscuits with honey! Sooo delicious for a quick and yummy dinner!

4. We are also big fans of chicken burgers! I love this take on Champp's bruschetta burger and their delicious french fry dip!

5. Skip that fast food! Make your own version of chicken nuggets, crispy baked french fries, and don't forget the shake!

 

Enjoy! xoxo

Hot Dog Bar

On the Fourth of July, I put together an epic hot dog bar with my sister and my mom's help. We had a blast (or at least I did; they may just pretend to have fun with me..haha) putting it together. There were toppings like bacon, three different cheeses, tater tots, mac n' cheese, potato chips, salsa, chili, onion, pickles, and all the condiments you can think of. It seemed to be a huge hit with everyone (or they were just starving after patiently waiting for me to take pictures of the table-scape). Everyone made the coolest combinations and I think the end result was so much tastier just because of the fun we had putting the dogs together. We even have plans to do this again in a couple weeks to watch our town's fireworks.

We had both beef and turkey dogs to satisfy the crowd (my sister, mom, and I don't really eat beef) that were cut in a spiral courtesy of my awesome mother! We labeled everything with little index cards that Amanda wrote out. We also picked out fancy, top-cut buns and set them all in paper liners to look cuter.

Amanda made this delicious salsa dip that had a bunch of stuff in it (maybe I can convince her to share it here soon!) and was SO addictive. My grandpa kept saying to us while we were cooking and munching on the dip, "All the chips and dip will be gone by the time the food is out!" haha!

I was so happy to see everyone's combinations! Amanda made one with mac n' cheese, chip dip, ketchup and maybe some other things, but I can't tell anymore! haha! Angelo had bacon, mac n' cheese, and chips!

It looks like my cousin and Aunt made very similar hot dogs with cheddar, ketchup, and mustard. Aunt Cathy also had some bacon on the side to eat with her hot dog. Nick is pretty classic and I don't think he was really into the idea of mixing his mac n' cheese with his hot dog.

My mom had loads of ketchup, chili, cheese, and onions. Randy had onions, mustard, bacon and a side of pickles and tater tots!

I had tater tots, bacon, and ketchup on mine and it was DELICIOUS! I also had a side of my favorite baked chips and mac n' cheese.

I hope you make a hot dog bar this summer now!

xoxo

tomato parmesan soup (aka: love in a bowl)

 On Tuesday, I had a small surgery done on my mouth (removing a mean ol' cyst). It was an easy and pretty quick procedure, but it's left me pretty swollen and in enough pain that I don't want to attempt to eat solids just yet. My diet has been consisting of oatmeal, jell-o, and this awesome soup that David made on Tuesday night that I've been eating over the course of the week. This soup has definitely been making the lack of solids a lot easier. Even though I'm in a little bit of pain, I'm really enjoying all this extra love, cuddles, and yummy soup that I've been getting from David this week (and the kitties).

to make tomato & parmesean soup:

1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juices
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups milk (any kind, we used skim)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (optional; rotiessere comes in handy here)

In a large pot over medium heat, add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, chicken broth, and flour. Stir until well combined. Add in the butter and simmer until the butter is completely melted about 5 minutes or so. Pour in the milk and stir. Slowly sprinkle in the parmesean cheese while mixing the soup. If wanted, add the chicken in and heat through (I did not add the chicken to mine because I wasn't really able to chewe through it, but David said it was a delicious addition). Serve warm and with a nice side of crusty French baguette (Panera style).

xoxo

 

five favorite cookbooks

If you haven't noticed already (which I'm really hoping you have) I love cooking. In fact, I've grown my own collection over the years of cookbooks. Currently, I own somewhere between 12 and 17 give or take. That may sound like a ridiculous amount to some, but I really love it and it's my own indulgence. There are, however, a select few that I always find myself turning to consistently. I thought that I might share them with you in hopes that you can find your own inspiration and expand your own library.

