More Mac

Obviously there were A LOT of different mac 'n cheese recipes. Here's a few more.

Mac 'n Cheese Muffins (originally from Rachael Ray)

Cottage Cheese Mac 'n Cheese

Traditional(ish) Macaroni and Cheese

Super Bowl - MAC

Second recipe for Super Bowl was obviously Macaroni and Cheese! I've had this recipe saved for a while and it was a total coincidence (and surprise) realizing it was a recipe created by the mother of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley - Janice Staples's Mac n Cheese.

Ingredients:
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 (16 ounce) package small pasta shells
- salt and pepper
- 1 pinch garlic salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 (11 ounce) cans condensed cream of cheddar cheese soup
- 2/3 cup shredded Havarti cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the diced onion in a large pot of lightly salted water; bring to boil. Cook the pasta until close to done (about 8-10 minutes) and drain. Transfer the onion and pasta to a casserole dish. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
- Stir the butter and brown sugar into the pasta mixture until the butter melts. Add the cheddar cheese soup, Havarti cheese, Parmesan cheese, and 1/3 cup of Cheddar cheese; stir well. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over top of the dish.
- Bake in preheated oven about 45 minutes.
- Change oven setting to broil and cook until top is golden brown, about 4 minutes.

This was so good! Another top macaroni and cheese recipe. It was the perfect combination of sweet and savory, with the brown sugar and onion. A big hit at the party and really really delicious!

Pumpkin Mac

Next up - Pumpkin Mac n Cheese from a new blog I've become obsessed with called (never home) maker. I recommend checking it out!

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup macaroni
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup pureed garbanzo beans
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:
- Cook the pasta according to directions on package.
- Puree the garbanzo beans. Add beans and a few tbsp of water to a food processor (or magic bullet, which I used) and pulse until smooth.
- While the pasta cooks, spray the inside of a large sauce-pot with cooking spray. Pour in the olive oil and cook over medium heat. Then stir in the flour and keep stirring until the mixture is thick, but not browned (about 1 minute).
- Add the milk and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, until thick.
- Add the pumpkin puree, cheese, pureed garbanzo beans, paprika, and pepper. Stir until everything is melted.
- Drain the pasta and add to the cheese mixture. Stir for a minute or two, then turn off the heat and serve.

Do you even have to ask? This was awesome!! I've found all these interesting recipes that use pumpkin and though it's normally such a Fall ingredient, recently I've been craving it. This was quite a success! I think I got about six 1/2 cup servings out of this, making it 6 PointsPlus/serving. Not too bad, though a 1/2 cup is not very much!

My First Crock Pot Experience!

Diving in to my new plethora of kitchen appliances I decided to start with the crock pot. I've had a bunch of recipes bookmarked that are made in the crock pot/slow cooker, but since I didn't have one up until a few weeks ago I never made them. But now I can! First up, if you couldn't guess, was Mac n Cheese! This time a Creamy Macaroni Cheese Recipe from Paula Deen.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 4 tbsp butter, cut into pieces*
- 2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese (I actually used shredded)
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
- 1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup fat free milk
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
*(As I wrote these ingredients out, I realized that I didn't cut the butter in to pieces, which may have had something to do with my end result. I'll get to that. I also used low fat dairy products when the original calls for full fat).

Directions:
- Boil the macaroni in plenty of water until tender; drain.
- In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
- In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard, and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again.
- Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

The almost final product still in the pot...

So the final product? Well as I've said with almost every other macaroni and cheese recipe, it's never going to be bad. But this probably wasn't my favorite. A couple of things... I think one of the great things about a crock pot is that your ingredients can sit and cook while you do other things (run errands, go to the gym, shop, etc.), but this recipe said to stir frequently so that sort of defeats the crock pot purpose. Also, my cheese/butter mixture was very clumpy and in the final product there were some weird chunks that seemed to turn into fat (like the kind of fat you pick off a gravy or soup). I'm thinking this happened because I failed to slice my butter into pieces. I just had a chunk of butter melting, mixing with cheese, becoming a fat mess.

Though in the end mac and cheese is mac and cheese. It was creamy and delicious and despite being a little too fatty or oily was still good. [If interested, in the new PointsPlus world this was really only 7 pts/serving - assuming you get 12 servings, which may be pushing it]. Will I make this exact recipe again? Probably not. Will I try another macaroni and cheese recipe? Of course! And maybe even another one in the crock pot (there are tons out there). In any case, it's another recipe checked off the list and I got to christen one of my new kitchen toys :)

A More Gourmet Mac n Cheese

Working my way through my long catalog of Mac 'n Cheese recipes, this weekend I decided to check another off the list, one that is actually quite different from all the others. This was probably one of the first recipes (not just for Mac n Cheese, but ever) that I bookmarked. It's from Picky Palate and the blogger titles her post Famous Gourmet Mac and Cheese, Artisanal Style and the specific recipe is "Chef Terrance Brennan's Gourmet Mac and Cheese," quite the mouthful indeed.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)

7 1/2 tbsp butter, divided

1/4 cup PLUS 2 tbsp flour

3 cups milk (I used fat-free)

2 1/4 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

- Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil and add the macaroni. Cook until it's al dente, approximately 6-8 minutes.

- While the macaroni is boiling, slowly melt 5 1/2 tbsp butter over medium high heat in a medium sauce pan.

- Add the flour, stirring, cook together for a minute or so. Do not brown the mixture. Add the milk, whisking to avoid lumps. Bring mixture to a boil and continue whisking. Lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

- While the milk is simmering, in a separate pan combine 2 tbsp butter and the bread crumbs.

- Add the Parmesan and cook just until the butter is melted. Remove from heat.

