Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese

Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups elbow macaroni uncooked
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup Colby & Monterey Jack shredded (cheese blend)
  • 6-8 oz Velveeta cheese shredded (feel free to cut back on the Velveeta if you don’t want it to be super creamy)
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded (can use less if you don’t like a sharp taste in your mac n cheese)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup smoked cheddar cheese shredded (a must)
  • paprika optional

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Cook macaroni until just al dente or a little under al dente. (Look on the back of the box to see how long you need to cook your pasta for it to reach al dente.) Be careful not to overcook.
  • Drain pasta and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add milk, heavy cream & cheeses (except for the smoked cheddar).
  • Stir to combine.
  • Taste the milk mixture and add salt & pepper until it has a good taste. (You can also add in other seasonings like onion powder, paprika, etc. Tasting will help avoid having a plain, bland baked macaroni & cheese.)
  • When you are content with the taste, add the eggs.
  • Stir well until combined.
  • Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
  • Add macaroni to the baking dish.
  • Pour cheese mixture over macaroni.
  • Make sure the cheese is distributed well.
  • Top with the smoked cheddar cheese. (I add a little more Colby jack as well.) Sprinkle with paprika and/or black pepper, if desired.
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes. Do not overbake. It may be a bit jiggly when you take it out of the oven. It will firm up as it cool.
  • Let cool for about 10-15 minutes or until fully set.
  • Enjoy!

***Recipe from Divascancook***

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Spaghetti Carbonara

Fettucine Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fried and crumbled bacon
  • 1/4 cup diced ham
  • 6 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine, cooked al dente
  • 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano
  • 3 tablespoons shredded or shaved Parmigiano
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

  1. Combine eggs and heavy cream in a small mixing bowl, and whip together well. Set aside.
  2. In a 10-inch sauté  pan over medium heat, heat olive oil, bacon and ham until sizzling.
  3. Add pasta and toss well.
  4. Slowly pour egg-cream mixture over top while pulling up spaghetti with tongs until coated.
  5. Add Parmigiano, salt, pepper, and toss well.
  6. Portion into serving bowls and top with shredded or shaved Parmigiano and parsley.

Shrimp Lasagna Rollups

Shrimp Lasagna Rollups

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 c. whole milk
  • 1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
  • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 c. dry white wine
  • 1 3/4 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
  • 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined, roughly chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 10 cooked lasagna noodles
  • 2 c. ricotta

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then add flour and whisk until combined and golden, 1 minute more. Stir in milk, parsley, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and let thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice.
  2. On a large baking sheet, lay out cooked lasagna noodles. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a large baking or casserole dish. Spread each with a layer of ricotta, then top with a thin layer of scampi mixture. Roll up and spoon more sauce on top of roll-ups. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella.
  3. Bake until golden and melty, 20 minutes. Broil 2 minutes if you want the tops to look golden.
  4. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Church Supper Spaghetti

Church Supper Spaghetti

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 12 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add tomatoes, water and chili powder. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the corn, peas, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir in spaghetti.
  2. Layer half of the mixture in a greased 4-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese; repeat layers.
  3. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes or until heated through.

To give Church Supper Spaghetti a new flavor twist, use Italian, Mexican or Cajun diced tomatoes in place of the plain diced tomatoes.

Chicken Mushroom Spinach Lasagna

Chicken Mushroom Spinach Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 8 oz. white mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 1 (6 oz.) bag fresh baby spinach
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil and then the onions, garlic, mushrooms, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms soften while stirring occasionally. Make sure all of the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms before going to step 3.
  3. Stir in spinach and cook until the spinach wilts. Then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cooked chicken. Set aside.
  4. In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, milk, nutmeg, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. Once the mixture starts to bubble up around the edges, gradually whisk in the flour and let simmer until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and then remove from heat.
  5. Pour 1/2 cup sauce into bottom of 10X10 square baking dish, top with 2 noodles, 1 cup chicken mixture, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella, making sure noodles are covered with sauce. You can even press them down lightly. Repeat 3 more layers with noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese. Last layer will have slightly more sauce and remaining cheese on top.
  6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. If desired, broil for 2-3 minutes for golden brown top. Let stand 5-8 minutes before serving.