Sesame Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 I am adding this recipe even though it has maple syrup in it.  I am not a fan of maple syrup.  I find it to be sickeningly sweet.  I may add something different or skip it altogether.

I found this in the Summer 2024 edition of allrecipes magazine.  It was under the no cook dinners section.  After being unemployed for 6 months I am going back to work in a couple of weeks and this would be a good choice for those evenings when we want dinner in a hurry.

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded

1/2 C. shredded carrot

1 8oz. can water chestnuts, srained and chopped

3 green onions, sliced

1/4 C. sour cream or plain Greek style yogurt

1/4 C. toasted sesame oil

1/4 C. rice vinegar

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

2 tsp. pure maple syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tspe crushed red pepper

20 leaves baby romaine lettuce

Stir together chicken, carrot, water chestnuts, and onions in a large bowl.  Whisk together, sour cream, oil, vinegar, ginger, maple syrup, salt and crushed red pepper in a small bowl.  Pour over chicken mixture; toss to coat.

Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce leaves and eat!

Antipasto Bean Salad

 I found this recipe on TikTok...it's not just a major time suck.  Thank you for sharing, Harrison!

Salad

1 English cucumber, diced

1 container cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 C. minced fresh parsley, I used flat leaf

1 shallot, minced

1/3 lb. genoa salami, I used a bit more

1/3 C. chopped Kalamata olives, I used regular black olives and halved them

1 C. grated parmigiano reggiano (or pecorino)

1 8oz. container pearl mozzarella, drained

1/3 C. sliced pepperoncini, plus 1 tbsp. brine

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 C. red wine vinegar

1/3 C. olive oil

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Harrison blended the dressing in a Nutrabullet which is genius!

I served this salad this past 4th of July and it was a hit!

Key Lime Bars

 We love key lime pie.  I found this recipe in the April/May issue of Taste of Home.  It will be a nice addition to some of our spring and summer parties.

1 1/4 C. all purpose flour

30 vanilla wafers, broken into pieces

1/2 C. confectioners sugar

1/2 C. chopped pecans

3/4 C. cold butter, cubed

Cream cheese layer

1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/4 C. sugar

2 tbsp. 2% milk

1 tsp. vanila

Key lime layer

1 1/2 C. sugar

1/4 C. all purpose flour

4 large eggs

1/2 C. Key lime juice

Additional confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, combine flour, wafers, confectioners sugar and pecans; cover and process until nuts are fine.  Add butter; cover and pulse until crumbly.

Press into an ungreased 13x9in baking dish.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla until blended; spread over crust to edges of pan.  In another small bowl, combine sugar and flour; whixk in eggs and Key lime juice.  Gently pour mixture over cream cheese layer.

Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until filling is set.  Cool on a wire rack.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled.  Cut into bars.  Just before serving, sprinkle with additiona confectioners sugar.

Chicken Scarpariello

 Every so often Chris gives me a cooking "challenge".  I was laid off from my job a few weeks ago so I have some spare time and have been doing some cooking.  He saw this dish on one of the Beat Bobby Flay episodes on Food Network and thought it would be something we would both like.  I scoured the internet to find a recipe I liked and was close to what he saw on the show.  I could have gone straight to foodnetwork.com but I rarely do things the easy way.

This recipe came from a website called Serious Eats.  I made a few tweaks along the way and will note them in the recipe.  I also completely forgot to take any photos so I guess I will have to make it again!

2 1/2lbs. bone in skin on chicken thighs (6 to 8 thighs)-->I used 2 large chicken breasts, each piece cut into 3 smaller pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 to 4 links sweet or hot Italian sausage--> I used sweet

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 larged red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 tbsp. finely minced fresh sage leaves-->use fresh, the aroma is amazing!

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced-->did I mention the aroma?

8 hot or sweet pickled cherry peppers, thinly sliced along with 1/4 C. of the pickling liquid from the jar-->I used sweet here too.

1 C. dry white wine-->all I had was Prosecco, so in it went!

1 C. homemade or store bought low sodium chicken stock

2 tbsp. sugar

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add chicken skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned and crisp.  I browned the chicken breasts until they were golden; about 8 minutes total, lowering the heat if pan starts to smoke.  Flip chicken and brown lightly on second side, about 3 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside.

Return skillet to heat without draining it and add sausage.  Cook until well browned on the first side, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Flip sausage and cook on second side until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes longer.  I cut the sausage on the bias into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces when it was done.

