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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!

 

 

Homemade French Toast Sticks

Growing up, it was such a treat when Mom bought us those frozen french toast sticks. Seriously, they were the best! Now that I'm an adult though, I realize they didn't have any good flavor to them, so I wanted to make my own super cinnamon-y french toast sticks!

These french toast sticks are super duper cinnamony and have a nice crunchy exterior and soft, fluffy inside. They're best covered in maple syrup and enjoyed on a Sunday (or if you're feeling really indulgent, a weekday).

to make cinnamon french toast sticks:
recipe adapted from Just a Taste

8 slices thick-cut white bread (preferrably a day or two old)
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Salted butter, for cooking
Maple syrup, optional (but not really)

Slice bread into 1 inch slices (4 sticks per slice).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and heavy cream. Add the cinnamon, sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Heat up a heavy pan over medium heat. Add salted butter because it's yummy. Soak each slice of bread in custard mixture for a few moments until soaked through, but be careful not to tear the bread. Add slices to pan and cook for a 2-4 minutes on each side until cooked through and browned and crispy on the outside. Serve warm with maple syrup & enjoy!

(I froze some leftovers, but have not tried reheating them yet. If anyone knows of a great way, leave some suggestions in the comments below!)

 

p.s. other store-bought foods that are wayyyy better homemade: french vanilla coffee creamer, taco seasoning, thin mints, frozen waffles.

 

 

Grandma's Brownies + PRINTABLE

Now-a-day's my grandma and I are pretty close. She is my hero and the kind of person I want to be when I grow up because she's borderline genius and so incredibly loving. My grandma lives about four hours away so growing up, I didn't get to see her that often and get a chance to eat all her goodies. I do, however, remember one week that we spent up north and my sister and I were the lucky ones that got to go hang out at Grandma's house and bake brownies with her! They were so good and it was the first time I had ever seen anyone make brownies from scratch (sorry Mom, but those boxed mixes just don't do it. You have other wonderful attributes that I adore you for).

This past July my mom and I spent a weekend up north with my grandma's and while we were there, my grandma showed me a handful of handwritten recipes. She let me take them home with me and copy them; it felt like I was taking home gold! I finally was able to get the chance to make these brownies this week and they are so decedant. These brownies are really rich, super chocolatey, and so so fudgy (in a good way)! I highly suggest taking a small warm brownie and having a glass of milk on hand to wash it down. It's perfect!

Since my grandma's handwritten recipes meant so much to me, I thought you would all like the chance to be able to write down your own recipes for you to pass on to family members or just to keep on hand. You can download some of your own pretty printable recipe cards here to enjoy!

to make triple chocolate brownies:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter2 cups sugar3 eggs1 tsp. vanilla extract1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips1/2 cup milk chocolate chips1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Butter a 9 x 9 inch metal baking pan.

In a large glass bowl, combine the chopped unsweetened chocolate and the cubed butter. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until butter is melted. Stir until completely combined. Mix in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour to mixture and stir, then combine all chocolate chips. Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center. Do not overbake otherwise they're get too chewy. Once out of the oven, sprinkle a tablespoon of two of extra chocolate chips and gently press into the top. Let cool in baking pan on top of a cooling rack.

Enjoy with a glass of milk.

 

Gooey S'mores Dip

My favorite part of summer are the s'mores. In fact, I love them so much that part of the reason I like having a gas oven is because I can make them all year round (is that safe?). My mom taught me that trick when I was younger and I've been doing it ever since! What can I say? I'm a marshmallow addict.

Last weekend, during our sister sleepover, I made up a batch of these delicious & gooey s'mores dip. It was a hit with my sisters and I (and Instagram)! I can't wait to make this for a party because I think it would be great as an easy dessert that I wouldn't mind taking a few minutes away from the gathering to whip up real fast. Plus, the graham crackers make a great spoon without having to dirty any dishes.

All you need is a good pie pan, some chocolate chips of any variety, and some marshmallows! I used regular sized marshmallows, but mini ones would work great too if that's what you have on hand.

The first time I made this, I used a mix of regular chips and chocolate chunks, but this go-round I tried out mini chips because that's what I had and chocolate is chocolate, right?

I love marshmallows. And if you love marshmallows as much as I do, just keep a few extra on hand to munch on while you make this s'mores dip all pretty looking.

I hope you make this and enjoy it with your closest s'mores lovers. Lucky for me, I have three sisters that enjoy them as much as I do.

to make s'mores dip:

2 cups chocolate chips (any kind)
17 regular sized marshmallows, cut in halfgraham crackers, for dipping

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Farenheit. Grease up a pie pan using butter or non-stick spray.

