Recipes, As Promised, Plus!

So, I've been feeling a little bloguilt---you know, feeling guilty for not blogging something you'd promised to blog.  So, to make up for how long it's taken me to post my mac & cheese and artichoke dip recipes, I'm posting two extra recipes! Exciting stuff. Without further ado:

Zen Mac & Cheese

16 oz dried elbow macaroni
1/2-ish cup onion, diced super fine
4 T butter
4 T flour
2 1/2 cups milk (NOT skim)
2 1/2 cups half and half
6 cups shredded sharp cheddar
3 T cream cheese
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
black pepper
breadcrumbs
a little extra cheddar

Set out the milk and half & half on the counter about 30 minutes before you start cooking, to bring them to room temperature. (This step isn't completely necessary, but it will lessen your chances of the sauce separating.) Bring water to a boil for noodles, put on a lid, and turn off the heat. (Don't put the noodles in yet; just have the nearly-boiling water ready.) Dice the onion as small as you possibly can. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter, then saute the onion for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and butter, then whisk together. Let this combination (called a roux) cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until it starts to brown just a little bit. Add the milk all at once, stirring with a whisk to keep it smooth. Cook until nearly boiling. Now, turn the burner back on underneath your hot water, and add the dried macaroni when it boils; cook as directed. I like it to be just barely shy of perfectly done. Back to your sauce pan. Add about half the cheddar cheese, stirring between handfuls. Add the half and half, cook until nearly boiling, then the rest of the cheddar, cream, and blue cheeses. (Side note. Every time I make this, I remember a neighbor who used to live by us. Their last name was Blue, and when their son was born they named him Colby Jack. Just covering as many cheese bases as they could, which as a cheese lover I can so totally relate to.) Keep stirring the sauce, careful to keep it as hot as you can without boiling. (If it boils it can curdle and separate.) When the macaroni is finished, drain it and then quickly combine the sauce and the noodles. Did you know that pasta continues to cook for a little while after you take it out of the water, and it will absorb whatever liquid it's in during that last cooking phase, so that's why speed is important here. Pour into a large casserole dish (I use my 11x13 pan), sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and then the little bit of extra cheese. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

***You should note that I doubled the original recipe (so you could split it in half if you need less) because 1---everyone loves this and 2---then I have leftovers, which make my husband happy and as we all know, ain't nobody happy if the husband ain't happy. It's Zen by way of mac & cheese, I tell you!

Artichoke Dip

1 can artichoke hearts or bottoms (NOT the pickled kind)
3/4 cup mayo (I always use the low-fat mayo and it still tastes divine)
1 can diced green chilies or jalapenos (depending on your spicy preference)
2-ish cups Monterey jack cheese (or mozzarella in a pinch)
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Drain the artichokes. In a blender or food processor, process the artichokes until they are as smooth as you want them. (I like little chunks, but not everyone else does.) Stir in the rest of the ingredients (don't drain the chilies), saving about half the Parmesan cheese. Spread the dip into a pie plate, then sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and/or pretzels.

Poetry Rice

I first ate this dish at a poetry party I went to for a class I took while I was working on my teaching certificate. It's really called Vegetarian Hoppin' John, but one of my kids---Jake, I think---dubbed it Poetry Rice and the name stuck. When you first read the ingredients you might think ewwww, but trust me, this is seriously delicious, even if you don't like vegetables. Ready?

1 diced red pepper
1 diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced green onion
2-3 crushed garlic cloves
3 T butter
1 Rice-a-Roni Rice Pilaf mix
1 can vegetable broth (or chicken broth also works)
1 cup frozen baby peas
1 can black eye peas, drained and rinsed.

Briefly saute the green onion, peppers, and garlic in the butter. Add the rice from the box and saute for about 1 minute. Add the broth and the seasoning packet. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the peas and the black eye peas and cook for 3-5 more minutes, until rice is tender. (You might have to add some water with the peas.)

Chicken Rolls

1 1/2 cups diced or shredded chicken
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4-ish cup diced green onion
1-ish tsp lemon pepper
2 packages crescent rolls
butter
bread crumbs

Saute the mushrooms in a little bit of butter till soft. Combine the chicken, cream cheese, mushrooms, onion, and lemon pepper.  Squish together 2 crescent roll triangles to form one rectangle; spread with some of the chicken mix, then roll. Dip all rolls into melted butter, then into bread crumbs. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes. Serve with chicken or country gravy on top.

OK then---my bloguilt has been assuaged. You'll have to tell me if you try any of these! Have a great Tuesday!

Comments

[RedMolly]

I am always thrilled & delighted to get a new mac & chz recipe... thanks. The Poetry Rice sounds delicious, too! Yum.

[Wendy]

Those all sound very very good. I'm hoping we get some toner for our printer soon so I can print them all out! (Yeah, I have a pen, but I've become far too printer dependent!)

[chris jenkins]

thanks for all the recipes!