Return pan to heat, add onion and bell pepper and cook stirring and scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon until veggies are softened and starting to brown, about 4 minutes.  Add sage and garlic, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add pickled cherry peppers and their liquid stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.  Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.  Add chicken stock and sugar, and stir to combine.  Return sausage to pan, toss to combine then return chicken pieces to pan skin side up unless you are using boneless/skinless; nestling them down among sauce vegetables and sausage.

Transfer to oven and cook until chicken is done; about 30 minutes.  Serve immediately, spooning sauce, vegetables and sausage around chicken pieces.  I served this with roasted potatoes.

Chicken Parmesan Slider Bake

 This is another recipe from Taste of Home Feb/Mar 2024 issue.  I did my own spin on it.  I’ll note where I made changes.

24oz. frozen breaded chicken tenders—> Instead of tenders, I put 4 chicken breasts in my Instapot with a cup of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of marinara sauce, 1/2 tsp. ea. onion powder and garlic powder, and 1 tsp. Italian seasoning.  Set the instapot to poultry and let it go.  When it was finished the chicken was easily shredded

2 pkg. Hawaiian rolls 

14 slices provolone cheese—>I added in shredded mozzarella as well

1 jar marinara sauce

Topping 

1/2 C. butter, melted 

1 tsp. garlic powder 

1 tsp. red pepper flakes 

1/2 C. Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. minced fresh basil

I also added a tbsp. of parsley flakes 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If you are using the chicken tenders, prepare them according to package directions. Meanwhile without separating the rolls, cut them horizontally in half. Arrange bottom half in a greased 13x9 pan.  Place 8 cheese slices over roll bottoms, overlapping as needed.  Bake until cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes.

Layer rolls with half the sauce, chicken, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.  Replace the top half of rolls.

For topping, microwave butter, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes, covered on high, stirring occasionally until butter is melted.  Pour over rolls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered until golden brown and heated through, 20-25 minutes.  Sprinkle with basil and parsley flakes before serving.

Shortcut Minstrone

 I found this recipe in the February/March 2024 issue of Taste of Home. I’ve never made minestrone with bacon before and I think this will become a fan favorite in my house.

4 bacon strips, diced

1 large onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 32oz. carton beef broth

1 can kidney beans 

1 can chickpeas 

2/3 C. uncooked small shell pasta

2 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

1 C. cut green beans

Grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels.  Drain and reserve 2 tbsp bacon drippings. Cook onion and carrots in the drippings until tender, 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic, cook 2 minutes longer.

Stir in spaghetti sauce, broth and both beans. Bring to a boil.  Add pasta, brown sugar, basil and oregano. Cook, uncovered until pasta is tender, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add green beans, cook until heated through, about 5 minutes longer.  Garnish with reserved bacon and Parmesan cheese.

1cup serving- 188 calories, 3g. fat, 2mg. cholesterol, 560mg. sodium, 31g. carbohydrates, 10g. protein 

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

 I found this recipe on a site called Barefoot in the Kitchen and I made my own spin on it for Thanksgiving this year.  It was a huge hit!  

Salad:

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, shaved or sliced thin-->I used 2+ lbs, not quite 2.25lbs and I sliced them

2 medium Fuji, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced and chopped--> I used 1 Pink Lady and 1 LARGE Honey Crisp, only sliced them and gave them a lemon juice bath before putting them in the salad.

1/3 C. golden raisins or Craisins--> I used Craisins, about 1/2 C.

1/3 C chopped pecans--> I toasted my pecans and used 2/3 C.

2 tbsp. red onion, thinly sliced and chopped--> I used 1/2 of a shallot, chopped fine

1/4 extra sharp cheddar cheese or Parmesan, shaved, shredded or crumbled--> I used orange and white extra sharp cheddar that was shredded about 1/2 C.

Dressing:

1/2 C. lightly flavored olive oil

1/4 C. apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

I added together the dressing ingredients and felt it needed something; so I added 1/4 C. stone ground mustard and whisked everything together.

I tossed the salad ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerated until time to serve.  Just before serving I drizzled the recently shaken dressing over the bowl.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

 I love soup.  Soup season is just beginning.  I am going to try this an I don’t think I will wait until Thanksgiving.