1. Real Simple Easy, Delicous Home Cooking: this book is super awesome for quick, weekday meals. Most of them are under 30 minutes are are relatively easy to make. What I really love is that everything is seperated into seasonal categories, which makes it super easy to take advantage of what's in season.

2. Dinner: A Love Story: I was gifted this cookbook for Christmas a couple years ago and I fell in love with it immediately. I usually read my cookbooks like novels (yep, from front to back and nope, I'm not joking) and this really played to that love for me. Not only is it the story of how their dinners evolved from early marriage to young children, but Jenny Rosenstrach has some awesomely realistic and delicious recipes! It's definitely been a comfort and savior to me these past few months that David and I have lived together.

3. Homemade With Love: David bought me this book on a whim for my 21st birthday. Definitely my favorite gift of that birthday, hands down. I've never been disappointed with any of Jennifer Perillo's recipes. I love that she takes the homemade approach into her home and give not only recipes for things like pancake mix, but also delicious (mostly Italian) meals. This book has definitely had some major wear over the past 9 months that I've owned it.

4. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Let me just start by saying that for the past few years, David has refered to Deb Perelman as "my girl Deb". Which just goes to show you how much I love her recipes and I was thrilled when her cookbook came out. This is great for when you want to make a simple meal a little fancy (e.g. parents coming over for dinner) or if you just want to make breakfast a little extra creative. Her writing is incredibley entertaining too, which makes it feel like she's practically in the kitchen with me.

5. Baked Explorations: I've had this book for one of the longest times. It's my go-to whenever I need to make something for dessert when I'm having friends or family come over, or just because. My favorite recipe is definitely their sweet and salty brownies. Buy this book and go make them. Now.

 

Hope you find some new reads! xoxo

date night

Last night David & I went on a surprise date night. Not that either of us suprised each other with a date, we mostly just decided it has been wayyyyy too long since we've been out to dinner at our favorite Thai place. We were both so happy that we finally had a date night together. We were supposed to have a date night last Friday, but it was a little screwy and we didn't really spend time with one another, which happens sometimes, especially when there are other things that need to be done. So last night I put on lipstick and spritzed some perfume on me and then we headed off to our favorite Thai place for the night and had a blast eating our favorite food and talking about our days and how lucky we are to have each other as friends. (p.s. if you live in Michigan, the restaurant is in Rochester and it's called Sukothai and is the best ever. Go there now).

Happy weekend everyone!

 

ravioli with brussels sprouts and bacon

I feel as though I have a small apology to make. I'm sorry that there's been so much food on this blog lately and not much of anything else. It's been really hard to take any style pictures what with this polar vortex going on and all. Plus, food has basically been my life for the past month or two. Well, I suppose it's everyone's life and all considering we need it to survive, but this is how my schedule has been going: wake up, go to work, come home, cook dinner, do some stuff around the house, do some homework, do some blogging, shower, bed. That doesn't leave me with very many interesting things. Unless you wanna know what shampoo I use or how to scoop a kitty litter. Those things just aren't as blog-worthy as say, this delicious ravioli dish with crispy bacon, sauteed brussels sprouts, and toasted pecans. mmmm. Anyway, enough with this blabbering. On with the food!!!

This may or may not be my favorite dish that I've made thus far at home. There are so many yummy flavors and it was so so quick and easy. Plus, I've been trying to find yummy ways to incorporate more veggies into our diets since neither David or I get enough. Also, Emma from A Beautiful Mess is always inspiring me to try some Brussels sprouts. I've been getting weird stomachaches lately (probably because I have a horrible fear of throw up and everyone around me has had the flu, therefore I'm in a constant state of anxiety. And yes, I did just publicly admit one of the weirdest things about me. I apologize) which obviously leads to stomachaches and me not eating much. This dinner though...I ate A LOT. Not too much, but just enough and it left me going to bed so happy that night. Anyway, without further ado (and before I admit more weird things about myself) here is My Favorite Recipe of the Year so Far:

to make ravioli with brussels sprouts and bacon:adapted only slightly from Real Simple

1 pound cheese ravioli
6 slices thick bacon
a few glugs of olive oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
5-6 medium brussels sprouts, sliced thinly horizantally
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
freshly grated parmesean to finish

Cook your ravioli according to package directions.

