Tag

cheese

Macaroni & Cheese With Bacon Bread Crumbs

Bacon-breadedmacandcheese.jpgThey say “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” This could very well be true & the fastest way to get there is with a strip of bacon. I don’t know what is about guys & bacon, but I don’t think I have ever met a man yet that didn’t love it, My husband would literally put it on everything if he could. One of his favorite phrases that he mutters during dinner is “I bet this would be good with bacon on it.” Tonight’s meal is all about the hubby.

Ingredients:

1/2 of a package of bacon

1/2 cut of seasoned breadcrumbs

1 1 lb box of shells

2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 cup of margarine or butter

2 cups of milk

1 tsp worcestershire

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Bacon bread crumbs
Prepare bacon. Cook it on the crispy side. Drain well & blot to get the excess grease off. Cool and crumble into a food processor. Pulse until all of the bacon is in crumbs. Blot more if needed. Mix with the bread crumbs & set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions & drain. Pour drained pasta into a large pot.

Preheat oven to 400. In a saucepan over low heat melt the margarine or butter. Add the flour, salt, ground mustard & pepper. Stir well until smooth. Stir in the milk & add worcestershire sauce. Increase the heat and stir continuously until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Stir until smooth & then pour over the pasta. Mix well until shells are evenly coated & transfer to a baking dish. Top with your bread crumb mixture. I used about 3/4 of a cup. Use how ever little or a lot that you prefer. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Mac & Cheese Omelette

IMG_20140315_074438541Let the comfort food continue…When you have a little one at home, it is not always easy to prepare meals. My daughter is pretty good at playing independently, but for some reason as soon as I try to cook or do a household chore, she wants mommy. My time is as precious as my little girl.

I am a garbage cook. I love throwing together random leftovers to make a meal. It is quick & easy and it gets rid of leftovers. The other night I made Velveeta shells & cheese for Mai for supper. She refused to eat it. She claimed that it was too spicy. ??? Crazy kiddo. Sufficed to say, I had a lot of mac & cheese left. This morning, hubby was home & we were all able to have family breakfast together. SInce my husband is a big fan of mac & cheese, I thought it might be fun to throw it in an omelette for him & see what he thought.

How did my left over mac & cheese omelette rate? Let’s find out?

This recipe is for a family sized omelette.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 tbsp of water

About 1 cup of mac & cheese (heated)

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar

Garlic salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a mixing bowl beat eggs, water, garlic salt & pepper. Spray a frying pan with spray. Add the egg to the pan & cook on medium low heat. When egg is cooked through add the mac & cheese and top with cheddar. Fold your omelette over & sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Keep on the heat until the cheese melts.

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My leftover mac & cheese omelette was a huge hit, My husband absolutely loved this. I might have to make some macaroni & cheese again just to recreate this delicious breakfast.

Here is one more of my favorite junk omelettes. This is a 4 egg omelette with left over meat loaf, a 1 1/2 tbsp of barbecue sauce & swiss cheese.

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Related Topics:

http://holisticwellnessforlife.com/2014/03/15/the-omelette-a-meal-you-can-always-count-on/

http://alotonyourplate.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/bacon-potato-and-cheese-omelette-cups-9/

Here’s One For The Hubby – Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Shells

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It is difficult sometimes trying to cook for a family with so many different tastes & dietary needs. I try to eat healthy as often as I can. I cut out extra fat as much as possible, leaving out butters & oils, trading in regular bacon for turkey bacon and switching refined pastas & breads for whole wheat products. This works fine for me, but often leaves my husband missing his full fat options. One substitute he is not so keen on is turkey bacon in place of regular pork bacon. He loves his bacon. So this one is for you honey. Enjoy.

Continue Reading…

Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole

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Because sometimes you just need comfort food…

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground meat (for this recipe we used venison but any ground meat will work.)