8 C. unsalted turkey broth (or chicken broth)

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces 

1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped 

1 large celery stalk, sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick pieces 

2 tsp. minced garlic 

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus more for garnish 

3 thyme sprigs, plus chopped for garnish 

1 bay leaf 

4 C. cooked turkey, torn into 1 inch pieces 

1 C. uncooked wild rice

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Stir together broth, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until vegetables are tender and mixture is fragrant, about 3 hours.

Uncover cooker and stir in turkey and wild rice. Cover and continue cooking on low until rice is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Uncover cooker and stir in lemon juice.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with thyme and black pepper.

Classic Braised Beef

 This recipe called for a chuck roast.  I am going to try it using short ribs.  We’re supposed to get the first real cold weather of the season next week.  This might be on the menu.

3 1/2 pound boneless beef chuck roast 

1 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

4 tsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

1 onion, chopped 

1lb. cremini mushrooms, halved

1 head garlic, peeled and halved

1 C. red wine

3 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves 

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 C. low sodium beef broth, plus more as needed 

3 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces 

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season beef roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Heat oil in a 5-6 quart Dutch oven over high heat; add beef. Reduce heat to medium high and cook until beef releases easily from bottom of pot and a golden brown crust has formed, about 4 minutes. Turn meat and repeat, cooking until brown on all sides. Transfer meat to a plate.

Add butter, and mushrooms to drippings.  Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook stirring constantly, about 1 minute.  Add wine, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from bottom of pot. Return meat and any accumulated juices to pot.  Add thyme, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce.

Pour in beef broth. Bring mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat and bake, covered, 2 hours and 15 minutes.  Add carrots to pot.  Cook until meat is very tender and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes more. Remove thyme and bay leaves before serving. Garnish with parsley.

Mac and Cheese for a Friend

 Chickpea pasta

1/2 stick butter, plus 1 additional tablespoon 

4 tbsp. whole milk, then an additional 2-2 1/2 cups

Choose your cheese, I like sharp cheddar so I go heavy on it with smoked Gouda, mild cheddar, shredded Velveeta

Cayenne pepper

Garlic powder

Black pepper 

Riced cauliflower and shredded carrot

Make pasta according to package directions.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour stirring constantly until a paste forms.  Before it turns brown, add in the rest of the milk.  Stir in the cayenne, garlic, and pepper.  Stir for 5 minutes then add your shredded cheese.  Keep stirring.  If it gets too thick, add more milk.  If it’s too thin, add more cheese.  When it’s smooth and velvety, put the past into a pan sprayed with cooking spray and then pour the cheese sauce over.  Stir to combine.  

For your “breadcrumb” topping, melt a tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan.  Add riced veggies. Toast until they start to get golden. Spoon over mac and cheese.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes until edges start to brown.  Enjoy!

Rachael Ray's Spicy Chorizo Sloppy Joes

 I was home last Tuesday prepping the pasta salad I was taking to my sister's July 4th celebration when I saw this on a rerun of the Rachael Ray show.  I watched a lot of her shows while I was recovering from chemo back in 2015.  I still make a few of the recipes from back then.  I made this the other night and of course took no photos.  I made a couple of tweaks and we liked it a lot.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red field pepper, seeded and chopped--I used red and yellow bell peppers
  
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped; can sub a Fresno or any chili
  
• 1 rib celery with leafy top, finely chopped--I skipped the celery
  
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
• 1½ pounds 85% ground sirloin or plant-based beef substitute
• ½ pound fresh beef or pork chorizo or soy-based chorizo substitute

 

For the Joes, heat oil in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers and celery, season with salt and pepper and soften a few minutes. Add garlic and stir a minute. Add beef and chorizo and brown and crumble, then stir in the sauce, reduce heat to low and simmer a few minutes for the flavors to combine.

    For the sauce

 

• One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• ½ cup beef stock or bone broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce (Rach likes Frank’s RedHot)--I used Smoked Chipotle Tabasco
  
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

 For the sauce, whisk the ingredients and set aside. 

Toppings:

• Finely chopped white onion
• Sliced bread and butter pickles--I served with kosher dill chips
  

Serve the sloppy Joes with a pile of rolls and the toppings.

Two Corn Chicken Posole

 Try this recipe in your crockpot.  It’s a great meal for a party.