While your water is boiling, start cooking bacon. While the bacon was simmering and spitting away, I chopped my pecans and sliced the brussels sprouts. When the bacon is crispy, place on paper towel lined plated to drain of excess fat. Wipe out most of bacon grease with paper towel (I left a little in for extra flavor). Heat olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the chopped pecans and toast for a few minutes. Add the brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper. Sautee for a 4-5 minutes until slightly wilted. Stir in the white wine vinegar and bacon. Warm through for a few minutes. Serve with brussels sprout mixture spooned over ravioli.

Enjoy!

 

dinner in: fast food

I'm going to be honest right now: I haven't eaten fast food in over two years. I vowed it off unofficially and gradually over the lastest part of my life. However, I do have fond memories of the early stages in David and I's relationship when we would share a meal at Wendy's and our first vacation together was filled with probably too many Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty's. In case you don't remember them from Wendy's, they were awesome. And yes, I was pretty addicted to them. In dreaming up some "Dinner In" ideas, I thought of fast food and how I haven't eaten it in so long, but I do sometimes wish I had some chicken nuggets and crispy fries in front of me...and also a frosty of course. The only probably is that I hate that oily, greasy feeling in leaves in your mouth and your stomach and..I'll stop there for all of our sakes.

So, after some searching, I came up with a few recipes and compiled my favorite into one awesome one. My main concern was getting crispy french fries without, well, frying them. I've very unsuccessfully had my wake with baked french fries for a few years now. I learned the trick now though! It's soaking them in water beforehand! It honestly makes a WORLD of difference!! Okay, okay. I'll stop rambling now and let you get to the reason why you're really checking out this post: the actual recipes!!

to make chicken nuggets (for 2-3 people):

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
2/3 cups cornmeal mix1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon paprikasalt and pepper1 egg, slightly beatennon-stick spray

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees farenheit. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray generously (I also covered my sheet with aluminum foil for a quicker clean up).

In a large, resealable plastic bag, mix the cornmeal mix, cheese, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and peper to taste. In a small bowl, slightly beat the egg. Toss half of the chicken into the egg and coat well, then put in the plastic bag.

Seal the bag tightly and shake it until all of the chicken is covered (I suggest doing this to an Outkast song, but that's just my preference). Shake excess mixture off the chicken and spread out evenly onto the baking sheet. Do this again with the other half of chicken.

Spray the chicken generously with non-stick spray. Alternatively, you can use melted butter, which works just as well. Bake the chicken for 12-14 minutes, flipping over halfway through to evenly brown.

 

to make the french fries:

2 medium russet potatoes
olive oilsalt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees farenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet. Make sure this is stable. Spray the rack with non-stick spray.

Peel and slice the potatoes thinly. I did about 1/2-inch slices. Soak in a bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes.

After soaking, rinse under clean, cold water and pat dry, soaking up the excess water. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil (about 1-2 teaspoons) and sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to coat. Spread over the baking rack and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until browned and crispy.

 

to make coffee toffee twisted frosty:

1 1/2 cups coffee-flavored ice cream
3-4 Tablespoons milk (I used skim, but any kind will do)1 to 1 1/12 toffee candy bars (I used Heath bars)2 Tablespoons hot fudge sauce

In a blender, combine the coffee, milk and hot fudge sauce. Blend until combined. (I use a hand blender and the large mixing cup that comes with it). Chop the toffee bar into bite-sized pieces and stir into the ice cream mixture. Depending on the sweetness level that you want, you may want to reduce the toffee candy bits. We used 1 1/2 bars and found that it was overpoweringly sweet.

 

Enjoy!