Sinful Mac'n'Cheese

Hooo-boy was this good! Nate protested me making it, saying that mac'n'cheese is not a meal unto itself, but I would happily eat this for several dinners in a row. The recipe uses three different kinds of cheese, and some pretty fattening dairy products but is definitely worth it. But Nate might be right...serve some kind of vegetable with it, okay?



Sinful Mac'n'Cheese

1.25 c. elbow or other short noodle
2.5 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed
1 tbsp. + .5 tsp. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
pinch ground pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch nutmeg
1/3 c. sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp. yellow onion, shredded
3/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. half'n'half
2 shakes Worcestshire sauce
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Bring large pot of water to boil. Sprinkle with salt. Add noodles and cook al dente according to instructions.



2. Grease 8x8" baking dish. Drain noodles and pour them into dish. Sprinkle with cubed cheddar cheese and mix gently. Set aside.



3. Combine flour, salt, mustard, peppers and nutmeg into bowl. Add sour cream and egg. Wish in onion, half'n'half, cream and Worcestshire.



4. Pour over macaroni. Combine shredded cheese and cover macaroni. Sprinkle parmesan on top.



5. Bake until set around edges but still saucy in the middle, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes.

Stromboli

I made these a while back but somehow forgot to post them- thankfully, I DO have photos for this one!

Again, they're quite easy to heat-up as leftovers, and were fairly easy to make in the first place. Enjoy!



Stromboli

1 lb. pizza dough
1 pkg. broccoli, chopped and thawed
1 c. marinara sauce
1.5 c. shredded mozzarella
2 oz. thinly sliced Genoa salami, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. (*note: I forgot to do this in the picture!)

2. Divide dough into 3 pieces. On lightly floured surface, stretch each piece first to 3x4" oval then 6x8" (let dough rest briefly in between).



3. Strain water from broccoli. Transwer to towel and pat dry.

4. Scatter broccoli over dough, leaving 1/2" border. Sprinkly with cheese, salami and 1/2 c. sauce.



5. Fold each side over onto top and then place each stromboli seam-side down. Cut slit in top to ventilate and brush with oil. Bake 25-30 mins. Use remaining sauce for dipping.



Emily's rating: 10 out of 10
Nate's rating: 9 out of 10

7-Layer Mexican Lasagna

I've never been a huge fan of lasagna, but given that I've been trying to develop some more casserole recipes that are beef-centric (Nate really doesn't like any other kind of meat), this one seemed worth giving a try.

It wasn't out of this world amazing, but it was definitely satisfying, and kept well for leftovers and lunches throughout the week. Plus, it's super colourful.

7-Layer Mexican Lasagna

6 large flour tortillas
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp. cumin
1 c. enchilada sauce
1 large red onion
1/2 each of green, yellow and red pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fajita seasoning
1 pkg. frozen corn
2 c. shredded cheese (I used medium cheddar)
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13" dish and line bottom with 4 tortillas, trimming edges as necessary.



2. Brown meat, seasoning with cumin. Once thoroughly browned, add enchilada sauce and heat through. Set aside.



3. In separate skillet, heat oil, add onion, peppers and garlic. Sprinkle with fajita seasoning. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add corn and heat through. Set aside.



4. Spoon meat mixture over tortillas in dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cheese. Place remaining tortillas on cheese. Spoon veggies on top. Sprinkle remaining cheese.



5. Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with cilantrio and serve with guacamole and sour cream.

(Sorry- forgot to take picture once it came out of the oven! Use your imagination!)

Emily's rating: 8 out of 10
Nate's rating: 7.5 out of 10

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 packet fajita seasoning
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
8 corn tortillas
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese



1. Sauté chicken over medium heat in vegetable oil until cooked through. Remove from heat and shred with two forks. Return to pan and add fajita seasoning with 1/2 cup water (or whatever the instructions on the packet say). Sauté until sauce has reduced slightly. Remove chicken from heat, draining sauce into pan.



2. Add chicken broth and sour cream to remaining sauce in pan and simmer lightly.




3. While sauce is simmering, heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds. Spoon 1/4 cup of chicken onto each tortilla and roll.



4. Place tortillas in square dish, seam side down. Cover with sauce and top with cheddar cheese.



5. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

I think next time I will try adding some corn and black beans to the tortillas before rolling them. These tasted delicious but felt a little too unhealthy (all the cheese, flour tortillas, lack of vegetables) to really enjoy properly.

Nate's rating: 9 out of 10
Emily's rating: 8.5 out of 10.