2 Cups of chopped peppers (red,yellow & orange)

1 cup of shredded cheddar

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 packet of sloppy joe mix

1 can of tomato paste

1 1/4 cups of water

1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 cup of milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown the meat in a large skillet & drain. In a separate pan, add oil & peppers. Cook until tender. Add the peppers to the cooked meat. Stir in a packet of sloppy joe seasoning, can of tomato paste & water. Stir well, bring to a boil & then simmer for about 10 minutes. Mix Jiffy mix according to directions using the egg  & milk. Stir the cheese into the Jiffy mixture. Pour the meat mixture in a baking dish evenly. Spread out the cornbread mixture along the top of the meat & bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool & serve.

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Related Topics:

Polenta Baked with Tomatoes, Corn & Basil

CJ’s Baked Greek Casserole

Gnocchi Mac and Cheese

Cheese Filled Turkey Meatballs

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Tonight was a dinner-time victory for mommy. Every evening it is a roll of the dice as to whether we will actually get our picky little monster to eat dinner with the family. The biggest cause of stress currently in my life is my daughter’s diet. She hates to eat. I have spoken to the doctor, talked to fellow mommies & Googled advice on how to get Mai to eat. Nothing works. She eats on her terms.

Mai likes bite sized foods & anything in ball form. Meatballs are hit or miss with out finicky eater, but tonight it was a rare win. I am a very happy mama tonight. Maybe these meatballs will be a hit with your picky munchkins as well.

Cheese Filled Turkey Meatballs.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb of ground turkey

2 egg whites

1/2 cup skim milk

1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

3 sticks of mozzarella string cheese

1/2 cup wheat bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium sized bowl combine turkey, bread crumbs & spices.  Add egg whites, Worcestershire sauce, milk & mix well. Add parmesan cheese & mix until all ingredients are well blended. Slice string cheese into 3/4 inch pieces & set aside. Grab a spoonful of mixture, place a piece of cheese in the middle & roll  a 2 inch ball around it. Place on a cookie sheet. Continue until you used all of your mixture. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

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“Meatballs good, mama”

Related Topics:

http://susancancook.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/baked-pasta-with-meatballs-and-spinach/

http://hestayedforthefood.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/waikiki-meatballs/

http://foodisthebestshitever.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/baked-pasta-with-pork-and-sage-meatballs-and-kale/

Shepherd’s Pie Soup

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I don’t know where you all live, but where we are, it is freezing. With the cold New England weather also comes the flu, colds & an assortment of other fun viruses to bounce back and forth around our home.

My husband & daughter have been sick all week. The menu this week has been soup & vitamin C. Tonight’s special for my two sniffling loves is shepherd’s pie soup.

Shepherd’s Pie Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups of peeled & cubed potatoes

1 lb of browned ground turkey

2 7oz can of corn

1/2 cup chopped onion

5 tbsp of butter or margarine

5 tbsp flour

2 cups milk

2 cups of shredded cheddar

3 1/2 cups of chicken broth

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbsp parsley

Directions:

Combine potatoes, onion & broth in large pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer & cover. Cook until potatoes are tender about 15-20 minutes. Add salt & pepper.

Brown ground turkey with the garlic salt, drain & set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter medium low. When fully melted add the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed. Add milk slowly &  stir until smooth. Add parley & 1 cup of cheese & stir until melted.

Add the cheese mixture to the potatoes & stir well. Add the corn & the ground turkey & stir well again. Add the last cup of cheese & stir until melted.

Serve to your sick family while it’s still warm.

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Some goldfish swimming in the bowl for the munchkin.

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Related topics:

http://forovenssake.com/2014/01/28/burrrroccoli-cheese-soup/

http://yourmovechef.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/russian-mushroom-and-potato-soup/

http://grandmacooks4fun.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/mexican-chicken-and-pepper-soup/

Turning 2 at The Zoo. A Birthday Party For My Little Monkey

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Has it really been 2 years already? The past 24 months seem almost a blur. You are no longer a baby. I will no longer have to refer to your age in months. You are 2. I still can’t believe it.

