Simple Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese, but I cannot stand the microwaved or instant stove-top versions. It has to baked with just that touch of dark brown from the cheese bubbling up and turning into a crisp topping. This is a very simple version. That will serve as a base for some of the so-called more classy versions. It is quick and simple. The longest part is the final 20-minute bake.

1cup macaroni after it is cooked it will double and you will have approx 2 cups

The roux 

1/4 cup butter or margarine,
1/4 cup flour 
1 cup milk
1/2lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

The Topping

1/8 cup butter 

1/4 Panko bread crumbs 

1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

HEAT oven to 350°F.


Bring 4 cups water to a boil add 1 tablespoon kosher salt, add macaroni cook until al dente (should not be soft or overdone or have a hard center)


While the pasta is cooking
MELT 3 Tbsp. butter in medium saucepan on medium heat.
Whisk in flour; cook approx 2 min., stirring constantly, should be a light tan.
Gradually stir in milk.
Bring to boil; cook and stir 3 to 5 min. or until thickened.
Add VELVEETA; cook 3 min. or until melted, stirring frequently.
Stir in drained macaroni.
SPOON into 2-qt. casserole coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with Cheddar.
Melt remaining butter; in a small skillet toss with Panko crumbs.
Sprinkle over casserole.
Optional toppings Ritz’s cracker crumbs, croutons crumbs, bacon crumbs, Green onions or any combination. You can put any just about type of cheese that you like on top. Sometimes I just lay slices of Velveeta on top.


There is no requirement that there be any topping, sometimes I will just put it in the oven without a topping.


BAKE 20 min. at 350 or until heated through. I like the top to bubble and just to start to turn dark brown, do not let it burn .

Clifton

update Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken 

endeavor 1 

Last week I post a recipe from another Blog Site www.sixsistersstuff.com on a Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken. On Sunday, I made it and it was very good. It was better than good it is the best Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe I have made at home.

The honey mustard sauce was very thick, so it stuck well to the chicken and did not drip off while grilling. For the mustard I used ‘Central Market Organics Whole Grain Mustard’ a quality whole grain mustard is necessary for this recipe. I let them sit in the honey mustard sauce for a little over one hour, before grilling. The chicken needs to be at room temperature before placing them on the grill.  This will allow them to cook fully without burning on the outside. They were juicy and tender.



Here is the recipe, for the original blogger Simply Scratch www.simplyscratch.com

Honey Mustard Sauce 

• 1/2 cup of any Whole Grain Mustard 
• 1/2 cup of Honey 
• Juice of 1/2 a Lemon 
• 1 Garlic Clove, smashed and minced 
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika 
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes 

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts



The next time I make it, I have made notes to try it with the following changes;

1. Try fresh squeezed orange juice in place of the lemon juice. 
2. Replace Cayenne with Chipotle Chile Powder 
3. Omit the Red Pepper Flakes 

Apple juice or pineapple juice are other liquids I would/will try in place of the Lemon juice.

I will keep you posted.

Did anyone else try it, if so what did you think?

Clifton

Apple Pizza

Apple Pizza

Apple Pizza - Video clip and recipe.

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/the-minimalist-free-form-apple-or-pear-tart/

What are best apples for apple pie?

http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/style/dining-and-wine/1194820411913/index.html#100000001171054

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken

Here is a link to what looks like a great grilled chicken recipe.
I am going to try within the next few weeks, then I will let you know what I think.



http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/02/grilled-honey-mustard-chicken-recipe.html?

Baked Potato Casserole

Baked Potato Casserole

This is one of those recipes that just never goes to waste. Yesterday I made a double recipe, thinking it would last several days and tonight there is maybe one or two helpings left. When we take it to a potluck dinner or to a gathering, we almost never bring any back home, I am usually given stern instructions to make enough to leave some at home.

All of these ingredients can be adjusted to suit your taste; all we are attempting to do is make a bowl full of loaded bake potatoes.
I first came up with this recipe about 30 years ago as my daughter Aimee would take 15 to 20 minutes mixing her baked potato until it was just the way she wanted it. To top it off we were always throwing some away. It is somewhat funny or interesting how almost no one will eat a left over baked potato, but I always make enough of this that we have leftovers and I never throw any away.

Ingredients

• 4 large baked potatoes (or the equivalent in smaller potatoes)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened butter (margarine could be substituted)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 16 drops of tobacco sauce
• 1/4 - teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 - teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese - divided into two equal parts
• 1 ½ cups crisp fried bacon bits - divided into two equal parts
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions green tops included - divided into two equal parts
• 1/4- teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 - teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Cooking and mixing instructions

While the potatoes are baking
Cook the bacon until crisp. (See special note on cooking the bacon below)
Bake the potatoes until done or just a little shy of done (they will continue to cook while you wait for them to cool enough to peel)
After the potatoes have cooled enough to comfortably handle, peel them.