- When the milk is ready, add the Mascarpone cheese. Then add the Gruyere and whisk it all together. As soon as it's melted, remove from heat.

- Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the macaroni to the mixture, mix well, and when it's nicely incorporated spoon it out into a cooking dish. I used 8x8, but would recommend 9x13.

-Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top, using your hands to pat it down and to evenly distribute all over the surface. Cook for about 35-40 minutes at 350 degree until golden brown and bubbly.

A couple things about the final product before the verdict. The 8x8 baking dish was not big enough, it started overflowing and I had to put another dish underneath it. As a newbie cook I had no clue what size dish to use and the recipe didn't specify. Also, the recipe said the breadcrumbs would become burnt and crunchy, mine never really did.


So the final verdict? It was good, but not my favorite. The flavors were good and definitely more gourmet than traditional macaroni and cheese, but my final product was ehh. It came out more soupy than casseroley (maybe I needed to cook it longer). Plus it is extremely high in WW world. If you get 10 servings out of this, which would be a lot, that would be 10 pts/serving. Definitely not worth it in my book. But that's what this whole resolution is for... trial and error. Plus I have enough AMAZING Mac n Cheese recipes in my repertoire that it's really okay this one wasn't that amazing. I mean don't get me wrong, it still tasted delicious, but again not worth it to me.

Fourth Times the Charm

Continuing my Rosh Hashanah post, the second recipe I made was another type of Macaroni and Cheese, this time with one special ingredient.

I found the recipe from a random blog (linked to above), but she had adapted it from an Ellie Krieger recipe. I sort of combined the two. I wanted the serving size of Ellie's, but used the same ingredients from the Food Fashionista post. And what I get was a ridiculously good product!

Ingredients:
1 pound macaroni
1 14-ounce package frozen pureed squash (the secret ingredient I mentioned above)
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
5 ounces extra-sharp 2% cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 ounces Romano cheese, shredded (about a 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp unseasoned bread crumbs

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5-8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until defrosted.
- Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in 4 ounces cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 ounces Romano, all of the ricotta cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining ounce of cheddar cheese and 1/2 ounce Romano cheese over macaroni in the baking dish.
- In a small microwavable dish, melt the butter.
- Stir in breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

- Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine.

(photos are pre and post baking)

As I said before the final product was so good! Definitely one of the best Macaroni and Cheese recipes I've made. This served at least 15 people. The squash added a little sweetness to it and it was definitely a huge crowd pleaser! Another mac 'n cheese down!

YUM!

More Mac and Cheese

We've already established my love affair with macaroni and cheese and since I really do have at least six different types bookmarked I pulled one out of the bag to make for a friend's Fourth of July BBQ yesterday. This recipe hails from The Food Network and is Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

Ingredients
1/2 pound elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 tbsp powdered mustard
3 cups milk (I used fat free milk)
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf (I opted not to use this)
1/2 tsp paprika
1 large egg
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I used 2%)
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh black pepper
Topping: 3 tbsp butter and 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf if you used, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
- Temper in the egg*. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
- Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.


*I had no clue what "temper in the egg" was so after looking it up this was what I found: to gently heat egg yolks before adding to a hot sauce by adding a small bit of the sauce and beating well; this technique prevents curdling. Basically, you beat the egg then add a tbsp of the sauce and continue to beat before adding to the large pot.

This turned out great! The recipe said it yields 6-8 servings, but because it was more of a casserole it was easy to cut it into pieces. I got about 12 out of it, making it 6 pts/serving. And definitely worth it! I received lots of compliments on the dish and even heard the words "Laura is a the bomb cook!" Talk about an ultimate compliment for someone who has just begun to cook! In any case, one more mac and cheese recipe down... only a half dozen more to go!

Easy Peasy Creamy Mac

As I previously wrote I absolutely love Mac and Cheese, so when I found this super duper easy sounding recipe I dove right in! As opposed to the casserole type dish, this is a Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese and it is damn good!

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups uncooked pasta (I used Rotini)
1 tbsp butter
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
2/3 cup fat-free milk
(the recipe calls for 1 cup frozen peas, but I left this out)
4 tbsp all purpose flour

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions and cook until al dente.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter is nearly melted, add pasta and toss to coat. Add cheese, stirring frequently until melted. Add milk and flour and let simmer until sauce begins to thicken. let simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
Serve topped with salt and pepper.
I also added some crushed red pepper.

Makes 2 servings.

As I've said before you simply cannot go wrong with any type of mac and cheese. This was a super quick and easy recipe for a very creamy product. Delicious! Though, unfortunately its really high in points at 10 pts/serving. But definitely a yummy treat!

Mmmmac n Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is by far my favorite food ever! If it wouldn't make me obese I could honestly eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I love the homemade, casserole type stuff, but will never discriminate against the blue box known as Kraft. There are about 10 different recipes bookmarked in my "catalogue" of recipes and it's just a matter of time before I get through them.

So rounding out my recipes for the party were these Three-Cheese Mini Macs and they did not disappoint!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 tbsp unsalted better

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3/4 cup fat free milk

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (one packed cup)

4 oz deli-sliced American cheese, chopped (about 5 slices)

1 large egg yolk

1/4 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (I used regular paprika)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.

Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter (I actually just sprayed them with cooking spray instead, and actually used one 24-cup mini muffin tin and one 12-cup regular muffin tin and cut those in half at the end). Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of the parmesan, tap out the excess.

In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tbsp butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.

Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp of parmesan on top. Bake in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.

The result... yummy! Even cold they were still good. Though I'm not a huge fan of American cheese, it's pretty hard to be unsuccessful when making any type of macaroni and cheese. These are surprisingly not that bad, since they are so small. Actually only 1 pt/bite. Just be careful because they are just that - bites! These were a huge hit too!

YUM!