Gourmet Mac n' 5 Cheese

So, I love Mac and Cheese. I love it when it's fancy and gourmet. So, about about a year ago while watching "The Ultimate Recipe Showdown" on the Food Network, this recipe won, and I was hooked. So, I finally decided to spend some money on fancy cheese, and give this a try. It was wonderful! I pretty much ate it all. (I am NOT going to think about the fat . . . ) It was really tasty. If you get the time, the craving, and some dough to spend on specialty cheese (I recommend getting them at Harmons) go for it! Oh, and the picture doesn't do it justice. At all.

Gourmet Mac n' Five Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

1 package (16 oz) pasta

1/4 lb. bacon

1 med. onion, diced

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

6 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

2 and 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 1% and it worked fine.)

2 cups heavy cream

1 sprig fresh thyme (didn't have any! worked out ok!)

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (I only put in like 2 Tablespoons. I'm not a huge fan.)

3/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese

3/4 cups grated White Cheddar Cheese

3/4 cups grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cups bread crumbs

3 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

Cook pasta according to package. (I did it a bit less since it will cook more in the oven.) Drain, and set aside.

In a large dutch oven/pot saute the bacon until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve. Saute the onion in the bacon drippings until soft. Add the 5 Tablespoons butter to the onion mixture and melt the butter, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the flour. Using a whisk, , stir constantly until mixed well with the fat making a roux. Whisk in the mustard. Gradually add the milk and cream whisking constantly. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and salt. Let come to a simmer and stir frequently for 15 min. Strain the milk mixture and discard the solids. Now mix in 1 cup Fontina, blue cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere, 1/2 cup white cheddar, 1/2 cup Parmesan and the reserved bacon and parsley. Continue to stir until all the cheese is melted. Addt eh cooked noodles to the cheese mixture to coat. Add the noodle mixture to the prepared baking sich. Mix the remaining cheese and bread crumbs together and sprinkle on top of the noodles. Bake for about 15-20 min. or until golden brown. Remove from overn when done and let rest for 5 min.

ENJOY!

Carmel Brownies

So, this is at the request of my great friend, Toni. These are addicting!
Ingredients:
50 Carmels (one package of Kraft is about 50)
1 can of evaporated milk (you'll need 1/2 cup and 1/3 cup)
3/4 cup melted butter/margarine
1 chocolate cake mix (german, dark, milk, etc.) NOT a brownie mix!
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350.
Unwrap carmels and put in saucepan. Add to that 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk. Melt this over the stovetop. (Stir often!) Meanwhile, make the brownies by mixing the cake mix, melted butter, and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk. Take half of this dough (maybe a bit more) and press it into the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Bake 6 min. at 350 degrees. After 6 min., take it out, and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the hot batter. Then, drizzle the melted carmel over the top of that. Crumble the rest of the brownie dough over the top. Put back in oven to bake for 15-18 min. Let cool completely before cutting! Put in refrigerater when cool enough to set the carmel. ENJOY! These really are yummy, and can be pretty messy too!

Slow Cooker Chili

This recipe was quick and easy. It turned out really flavorful, and thick-which I love. Must top with sour cream, too. It was taken from www.kraftfoods.com

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) light red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1-1/2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Mild Salsa
1 can (16 oz.) no-salt added tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

BROWN meat; drain. Add to slow cooker with remaining ingredients except cheese; stir. Cover with lid.
COOK on LOW for 5 to 6 hours (or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours).
STIR just before serving. Serve topped with the cheese.

**I cooked the beef and the onion together. I also added in one clove of garlic to the beef and onion.

Butter Maple Blondie

This is a great recipe that I have for the blondie you get at Applebee's. I know it's my husband's favorite, and so we tried it, and I have to say, it was pretty good! Here's the details.

BLONDIE:

INGREDIENTS:

4 egg whites

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 and 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

6 oz. white chocolate cut into chunks

1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add softened butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla and mix until smooth with an electric mixer. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until smooth. Mix in milk, white chocolate chunks, and walnuts. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 " pan. Bake for 40-45 min. (Mine took about 32 min, so watch it!), or until golden brown on top. Slice into 8 equal pieces.

