Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with Fried Chicken

When I was in Utah last weekend I went to Spark restaurant & lounge. The whole dining experience was great, but I especially loved the fried chicken with smoked gouda mac and cheese. The pasta was irrisistably creamy, had such a strong, delicious flavor in the cheese sauce, and had bits of bacon in it too. The chicken on top tasted great paired with the mac and cheese. I decided to make a copy-cat at home, referencing other mac and cheese recipes, and came up with this. It was soooo good! Even if you haven't been to Spark, try this, you will love it.

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with Fried Chicken

1 lb curly pasta shapes {I used cavatappi}
6 Tbs butter
3 green onions, sliced
6 Tbs flour
4 cups milk {I used 2%}
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups smoked gouda cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
fried chicken strips {I use frozen Tyson brand from Costco}

1. Preheat the oven and bake chicken according to package directions {usually bakes for around 20 minutes, perfect timing for the rest of your meal}.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is finished cooking, drain and return to pot.

3. Cook bacon until crispy in frying pan, then remove to paper towel lined plate to cool before chopping roughly into 1/2 inch pieces.

4. Once you get the first three steps started, you can make the sauce while they are all cooking. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Saute green onion in butter for a minute, until onion just begins to cook. Add flour and whisk constantly until it forms a nice paste. Add milk and whisk vigorously to combine with flour mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally to avoid scalding. After a few minutes the sauce will thicken. Once it thickens, season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Set aside sauce until pasta is drained and returned to pot. Pour sauce over pasta abd stir to coat all noodles with sauce. Add shredded cheese and stir to combine; the cheese will melt into the sauce, creating a creamy, smooth cheese sauce. Stir in the chopped bacon.

6. Serve pasta with chicken on top. Serves 6-8.

Shrimp, Feta and Fresh Herb Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods. So when I ran into the 30 Days, 30 Ways for Mac and Cheese blog I was excited to find some good variations on this favorite dish. This recipe came from that project, and was reposted on a recipe blog I follow. It turned out really delicious and was a fun, "gourmet" twist on an old favorite. It would be amazing (although not exactly light) served with my favorite breadsticks, and maybe a spinach salad.

And let's be honest, this is me we're talking about here, so I did not buy fresh herbs to use in this dish. I used dried and cut down the measurements slightly. Oh and I used splashes of bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemon zest. I am so naughty. The original recipe is posted below with lemon zest and fresh herbs, but if you use dried herbs, just use about 2/3 the amount called for.

Shrimp, Feta and Fresh Herb Mac and Cheese

1 lb. pasta shapes {I used whole wheat fusilli}
1 lb. frozen cooked shrimp (31-40 ct.), thawed and cut in half (if desired)
10 oz. feta cheese, crumbled and divided
Zest of 1 lemon, divided
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped, divided
5 tbsp. butter, divided
4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Drain well; set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400˚ F. In a small bowl, combine a handful of the feta, a pinch of the lemon zest, the panko, 2 teaspoons of the parsley and 1 tablespoon of the butter, melted. Toss with a fork to combine; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste. Cook 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, until light golden brown. Whisk in the milk. Continue to heat the mixture, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. As soon as the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining feta, Gruyere, remaining parsley, remaining lemon zest, dill, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the pasta, add the shrimp; toss well to coat.

Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 2½ or 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumb-feta mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

The picture doesn't do this dinner justice. The flavor combinations in this baked pasta dish are fantastic! A gorgeous tomato cream sauce is paired with fontina cheese, fresh spinach and the intense flavor of the sausage to make an amazing taste. You may substitute pork or turkey sausage for the chicken, and mozzarella for the fontina, if those ingredients are too hard to find. I'm sure the result would still taste great. Martha's recipe called for precooked, smoked sausage, but I used regular chicken sausage and cooked it myself before adding it. My changes are noted below.

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes with juice, lightly crushed with hands
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
10 ounces baby spinach
12 ounces chicken sausage (4 links), cooked and diced
9 ounces fontina cheese, 5 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 4 ounces coarsely grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Stir in tomatoes and oregano; cook until tomatoes are falling apart, 10 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (The sauce looks gorgeous just after adding the cream. Mmm!)

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted. Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed fontina to pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into 9x13 (3-quart) baking dish. (Alternately, see Martha's directions for how to freeze half for later.) Top with grated fontina and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

Original recipe from Martha Stewart, referenced at My Kitchen Cafe.

Potato and Corn Chowder

This chowder was exactly what I was hoping for on a cold winter evening. Filling, creamy, delicious and hearty. The bacon adds great flavor, as bacon usually does. ;) This recipe makes a lot, and since we don't have a large pot, we halved it. If you make a whole batch you'll have leftovers for days! Or you could have yourself a party.

Potato and Corn Chowder

¾ cups butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 pkg frozen corn, thawed
4 ½ cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup sour cream

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sweat until onion is clear. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth. Gradually add milk and broth while stirring. Add in potatoes, bacon, corn and parsley flakes. Continue to heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until chowder has thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in grated cheese and sour cream, stir until cheese has melted.

Serves 12 - ish.

I don't remember where I got this one.

