experiments of a "chef-for-fun"
This dip is perfect for a crowd at your next party. At our Super Bowl Party this year this dip was the one that had the highest percentage of it eaten, so that should speak for itself. There is nothing “healthy” about this – so make sure to cook it for a crowd so the calories consumed will be lower… high calories (divided by) more people (equals) less calories per person!
When I suggested making Pumpkin Maccaroni and Cheese to bring to friends, Rich was pretty skeptical. Then, as I was putting the mac & cheese into the casserole dish to bake he was practically licking the pot with the extra pasta clean! Through mouthfuls he was telling me how much this totally worked even though he didn’t think it would. I’ll take it!
This recipe would work wonders on your Thanksgiving Table (it maybe a bit late for this suggestion, sorry). Everything in this recipe works and is perfect for any of your fall mac & cheese cravings. The pumpkin does not come out and smack you in the face like it would in a pumpkin pie but the flavor balance is spot-on and delicious.
Get out your pots and your stretchy pants, and enjoy some of this amazing savory Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a heavy pot over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk together and cook for thirty seconds. Add 2 cups milk and minced rosemary and whisk until smooth. Add another cup of the milk (reserving one cup) and continue to whisk. Cook for four minutes while whisking. The mixture will get very thick! Add 12 ounces of the grated mixed cheese (reserving about a handful of grated cheese) and stir well so that the cheese melts. Add the salt, pepper and cayenne followed by the additional cup of milk and the pumpkin puree. Once everything is smooth, add the cooked macaroni and toss well. Pour into a 9″13″ casserole pan and top with the remaining grated cheese and the breadcrumbs.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and bubbling
Yield: 8 servings
*Note – I had a 12 oz container of pasta so I just took out about 3/4 cup of cheese sauce before mixing the pasta in. Then that can get used in a soup (think cheddar soup, pumpkin soup, beer n cheese soup) or to make more pasta another day or on top of potatoes or whatever you like!
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And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… What food combinations are you not sure will work but then turns out tastefully delicious?
We keep on getting stuff called amaranth from our co-op. It is not a bad thing (actually pretty good) and it actually tastes a lot like spinach (with a slightly more bitter & fuzzy-ness to them) The major problem is that we are getting tired of it and we are also avoiding using the oven all the time during these summer months!
With our last crop of Amaranth I decided I wanted to do some sort of Spinach Pie & this recipe looked like it would hit the spot (which it did)! This got huge thumbs up from us & my parents (served with a big salad and some grilled garlic chicken to satisfy dad’s need for protein with every meal). The flavors in this were right on and in many ways it reminded me of my Spinach Feta Pie, (which I guess I never blogged, and am now craving as well)! Veggie Pies are an awesome way to get some tasty flavors into your diet (although “diet” is a rough word to use here with the 3+ cups of cheeses in the pie). So just ENJOY!
Preheat oven to 350° F
Place a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion in the butter until very soft and translucent, about 12 minutes. Mix in the thawed, squeezed spinach.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the spinach/onion mixture and stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Transfer filling to prepared pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving & ENJOY
And I leave you with today’s Question… what is your favorite “health food” – whether it is a true or fake health food?
I grew up not liking meatloaf.
I also grew up hearing stories of my father riding his bike to some diner for the best meatloaf ever. This diner was called “Yankee Tower Diner” and they released their meatloaf recipe when they closed. Mom followed their recipe and all of a sudden meatloaf was something that I fell in love with!
Warning: this is not low-calorie and there is nothing you can do to make it low-calorie, so run a few extra laps, go take a hike, hop on a bike – whatever you have to do to make and enjoy this meatloaf!!
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season & make into a loaf. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes (internal temp of 160 degrees). Slice & Enjoy!
This meatloaf is SO good you don’t even need to put anything on your meatloaf (which my parents remind me every time I make/eat it – even though I always have some ketchup on this stuff. Also – be sure to enjoy the burnt fat/cheese that bubble out from this meatloaf (growing up, and still today, I fight over the black charred yummy fat with my parents)! REMEMBER- I told you that you need to enjoy this and not worry about the health content here on this one!
And I leave you with this…”Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you!” (Tommy Smothers)
I originally made these as stuffed shells but had some manicotti in the house and returned to this filling since it was so tasty!
Stuffed Shells and Manicotti were not an Italian food that I grew up with (or had ever made before this year), probably because they are not as easy as most other pastas. With just a little bit of time (assemble the night before – the way you would lasagna) you can have the awesome flavors you want and crave with the beautiful presentation you deserve!
So next time manicotti OR large shells are on sale, pick up a box and try this filling out for yourself, I promise you’ll be happy you did! (and feel free to use as many or as few containers to prepare this in like I did – you can even make more than one night’s dinner ready to go and just leave in the fridge or freezer)
before the oven - because let's face it.. once cooked they just don't look as pretty!
[adapted from Handle the Heat & Two Peas and their Pod]
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray Pyrex 9 by 13 pan with cooking spray and put about 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of the pan Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the onion, cook until soft. Add in garlic, mushrooms. Remove from heat and cool. Meanwhile: in a large bowl combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, stir well. Add in the egg, spinach, basil, crushed red pepper, salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Mix well until creamy. Then, add the mushroom, onion, red pepper mixture.
Place the cooked manicotti/shells in the pan. Make sure they are spaced out evenly. Stuff each manicotti/shell with cheese/veggie mixture. Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Add the leftover mozzarella and parmesan. (refrigerate with saran & foil at this point if making the night before, and add about 10 minutes to baking time – just go ahead and put your cold pan in cold oven and then start the timer once you are preheated and your pan is up to temperature!)
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes – manicotti/shells should be bumbling and irresistible! Let cool for a few minutes and serve burn – your – face – off warm.