MAPLE BUTTER SAUCE:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup softened cream cheese

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Ice Cream (8 scoops)

chopped walnuts to sprinkle over top of the 8 blondies

DIRECTIONS:

While the blondie is cooking, make this sauce.

1) Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl with electric mixer.

2) Heat up in microwave for 30-60 seconds until it is a hot liquid.

To Assemble:

On plate, or heated skillet, put a blondie, a scoop of ice cream, drizzle maple butter sauce over and sprinkle with walnuts.

ENJOY!

Fruit Tapioca

OK you adventurous cooks out there! Here's a unique recipe for you. I got this from my sister-in-law who is all organic, and healthy foods. This is a great treat to replace your regular sweet dessert. Now, I have to tell you that I HATE tapioca pudding-and this is not like that. It tastes a lot like Jello when you're done with it. So, if you are up for it, here's a healthy dessert-no added sugar!

Fruit Tapioca

(I triple the recipe-Devon loves this!)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fruit juice (100% juice! I usually use white grape, but this last time I tried white grape pomegranate-very good!)

1/4 cup Tapioca-I use Bob's Red Mill small pearl tapioca get it at a natural foods store, or online at http://www.bobsredmill.com/

1 cup fresh (or frozen and thawed) fruit (I always use strawberries, my favorite.)

DIRECTIONS:

Put juice and tapioca in a large pot. Let the tapioca soak for about 5 min. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Stir often. It cooks for about 1/2 hour. (When the tapioca are all pretty much clear. It will just look all clear and not like tapioca at all.) Take off heat, and let sit for 5 min. Stir in fruit, and let chill for 3-4 hours. I let it sit out until cool enough to put into the fridge.

Cinnamon Rolls

These are fun to make if you have some time. You need to make the dough the night before, and then when you cut out the rolls, they need to rise for another 2-3 hours. (I left them way too long and ended up with MASSIVE rolls!)

***Also, I halved the recipe when I made it, and it made 12 rolls. It makes a TON with the recipe below.***

Cinnamon Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup water

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup cold water

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 pkgs yeast (.25 oz)

1/2 cup warm water

7 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

Powdered Sugar Glaze (see recipe below)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot bring 1 cup water to a boil. (When I halved it, I just used a large saucepan, and then transferred it to a large bowl with a lid to add the flour.) Add the 1 cup butter, sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Add the 1 cup cold water. When mixture is lukewarm, add beaten eggs. In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Allow yeast to rise about 5 minutes until foamy. Stir into mixture. Add flour and stir together. Cover pan with lid and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roll out, divide dough into thirds. (When I halved it, I just used all the dough together.) Lightly flour surface of bread board. Roll dough out into a 12x6 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread each rectangle with 1/3 of the softened butter. In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 1/3 of brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the surface of the dough. Roll up jelly-roll style and cut into about 12 rounds. (I found that using floss works great!Just put the floss under the roll where you want to cut, and then cross the ends of the floss to cut through the rolls.) Place on a greased baking sheet (cookie sheets work best). Follow the same procedure with other 2 portions of dough. Let raise 2-3 hours. Bake one sheet at a time at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Spread with powdered sugar glaze while still warm. MAKES 3-4 DOZEN CINNAMON ROLLS.

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

DIRECTIONS: Cream the above ingredients together. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.

Creamy Chicken and Rice

This is a great Sunday dinner. I love using the crockpot!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 package seasoned rice mix (chicken flavor) about 6 oz.
4 large carrots, thickly sliced (I use frozen crinkle-cut carrots and just use as many as I want.)
3-5 chicken breasts.

1) Mix the soup, water, rice, and carrots in the crock-pot. Add chicken and turn to coat.

2) Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until done.

This is a great comfort food meal.

Salsa Chicken

This is a SUPER easy recipie that you can put in the crock pot in the morning and enjoy in the evening. You can eat this like burritos, and add beans and rice. It is a yummy fast meal!