One of the disadvantages of having a winter baby, is having to be confined to the indoors. I have a fairly good sized family. I would love to be able to include everyone, but unless I want to throw 3-4 separate parties, it just isn’t possible.  Summer babies have it made, outdoor BBQ’s are ideal for large get-togethers. We wanted to keep it simple. We kept a small guest list, with only 16 attendees including the birthday girl.

Mai is an animal lover, so we chose a zoo themed party. Our party was a little last minute due to work, the holidays & an upcoming vacation. I still wanted to give her a great party ,but was limited on time & did not want to spend a ton. I think we pulled off a lovely party for our little tot, without too much stress, planning or breaking the bank.

Simple pink garland & a couple of paper lanterns were hung from the ceiling. I hand cut two number 2s out of heavy scrapbook paper & used a hole punch to dangle from the lanterns.

 

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I loved these zebra print plates & napkins. They were perfect for our party, but they are over priced & come so few in a package. I mixed & matched the zebra party supplies with lesser priced pink plates & napkins. I alternated the napkin stacks in pink, then zebra prints.

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This simple party prop was made out of old cardboard boxes & scrapbook paper.

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The letters used to spell out Mai’s name were a wall hanging we received at my baby shower. They came in handy today.

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This is a singing Happy Birthday elephant that we received on Mai’s 1st birthday. It was a perfect addition to our zoo themed day.

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Our cheese, cracker & salami platter was supposed to be a lion, but looks a little more like a mouse. It looked differently in my head, but it was still cute & tasted good.

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A tiger made out of taco cheese ball with Doritos & Blue tortilla chips.

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A monkey cupcake cake

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2? I thought I was 1. Hmmm.

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She is only interested in her ice cream & cake.

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Who gave her Doritos?

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Yes, more tissue paper.

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Precious moments!

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Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.

Related Topics:

http://motherlygeekiness.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/birthday-ideas/

http://adrianorozco81.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/ashleys-1st-birthday-woodland-hills-ca/

http://allthatglitterseventplanninganddesign.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtle-themed-birthday-tmntdude/

http://breathofsunshine.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/chet-is-two/

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Cheesy Mashed Potato Manicotti

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I am a carb addict. In the past, I have tried Atkins, South Beach, and all of those low carbohydrate diets. While they worked in the beginning, I was never able to stick to them. I love carbs, so why not embrace it. This is the ultimate carbohydrate addict’s meal, carbs stuffed with more carbs.

Cheesy Mashed Potato Manicotti

Mashed Potatoes

6 medium potatoes (peeled, cut & mashed)  Use your favorite mashed potato recipe or you can use instant as well.                                                                                                                           1 cup of cooked & crumbled bacon (regular or turkey bacon)                                                       1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (low fat or regular)

Add crumbled bacon & cheddar to the mashed potatoes & mix well.

Cheese Sauce-I always use this recipe or a variation of it when I need a cheese sauce        http://www.food.com/recipe/basic-cheese-sauce-165722

1/4 cup butter                                                                                                                                       1/4 cup flour                                                                                                                                         1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                                                                                    1 pinch cayenne pepper                                                                                                                      1/8 teaspoon dry mustard                                                                                                                    2 cups milk                                                                                                                                              1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and seasonings and stir until blended.

Gradually add milk and cook stirring constantly until thickened.

Stir in cheese and heat until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.

Full Recipe:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Cook a full box of manicotti according to package directions & drain. Lay down the manicotti on wax paper to cool. Prepare your mashed potatoes. Fill each manicotti shell with mashed potato mixture using a small spoon. Place in a casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over the top & sprinkle with additional cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

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Serve to your favorite food critic.

 

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Ma, seriously what is this? Ok, try try try

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Mmmmmm. Potato

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Related Topics:

http://thehungrybelgian.com/2013/12/31/pommes-duchesse/

http://eatbreathecook.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/repurposing-leftovers-mashed-potatoes/

http://finallygettingtogether.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/meaty-manicotti/

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