2 C. diced onion 

1 tbsp. minced garlic 

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 

1 tsp. dried oregano 

1 tsp. chili powder

1 28oz. can green enchilada sauce

1 29oz. can hominy, rinsed and drained 

1 15oz. can whole kernel corn, drained 

1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes, not drained

2 C. chicken broth

3lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs; I will likely use chicken breasts

Topping options

Shredded cabbage 

Sliced jalapeños 

Diced avocado 

Sliced radishes 

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Chopped cilantro 

Lime juice

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a slow cooker.  Add chicken and push down to submerge. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.

Remove chicken and shred with forks.  Add chicken back to stew.

Serve in bowls with toppings as desired.

Gingered Spaghetti Salad

 I found this in the June/July 2023 issue of Taste of Home magazine.  I am going to make this for some work lunches.

1 16oz. pkg of whole wheat spaghetti, I would break them into halves or even thirds

1 C. frozen shelled edamame 

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger root 

1 C. Fat free sesame ginger salad dressing 

3 C. cooked chicken breast; rotisserie chicken would work well here

1 English cucumber, chopped 

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped 

1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped 

3 green onions, sliced

Cook spaghetti according to the package directions, adding edamame during the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Rinse mixture in cold water, then drain well.  Meanwhile, stir ginger into salad dressing.

In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, chicken, cucumber, peppers, and red onion.  Toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions.

Per serving, 355 calories, 6g. fat, 40mg. cholesterol, 431 mg. sodium, 52g. carbohydrates, 26g. protein 

Pesto

 I made this recipe last week and used it to dress a simple pasta salad for the 4th of July.  It was a big hit for both the kids and adults!  I have 4 basil plants that are doing really well this season.  

• 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves

• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup pine nuts

• 4 cloves garlic, or to taste

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, or more to taste (optional)—>do the lemon juice, it really brightens up the flavors.

  Combine basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to a smooth paste. Add lemon juice, if desired, and quickly pulse to combine.

  The consistency I like best is just a bit thinner than a paste.  It tosses well in the pasta salad and also is a good spread.

  For the pasta salad, I used a pound of rotini cooked using the package instructions, 20ish cherry tomatoes, and a container of fresh mozzarella shaped like little ears (orrichette)

  Per serving      

  calories 92
  total fat 9g
  saturated fat 2g
  cholesterol 3mg
  sodium 59mg
  total carbohydrate 1g
  dietary fiber 0g
  total sugars 0g
  protein 2g
  vitamin c 4mg
  calcium 60mg
  iron 1mg
  potassium 54mg

Barbecue Sauce

 Chris made homemade barbecue sauce and it was outstanding, sweet with a touch of heat.

1 C. ketchup 

1/4 C. apple cider vinegar 

1/8 C. Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. Liquid Smoke

1 tsp. honey

1 tbsp. mustard 

2 tsp. Northwoods Fire (Penzey’s)

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 

1 tsp. cocoa

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Mix all ingredients in sauce pan, heat on low until sauce thickens.

Copycat Crumbl Sugar Cookies

The original recipe is from Cookingwithkarli.com I made some tweaks which I will note along the way.  I do not like Crumbl cookies.  They are too big, too sweet, just too much.  I like these cookies.  I also made them smaller.  I got 26 cookies when I made them.

I am going to try these with lemon juice instead of almond extract.  I think they will be delicious.

The ones I made were a big hit at the party!

Cookies

1 C. salted butter; I used a stick each of salted and unsalted butter

1 C. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract (I used a full tsp)

3 C. all purpose flour 

2 tsp. baking powder

Sweet Almond Icing

1/2 C. salted butter; I used unsalted 

3 C. powdered sugar; I used 2 1/2 C. 

1 tsp. almond extract; I used 1 1/2 tsp.

1-3 tbsp. milk; I used 6 tbsp.

Optional neon pink food coloring; I used green for a St. Patrick’s Day party.

Preheat oven to 350*.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I used my stand mixer, scraping the sides along the way. Add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla and almond extracts. Beat until well mixed.

Add the flour and baking powder. Mix until thoroughly combined. 

Roll dough into golf ball size balls and flatten with a glass, I used a rocks glass. Be sure to flour the glass. The cookies spread so leave room on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 9-11 minutes until cookies are puffed up and not glossy.  Cool them on the cookie sheet.

For the icing, cream butter.  Add in powdered sugar, almond extract and milk until creamy.  Add food coloring if desired.

Chill to set frosting. Serve cookies chilled.

Chicken and Vegetable Wild Rice Chowder

 It’s soup season! I found this in a recent issue of BH&G…Better Homes and Gardens.The photo is making my mouth water!  