Macaroni and Cheese

A recipe from Pioneer Woman. Comfort food for the colder weather. We were too anxious to eat it so we didn't bake it, but I'm sure that would've been delicious. Also, I used penne instead of macaroni. If you do this, you have to measure out more than 4 cups noodles, because the noodles are larger and measure differently. Makes sense right? Macaroni would pack in the measuring cup more, but there are more air spaces around the larger penne noodles. Okay I'm tired. No more explaining. Just make this.

Ok I've recieved some feedback and I have a post-edit. I actually didn't have dry mustard and instead did a squirt of Dijon mustard instead. Someone who used the dry said it tasted funny. Maybe try 1 1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard instead of the dry.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

4 cups dried macaroni
¼ cup (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons) butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (I used 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard instead)
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. cheese, grated
½ teaspoon salt (more to taste)
½ teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
*Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

If you're planning on baking it, cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. (If you're serving it right out of the pot, cook it fully.) Drain.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat egg. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in cheese and stir to melt. Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Recipe from Pioneer Woman.

Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

Mmmmm..... We can't decide what we love most here. The mixture of melted cheeses? Our favorite barbecue sauce? The caramelized onions? The perfect blends of crispy and chewy, sweet and savory?
I think it's the combination of all those things that make these messy quesadillas so irresistable.

I'm not giving amounts, as this is less of a recipe and more of a meal idea. Increase or decrease quantities as desired for the number of people you're serving.

Barbeque Chicken Quesadillas

onion, sliced (one small onion was about right for two quesadillas)
olive oil
dash salt
dash sugar
chicken, cooked and shredded (we had 2 leftover drumsticks)
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
mozzarella cheese, shredded (any kind of cheese you have will do)
barbecue sauce
tortillas

Caramelize the onions: Heat olive oil over medium-low heat (about 1 T to 1 onion), add onions, salt and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.

Wipe out the skillet from the caramelized onions and heat to medium. Pile onions, shredded chicken and cheese on tortilla. Drip a few dollops of barbecue sauce over it, then top with a second tortilla. Toast quesadillas in skillet for a couple minutes on each side, till cheese is melted and tortillas are lightly browned.

Serve with extra barbecue sauce for dipping, if desired.

Philly Cheesesteaks

Oh. My. Gosh.

Philly Cheesesteaks

1 lb. steak of your choice (we used some cheap sirloin, i think)
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, sliced
cream cheese
mozzarella cheese, grated
sandwich rolls

I don't know exactly how it happened. Just do what feels right. The onions and peppers will take longer than your steak to cook, so saute them first in some olive oil. I cut the steak into thin strips (helps if you put it in the freezer for 15 minutes first), then added it once the peppers and onions were cooked. Add lumps of cream cheese as desired to the mix and stir it around till it melts. You'll end up with this gooey deliciously creamy mess. Put it on rolls and if you're feeling extra sinful like us, add extra grated cheese on top. Oh my. These are delicious.

Meatball Subs

Klane likes to order these at Subway, so we tried them at home. Just another way to use meatballs, which are easy and we like them. I had never had a meatball sub so I was dubious, but I'd make it again! Just make sure you make the meatballs small enough for your mouth to fit around the sandwich...

Meatball Subs

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped (or grated on a box grater)
A few drops Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

1 medium red pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, sliced
marinara sauce, heated
mozzarella cheese, grated
sandwich rolls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients for meatballs in a medium-size bowl. Form bite-size balls and place on nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the peppers and onions in a little olive oil. Put meatballs, sauce, peppers/onions, and cheese on rolls and put in the oven so the cheese melts. You may want to serve it with extra sauce. (I am a huge sauce person though!) Serves 4-6.

Sweet Onion Green Chile Chicken Quesadillas

Klane had to work late tonight. This was ready in 30 minutes, which was perfect! It reminded me of a sweet onion something I've had at Bajio before.

1 tbs olive oil
salt, pepper and dash sugar to taste
1 onion, sliced
1 4 oz can diced green chiles
8 flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
shredded colby jack cheese
lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour cream, salsa, etc

Heat olive oil over med-high heat, saute onions with salt, pepper and sugar till onions are browned and caramelized. Add chiles as desired (you may not want to use the whole can), then add chicken and heat through. Put chicken mixture and cheese between two tortillas and cook over medium heat till cheese is melted, flipping so both sides are slightly browned. Top with toppings and enjoy!

Grilled Cheese with Pesto

Here's something you can do with that extra romano cheese and prepared pesto you bought from Costco when you made the Creamy Chicken Pesto. (You made it, right?) And heck you can use more of the romano for Stuffed Peppers! This sandwich tastes more gourmet than a regular old grilled cheese. Romano has this intense, sharper flavor. You don't have to use very much of it to get a nice kick.

2 slices whole wheat bread
romano cheese, thinly sliced
mozzarella (I used shredded, on hand from making pizza)
prepared pesto
butter

Easy, easy, easy. This isn't really a recipe. Put cheese and pesto between bread, butter outsides and grill. I wasn't planning on posting this until I was a couple bites in (note the picture) and realized, "Oh my gosh, this is DELICIOUS!" If you have the ingredients hanging around, you should definitely make this. I am so happy I discovered romano cheese. It's fantastic.