Evenly spread out the chocolate chips into the bottom of the pan and top with the halved marshmallows, sticky-side down. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown on top. Let cool slightly and then dig in like a maniac because it's s'mores dip.

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!

 

The Secret to the Best Scrambled Eggs

Is that title too long? Oh well, it's the truth. I love eggs, especially scrambled eggs (even more so when those scrambled eggs are put into a burrito with Ortega taco sauce. Yum.). I make them pretty much every day that I'm not working and eat them for lunch. I have a super secret and delicious way to make my scrambled eggs extra creamy and moist even after they've been scrambled.

Here's the quick tip that will give you deliciously creamy eggs every time.

• After whisking your eggs with a tad bit of milk, pour them into a pan that was sprayed with non-stick spray and set at medium heat.
• Once the eggs have slightly cooked on the bottom, take pinches of cream cheese and place them around the eggs. Season the way you want to and add whatever you would like (the perks of scrambled eggs). I use a spatula to not scratch my pans, and then swirl the eggs around to cook them.
• Turn the stovetop off just before the eggs cook all the way (they should just be a little wet) and they will finish cooking because the heat from the pan. The eggs will stay moist and oh-so creamy!

I hope you try this out the next time you make some scrambled eggs! What are some of your tricks that you use while cooking? 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

Strawberry Polenta Cake

David and I went strawberry picking a while ago and man, did we make out with all the strawberries! They were delicious and so juicy and so many. I found a recipe for raspberry polenta cake and I thought it would be perfect with strawberries as well! I love the way it turned out! The polenta is a little crunchy and warm. The strawberries lend a delicious sweetness and juicy burst of flavor. So yummy!

First, we cut up some juicy strawberries and put them in a bowl to set aside for later. I've learned that freshly picked strawberries are the very best kind. I think it's because they are the literal fruits of your labor (bending over to pick all those guys in the hot sun is prett tiring).

We mix some polenta with some other yummy things to make the cake base and pour it into a hot pan that was freshly coated with butter. Sprinkle plents of ripe strawberries over the top. Really as much as you want; I wanted this much.

After it bakes for a short while, the edges get nice and crunchy and the center stays soft while the strawberries sink further into the cake to add suprise bites of flavor.

Serve it with ice cream, obviously. Ice cream makes everything so much better (e.g. bad days, sad days, even the best kind of days are better with ice cream)!

to make strawberry polenta cake:
adapted from Love & Lemons

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground polenta
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup strawberries
butter to grease the pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit with a 8 or 9 inch square baking pan inside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, polenta, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.

In a small bowl, mix together the milk, syrup, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined without over whisking it. The mixture may seem a little wet, but don't worry because the polenta will absorb the moisture as it bakes.

Using an oven mit, take the pan out of the oven and carefully grease the pan with butter. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the top with strawberries. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden and crisp and a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let cool slightly, but it's best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

 

*Because this is fresh fruit, store in the fridge no longer than two or three days. I left mine out on the counter and David thought I had made another one with chocolate chips. Yuck!

Lunch Eats

I thought I'd share some of my lunches that I have on a daily basis. What I do is pack a snack or two and then something that I have for my "main meal". If you're suuuuper interested, my eating schedule is: 8:00am, breakfast; 12:00pm, snack; 2:30pm, lunch; 5:00 or 6:00pm, snack; between 7:00pm and 9:00pm, dinner. Here are some yummy lunches I've had recently!

Leftover brown butter noodles with turkey sausage with two graham crackers for afterward. I also had an apple and peanut butter earlier in the day, but that's not pictured. I like cooking up some turkey or chicken sausage and then slicing it and storing it in the fridge. I either eat it cold with cheese & crackers or eat it warmed to add protein to a quick dinner. It makes life much easier.

Leftover pancakes from brinner (breakfast dinner), chicken sausage, grapes, and applesauce. Oh, and did you know I eat my applesauce warm? People think that's gross, but my grandma used to make the best homemade applesauce once a year and store it in the freezer. Whenever we got any applesauce, we would have to thaw it in the microwave and it was so yummy we wouldn't wait for it to cool down. Now cold applesauce kind of grosses me out.

Leftover leek and pancetta pasta (so good!), grapes, and a protein bar. Yes David, I did take one of your protein bars.

This is Sammy pretty much every time I'm taking my lunch pictures. Actually, seconds before this as I was trying to take the above picture, he practically had his nose in my pasta until I told him to go away. He thinks that is going away...

 

Hope this gives you a little lunch inspiration!

xoxo