Salsa Chicken

In crock pot combine: 3-4 chicken breasts
1 large bottle of salsa
1 taco seasoning mix (I would use a bit less than the entire thing.)

Cook in crockpot for 6-8 hours on low. Shred chicken and mix together.
ENJOY!

Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo

I made this for dinner last night, and was pleasantly surprised-it actually tasted like something you'd get in a restaurant! I was happy, and it was yummy. I was a little skeptical when I saw the ingredients, but it was great! (I got this out of Kraft Foods magazine for Spring of '06)

Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo:

Ingredients:

8 oz fettuccine

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

4 tsp. flour

1/3 cup light cream cheese SPREAD (not the block kind. I used regular, not light, and it was fine.)

3 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese (I was VERY liberal in that!)

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (I know it sounds crazy!)

3 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed. Drain, and set aside.

MEANWHILE: combine broth and flour in med. saucepan. Stir in cream cheese spread; cook 2 min., stirring constantly (a whisk worked best) until the mixture boils and thickens.

TOSS pasta w/sauce, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, and nutmeg. Sprinkle w/ remaining 1 T. Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Season to taste w/ black pepper.

Makes 4 servings/1 cup each.

*I added a few sprinkles of parmesan cheese to the actual sauce while it was boiling. I love that cheese, and think that you can't have too much!

ENJOY!

Chocolate Molten Surprise

This recipie is way easy, and tasty. I made it for my husband and I, and it makes 12 little cakes. So, we couldn't eat it all! The great thing about this dessert is that you can reheat these for about 20 seconds and they are just as great! (I would suggest cooking a bit longer than 8 min., but not too much. (1 min?) YUMMY!

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:28 min
Makes:1 doz. or 12 servings, one cake each
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup flour
12 CHIPS AHOY! Real Chocolate Chip Cookies ( I used the chewy kind.)
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Beat whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and flour with wire whisk until well blended. Gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating constantly until well blended.
LINE 12 medium muffin cups with paper liners; spray with cooking spray. Place 1 cookie, upside-down, on bottom of each cup; cover evenly with batter.
BAKE 8 min. or until cakes are firm around edges but still soft in centers. Let stand 1 min. Carefully remove cakes from muffin pan. Invert onto dessert dishes; remove paper liners. Serve with whipped topping.

Kraft Kitchens Tips:
Make Ahead:
Batter can be prepared ahead of time. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, pour batter evenly over cookies in prepared muffins cups and bake as directed.

Substitute OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies for CHIPS AHOY! Real Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Hershey's Chocolate Cheesecake

This recipie is not for the light of heart-it is rich and creamy, and you must be a chocoholic to really appreciate and enjoy it! (You've been warned.)

INGREDIENTS:

2 Oreo Cookie Crusts (this can also make one springform pie. Just make your fav. crust)

1 and 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 pkg (8 oz) plus 3 oz cream cheese softened (11 oz total)

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

(plus 1 cup whipping cream for topping-optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Melt chocolate chips and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Add butter and beat until smooth. Blend in vanilla. Beat in melted chocolate all at once. In another bowl, whip cream until stiff. Gently fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into crusts. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour or so. Whip the cream for topping, and spread on top of the cheesecakes. Keep in refrigerator until all set up. I like to add cocoa powder or chocolate shavings to the top. Like I said above, you can use two regular pie crust sizes, or you can use crumbs to make your own crust in a 9" springform pan. It is way yummy and way rich! I hope you like it.

White Bean Chili

This is a great recipie for this time of year. It is great by itself, but the garnish on top really makes it wonderful!




INGREDIENTS:
3 cans Canalini White Kidney beans (or great northern) With juice
2 chopped onions ( I only did one.)
48 oz. chicken broth
4 cups diced chicken
3 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons oregano
4 teaspoons cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cayene pepper (to taste)
6 to 8 cloves of garlic
*Last 15 min. add:
1 cup sour cream
3 cups shreded monterey jack cheese

Put the first 9 ingredients in large pot-cook 1 hour. Then, add sour cream and cheese during the last 15 minutes of cooking.