Combine potatoes, butter, sour cream, ranch dressing, and tobacco sauce, then mix or smash until the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes.
Add the 3/4 cup of cheese
Add 3/4 cup of bacon bits
Add 1/4 cup of green onions
Add salt and black pepper
Mix or smash until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, do not over mix.
Spread into an 8’ square ovenproof container I use a Corning Ware container
Depending on the size of you potatoes, you may need a larger baking dish.
Top the remaining cheese, bacon, and green onions.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minuets

This is the only way I make bacon bits

I take 1 lb of bacon and cut across the slices into approx ¼ strips. So what I have is approx ¼ wide by approx 1 inch long pieces. Then I place all of the cut bacon into an 8-inch cast-iron skillet and cook it on medium low heat until all of the water renders out of the bacon, stirring every 5-6 minutes. After all of the water has cooked out of the bacon. I then turn up the heat to medium high and cook until crisp. By first cooking all of the water out of the bacon, then turning up the heat your bacon should not pop and splatter, and still come out crisp. I then place a wire strainer over a oven proof container and pour the bacon and grease into the strainer, and let the grease drip through the strainer in the the container. Do not let your bacon sit in the grease. If after your bacon is not crisp put it back into the cast iron skillet and cook for a few more minutes.

Thanks

A Big Thanks To Those Who Have Started Following Our Blog

We have many recipes we would like to share in the coming weeks, months and hopefully for years.  I am sure we have 500 or more original recipes.  Here are a couple of photos of our recipe collection or should I say our soon to be online cookbook.

These cookbooks also have notes, cards and post-it notes inside them.  We also have at-least 100 plus cookbooks in boxes that are in storage and most of them also have notes inside of them.

Combine that with fact that I do not write most of them down, and you can get an idea of how much we have to share. Our apologies but we have almost no original photos, so photos will be inserted later.

Please bear with us until we refine our process.  We welcome all comments and suggestions, I could have left a step out, or failed to fully explain it.

We are also looking for some guest bloggers, perhaps you have a few recipes you would like to share or you are considering starting your on blog.  Drop us a comment we would love to hear from you. 

A big thanks from Clifton and Shirley

Cooking Oil... Which should I Use?

Cooking Oil

Which oil should I use?

The choice of cooking oils today is mind-boggling.  Just a few years ago, our choices were limited to four or five oils.  Today there are over 100 choices at my local supermarket.  Oil is necessary both for pleasing the palette and for a well functioning body.  Oil is necessary for our brains, nervous system, immune system, and cells to function correctly.  So oil is necessary to our diet, our dilemma is which oil is best for our life style.   Oil is also one of the common components used in so many recipes especially baking and marinades, because it keeps baked good moist, and meats tender and juicy. 

We have settled on four oils that we keep on hand and use regularly.  They are extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and unsalted butter.   On rare occasions, we will use bacon fat; it does add great flavor and aroma.

Olive Oil

We use extra virgin olive oil for dressings and marinades.  We will also for sautéing providing the heat is not too high, under 350 °, if olive oil gets too hot it will burn and taste horrible.  When it burns the only choice is to discard all of the ingredients in the pan and clean the pan before reusing it.

Canola Oil

Canola oil is our most used oil; it is our go-to oil for 75%-80% of our cooking.  It is an excellent all-purpose cooking oil, and if we only had one cooking oil in the house it would be canola.  Canola is what we use for all of our baking needs.  It is also what is used most of the time when we sauté, it has a much higher smoking point, unlike olive oil it will start to smoke without burning, saving your meal.  Canola oil can also be used for light pan-frying of meats and vegetables.  

Peanut Oil

Peanut oil is what we use for deep-frying, and pan-frying.  Peanut oil is the only oil that we will reuse.   Because of the amount of oil that is required to deep fry, it is very costly to use a half gallon of oil for one meal only to discard the oil after the meal. I never mix new, unused oil with used oil. 

Before using used oil smell it, if it smells rancid do not use it.  What is rancid? It is the smell of something dead or decomposing.  Therefore, if you sniff the contents and it smells like there has been a dead mouse in it, it is time to discard it.  The smell or combination of smells from what has been cooked in the oil that does not make it rancid.  Now you may not want the taste that is in the oil to contaminate what you are preparing to cook.  If that is the case, use fresh oil and recycle the two together after you are through with the meal.  

To reuse your peanut oil follow the following steps.

1. Never mix oils 
2. Allow the oil to cool to room temperature
3. Filter the oil, there are commercially built filters, but a funnel and a coffee works great. It is slow to filter with a coffee filter, but why get a special gadget for something you will only use four or five times a year. 
4. Reseal the lid tightly on the container and store in a cool dark place. We store our in the pantry on the floor.

