Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is one of my mystery recipes. I wish I knew where it came from because it's really good and someone deserves credit for it. I know I found it after I got married, but it was back when I just jotted down recipes without thinking I'd ever need to know where it came from. It's one of my husband's favorite meals, that's for sure. If you like your mac and cheese more soupy, though, this probably isn't the recipe for you. It requires baking, which means the finished product is thicker. And cheesy. And creamy. And did I mention it's most definitely not low fat? :)

Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese

6 Tbsp. flour

6 Tbsp. butter

4 cups half & half

1 lb. elbow macaroni

3 cups sharp cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 cups fresh bread crumbs

Cook macaroni according to package directions and set aside. In a sauce pan, melt butter; stir in flour to form a roux. Slowly whisk in warmed half & half, whisking until mixture comes to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Let sauce simmer about 2 minutes. In a large bowl, combine sauce, cooked macaroni, cheddar cheese, and 1 cup parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into 4-quart casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese; sprinkle over mixture.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.



Saucy Chicken Italiano

I've been a pepper and onion despiser my entire life. Until my second pregnancy last summer, when I craved this dish all the time! I remember finding the recipe on Kraft Foods and thinking it sounded soooo good. I tried it and became addicted. I still love it, in fact. I guess I have pregnancy to thank for resolving my aversion to peppers and onions. :)


Saucy Chicken Italiano

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1 onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings

1 red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup Caesar dressing

1 cup Italian Five Cheese Blend

Pasta of your choice, cooked according to package directions (fettucini is usually best, but in the pictures we substituted "bow tie" pasta)

 

Heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 min. on each side or until cooked through.

Add vegetables, broth and dressing; cover. Cook on medium heat 6 to 8 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Spoon cooked pasta onto platter. Add vegetables, then top with chicken, sauce, and cheese.

Red and White Pasta

This is another really easy throw-together dish from Real Mom Kitchen. And since it only requires five really simple ingredients, chances are good I'll have what I need in my pantry.

The only change I made from her original recipe was to use less cheese. Three cups total seemed like a lot to me (although I'm sure it would have been nice and gooey and cheesy). I reduced it to just dividing the two cups of mozzarella and it still turned out really good.

Red and White Pasta

4 cups penne (or similarly sized) noodles

1 (15 oz.) jar Alfredo sauce

1 (24 oz.) jar marinara sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Fresh parsley (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.

3. Mix Alfredo and marinara sauces together in a large mixing bowl. (By the way, don't use a white plastic bowl for this... it stains big time. I may or may not speak from experience. :))

4. Add mozzarella cheese (I did about 1 1/2 cups) and combine. Add drained pasta

5. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake 25-30 minutes until bubbly. Sprinkle Parmesan (or the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella) on top and bake for another 5 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmigiana

Pretty much everything Pioneer Woman cooks is amazing. Thing is, sometimes her recipes are a little too "gourmet cook" for this time-strapped momma. But when I found this one, I thought it looked do-able. And, like every recipe I've ever tried of her's, it turned out amazing. The only thing I'd change a second time around is less sugar. It was really sweet. I usually like my pasta sauce a little on the sweet side, but this was too much for me.

Oh, and I obviously didn't include the wine. I know, I know - the alcohol cooks out. But, shockingly enough, I didn't happen to have an extra bottle of wine sitting in my kitchen cupboard. Like I said... no gourmet cooking in this house! :)

The changes I've made to her original recipe are below.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmigiana

4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat

1/2 cup flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cups olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

1 medium onion, chopped (I only used a half)

4 cloves garlic, minced (I used about a tsp. of garlic powder - mincing garlic is something I rarely do)

3/4 cup wine (My magic substitution: 3/4 cup chicken broth. Tasted great.)

3 14.5-oz. cans crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp. sugar (Like I said, I'd use less - like maybe a little less than 1 Tbsp.)

Chopped fresh parsley

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (I used the pre-shredded Italian blend you can buy from the grocery store)

1 pound thin linguine

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate. Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.

At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.

Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm. Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine (or chicken broth :)) and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine/broth to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. (I was out of time by this point and only let it cook for 10 minutes - still great.) Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.

Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated cheese. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.

Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

Quick Pasta Carbonara

This is one of my favorite "no-meat" meals. Okay, technically it still has meat (bacon). But I get really tired of cooking hamburger or chicken for every meal and this is a nice break.

I got the recipe from Real Mom Kitchen, one of my favorite recipe sites. I made a few changes to it, the biggest being that I used turkey bacon. It was way cheaper, so I decided to try it. It was actually pretty good - especially mixed into something like this.


Quick Pasta Carbonara

1/2 lb. medium-sized pasta (my 2-year old really likes the twirly ones seen above)
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (I like to use more like 1 tsp.)

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanshile, cook bacon in large skillet until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.

Add remaining ingredients to drippings; cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended and heated through.

Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Add cream cheese sauce and bacon; mix lightly.