GARNISH:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoom dried onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon celery seed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
chopped tomatoes and chopped parsley
In saucepan combine sugar and vinegar, boil until sugar disolves. Add rest of ingredients. Cool, and add tomatoes and parsley. (Do the night before) (I did this a few hours before I served it.)
Serve in bowl with a few spoonfuls of the garnish on top.

Awesome Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I found this on kraftfoods.com and used it for a party the other day-it was a hit. Just a suggestion, though, make sure it is hot when you get around to eating it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (14 oz.) of artichoke hearts (I used marinated)

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained

3/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup light Mayonnaise

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.

SPOON into 9-inch pie tin, or quiche dish. (I used a 9 inch pie pan)

BAKE 20 min., or until heated through.

SERVE with pieces of bread, or crackers. (Triscuts and wheat thins are good.)

Perfect Easy Summer Dessert

I got my monthly "Kraft Foods" magazine yesterday, and well, one thing looked so amazing, I couldn't wait long until I tried it. It's perfect for a hot summer day! It's a super-easy Ice Cream Cake.

Here's the recipie! It's so tasty!

Oreo and Fudge Ice Cream "Cake"

1/2 cup fudge ice cream topping (warmed)

1 tub Cool Whip (8 oz)

1 pkg instant chocolate pudding (4 serving size)

8 Oreo cookies

12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches (it might be fun to try different kinds.)

Pour the fudge topping into a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup os the whipped topping (cool whip) with a wire whisk until well blended. Add the dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. The consistancy of fudge topping can vary depending on what brand you purchase. If your mixture is too thick to spread easily, stir in some milk. (1/4 cup.)

Chop the Oreo cookies roughly into chunks. Stir into pudding mixture.

Arrange 4 of the ice cream sandsiches side by side on a 24 x 12 " piece of tin foil. Top with 1/2 of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers. (from bottom to top: sandwiches, pudding mixture, sandwhiches, pudding mixture, sandwiches.)

Frost the top and sides with the remaining cool whip.

Fold up sides of foil to make a LOOSE packet.

Freeze for at lease 4 hrs before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

ENJOY!

Well, my name is AnnDee, and I have been married for almost 3 years. I graduated from SUU, and am currently teaching 4th Grade in Pleasant Grove, Utah. I don't have any children yet, but am looking forward to them someday soon. I enjoy cooking in a clean kitchen, and when I know what to make. I hate figuring out what to make each night, so, obviously, I don't cook as much as I really should. I have a few basic dinners we rotate around. I am excited to get some good ideas from you all! Also, Ashleigh, I need your recipie for that wonderful salad dressing from Cafe Rio. I know you had a recipie of it. Thanks!

A little help?

OK, please don't laugh if you are a great cook, but I have been trying relentlessly to successfully poach an egg. Anyone out there who gets it, please pass it on! I've been struggling for YEARS with this! Thanks,
AnnDee

Comfort Food

Well, I appreciate this site! I have a hard time thinking "outside the box" when it comes to cooking. So, here's a simple favorite that is always good, no matter what! I got this recipie from the Kraft Foods magazine. It's free, and comes every few months or so. All the recipies are pretty simple. ENJOY!

Chicken Pot Pie

Time: about 1 hour-serves about 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 c. Italian dressing

4 oz. Neufchatel cheese (lower fat cream cheese)

2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed.

1 refrigerated pie crust (15 oz. pkg.)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees.

COOK chicken in italian dressing in large skillet on med. heat for 2 min.

ADD neufchatel cheese; COOK and STIR until melted. ADD flour; MIX well.

ADD broth and vegetables; SIMMER 5 min.

POUR mixture into 10-in. pie plate (I actually put pie crust on top and bottom, they only

do it on the top.)

ARRANGE pie crust over filling; flute edges. Cut four slits in crust to allow steam to

escape.

BAKE 30 min. or until crust is golden brown.