Unsalted Butter

For me there is nothing better than butter.  The main drawbacks to not using butter for more of my recipes are its cost and it is the unhealthiest of the four.  Butter and margarine are not interchangeable, butter is a dairy product, and margarine is a man made product made by mixing vegetable oil, water, hydrogen, and salt.  Some people cannot tell the difference, but some can.  I am sure that if I were to prepare two recipes one with margarine and the other with butter, that you would also be able to tell the difference.  I only use unsalted butter because we want to control the amount of salt in our meal, it is simple to add a little salt at the end, but difficult to dilute the salt. 

We have not recommended any particular brand, we general use the store brand, but that is because where we shop the store brand is very good. If you cannot tell the difference between brands, go with the one that will cost you the least. Other than peanut oil we only buy what will be used within two months, peanut oil we usually by one gallon at a time.

Homemade Cheddar Biscuits

Homemade Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2-teaspoon salt
• 1/4-teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 3/4-cup cold milk
• 1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt
3. Cut the butter into roughly 24 smaller pieces. Then with a pastry cutter or a fork mix the butter into the flour mixture.  There should be small chunks of butter a little smaller than a pea evenly mixed throughout the mixture. 
4. Add milk. garlic powder, and cheddar cheese.  Thoroughly mix by hand but do not over mix.
5. Place approximately 1/4 cup portions onto a baking sheet.  An ice-cream scoop works great for measuring out the portions.  I prefer lining the baking sheet with parchment paper or you can coat it with non-stick baking spray.
6. Bake for approx 15-17 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown

For that extra touch, melt butter (2 tablespoons) add some garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon) and some parsley flakes (1/2 teaspoon) and brush on top.  

Everyone Needs at Least One Cast Iron Skillet

Cast Iron Skillets 

photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/naotakem/  Under:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

 Cast iron is coming back into style; it never went out of style in our household. We are big users of cast iron skillets we keep out an 8, 10, and 12 inch all of the time. We also have various Dutch-ovens and griddles. Cast iron has several advantages the biggest is its even heat distribution and heat retention. Second is its health benefits, cast iron is an excellent source of dietary iron helping to prevent anemia. A properly seasoned and well-maintained cast iron pan is a natural non-stick surface. Unlike modern non-stick surfaces, you can restore the surface at home. 
 If you do not have a cast iron skillet I would recommend a 10 inch skillet. *You can get one here*
 I am not going to go into great detail on the proper care of cast iron at this time. 
However I will post a few Do’s and Don’ts, as well as a link on proper care. 

1. The biggest mistake cooks make with cast iron is when they wash it. DO NOT PUT IT IN THE DISH WASHER. Washing a cast iron pan in the dishwasher will remove all of the seasoning, which will require the pan to be purged of the soap that was absorbed into the pan then re-seasoned. 
2. Do not wash with soap. Hot water and a scouring sponge will usually do the trick, if you need more scouring power use baking soda. Then towel dry the pan and lightly coat with oil (I use canola or peanut oil). 
3.  Never put a cold pan on a hot burner, place the pan on the burner and gradually raise the temperature, for instance if you’re cooking temperature is medium (a setting of 5 on my stove). I will preheat the pan at a setting of 3 for 2-3 minutes then up it to the final setting of 5. For higher temperatures, I will step it up in three or four steps. Do not let the pan get to hot before placing something in it. If it starts to smoke, remove it from the heat. If the pan is to hot a slice or two of butter is a great way to cool it down. 
4. Never put a hot pan under cold water. 
5. Do not store food in a cast iron pan, acidic food will destroy the seasoning. 
6. Do not leave a cast iron pan in the sink over night. If you have pan that no longer has a flat bottom, the most likely cause is the failure to obey step three or four. 

photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystalflickr/  under:  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

If you have any questions post a comment, and I will be glad to respond. Or e-mail me your questions.

Related articles

• "Iron man? No, I'm Cast-Iron Man."
• Caring for Cast-Iron
• Remove Rust from Your Cast Iron Skillet
• Taking Care of Your Cast Iron Cookware
• Cast Iron Skillets: buy it for multiple lifetimes!

Getting the Right Cut of Beef

Here are a couple of links to PDF files explaining the different cuts of beef and where they are located prior to butchering.

This information will allow you to get the most for your dollar.
An Illustrated Guide to Tender Steaks

Ranking of Beef for Tenderness



Clifton

First Day-First Post

I have thought about blogging for some time now, and my wife and I have thought about creating a cookbook.  Therefore, you have arrived at our online cookbook.

Glad that you have come to our site, and we hope that we will provide some useful recipes, tips, and cooking information.  

Clifton