2 bacon slices, roughly chopped 

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped 

2 tsp. dried sage

3 garlic cloves, minced 

4 C. chicken broth 

2 C. milk

1 packet cooked wild rice blend

1 C. corn

1/2 C. jarred roasted red peppers, chopped 

2 C. shredded rotisserie chicken 

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a pot or Dutch oven.  Add bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leave drippings in pot.

Add carrot, celery, onion, and sage to pot; cook until vegetables begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add 1/4 C. all purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.  Stir in broth, milk, wild rice blend, corn and roasted red peppers; bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Add chicken and cook uncovered until chicken is just heated through; 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  Top with reserved bacon.

Per serving: 357 calories, 13g. fat, 65mg. cholesterol, 731mg. sodium, 36g. carbohydrates, 3g. fiber, 9g. sugars, 24g. protein 

Strawberry Muffins

 Just in time for strawberry season, a yummy muffin recipe.

1/2 C. milk

1/4 C. canola oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 C. flour

1/2 C. sugar, plus 1 1/2 tsp. for sprinkling 

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. chopped ripe strawberries 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 6 muffin cups or live with paper liners.

Lightly beat together milk, oil, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 C. sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add strawberries and toss to coat.  Fold milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Fill each muffin cup with a heaping 1/3 cup batter. Sprinkle tops with remaining sugar.

Bake until toothpick inserted into muffin centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes in the pan then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Super Bowl LVI Mac and Cheese

 We have friends who host a Super Bowl party every year (or years when Covid isn't raging).  Recently one of our hosts was diagnosed with Diabetes.  She loves my mac and cheese and I wanted to modify my recipe so that she could still enjoy it.  I figure it this way...it's not going to hurt the rest of us to eat a little healthier either.  Please note, there is still a ton of cheese and  some butter in this recipe so while the carbs are low, the fat and calories are not.

I didn't measure a ton with this recipe but what I made filled a roughly 8x11 catering tray.

I cooked 2 14oz packages of chickpea pasta (Barilla Chickpea Rotini) according to package directions.

In a heavy sauce pan I melted 4 tbsp each of butter and flour to create my roux.  I added a pint of whole milk and a splash of skim milk.  Don't go overboard on the skim or your sauce will break.  I added some onion powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the roux.   When it starts to thicken start adding your cheeses.  I used smoke Gouda, sharp cheddar and Colby jack; you can use whatever your favorites are.  If you can get Velveeta shredded, use some of that as well, it gives the sauce extra velvety-ness.

Taste the sauce as you go.  Add some smoked paprika if you like the flavor.  When you are happy with the taste and texture of your sauce, mix in your pasta and put it in your pan.  I put some cooking spray in the pan to make sure it doesn't all stick.

I usually top my mac and cheese with a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs and more cheese.  I subbed riced cauliflower for the bread crumbs.  I toasted the cauliflower in a skillet with butter and some finely chopped red bell pepper.  I seasoned it with some Parmesan and Asiago cheeses as well as Everything but the Bagel seasoning once the mixture was cooled.  For the pan I used, the mixture was about 2/3 of a cup.

Just before I put the pan in a 375 degree oven, I add about a half cup of whole milk to it, just to loosen up the sauce a bit. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

Like a blogger that is out of practice, I did not take a photo of my process or my finished process yesterday.  Next time!

Zuppa Toscana

 This is a spin on the Olive Garden soup and while I don't go to Olive Garden all that often, this is an awesome soup.  It's hearty and is another way to use some of the amazing Italian sausage we can get in our area.

1lb. mild Italian sausage

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 lb. bacon, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 C. chicken broth

1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced

1 C. heavy whipping cream

3-4 C. kale, chopped (I sometimes sub in spinach instead or mix them)

Place a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add the sausage and red pepper flakes and cook, breaking the sausage up as it cooks.  Cook until browned and no longer pink, then remove to a bowl or a plate.

Add the bacon to the pot and cook until crisp; about 7-8 minutes.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and add to the sausage.  Drain all but about 2 tbsp. of the bacon grease.

To the remaining bacon grease, add the onion and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook another 30-60 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.

Pour in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Once the potatoes are tender, reduce the heat and add the sausage and bacon back into the pan.  Stir in the heavy cream.  Add the kale and stir to combine.

Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the kale has softened a bit.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve warm.