Shells and Cheese with Kielbasa and Peas

April 2, 2013 by 4 Comments

Ever since discovering my favorite recipe for Easy Mac and Cheese almost 2 years ago, it’s become a regular in our weeknight dinner rotations. I love it because I can whip together in almost the same amount of time as a store bought packaged mac and cheese or side item, but it’s so, so, so much better. Plus I love knowing exactly what is going into my food. No mystery chemicals or high fructose corn syrups.

During my first trimester of pregnancy I was exhausted all the time and many nights I just didn’t have the energy for complicated dinners. This led me to do more experimenting with the recipe and add-ins to turn mac and cheese into a quick weeknight meal. This has been one of our favorite combinations. The kielbasa adds a nice smokey flavor and the meat that Jesse likes to round out his dinners. The peas add a light sweetness and make me feel just a tiny bit better about eating mac and cheese for dinner (even though I know peas aren’t the best vegetable choice in the world, still better than nothing!) I hope you like this combination as much as we do!

 

Shells and Cheese with Kielbasa and Peas

Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
6 oz. cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
10-12 ounces dry pasta shells (I’ve been using whole wheat)
1 package turkey kielbasa , cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2-3/4 cup frozen peas

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the shells and cook according to package. 2 minutes before the pasta is ready add the peas.

While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the milk, egg, dry mustard, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Set aside. Cook kielbasa in a skillet until it is heated through and starting to brown. Set aside.

Drain the pasta and peas and return to pot over medium-low heat. Stir in butter until melted. Pour in the milk mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken up a bit. Add the shredded cheese in small increments, stirring constantly, until it is all added and melted.

Serve hot with kielbasa.

Sunny Side Up original

Here are some more Easy Weeknight Dinner ideas!

Easy Foil Packet Salmon
Easy Homemade Fish Sticks
Easy Pasta with Mexican Black Bean Sauce
Easy Mexican Lasagna

 

Filed Under: Easy Weeknight Dinner, Main Course, Pasta, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Spinach and Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese

November 29, 2011 by 13 Comments


Starting out in the kitchen I was pretty lucky. I didn’t have a lot of flops and I had enough success to keep me motivated in trying newer, some more complicated, things. But let’s get real here for a second. Not everything I make turns out great the first time. Getting even more real, some things never quite turn out the way I want them to. I tried making pad Thai a few months ago…. We had pizza for dinner that night.

Of course, I’m not going to share things here that just don’t work, not really the kind of blog I’m going for. Keeping that in mind, I always have high hopes that whatever dish I make will be good and what I like to call “blog worthy.” Occasionally, a meal I expect to be good exceeds that expectation.

This Macaroni and Cheese is one of those meals. I found myself licking my bowl clean, going back for seconds and sneaking a few extra bites when putting the leftovers away. Plus there’s spinach in it, so it’s got to be healthy right? OK, maybe not. But turning one of my favorite appetizers into a meal this good is a win in my book. It’s also pretty easy to put together. Lots of stirring, and adding the ingredients in steps, but not at all difficult. From start to finish (including all the chopping) I think it took me just over 30 minutes.

Spinach and Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients
*12-16 ounces macaroni shaped pasta
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup frozen spinach, excess moisture removed and chopped (mine was pretty finely chopped)
1/2 cup frozen artichokes, thawed and chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cream cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

*I had ditalini pasta in my pantry, but macaroni, penne, or even rigatoni would work. With the smaller pasta pieces I used an entire 1-lb box. With a larger pasta, like penne, you may need less, which is why I give a range.

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente, according to directions on box. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil and butter, in a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, until the butter is melted. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Next, stir in the spinach and artichoke and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, then sprinkle in the flour and cook, while stirring, for another minute. Add the cream cheese and stir until mostly melted. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook until the milk starts to thicken, about 2-3 minutes, keep on stirring. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheese in several increments, waiting until each increment is melted before adding the next. Finally, add the pasta.

If you wanted it to be more reminiscent of the dip, you could top the pasta with extra cheese and bake until the top is bubbly. I was just a little too hungry for that. 🙂

Inspired by What’s Cookin Chicago

 

Filed Under: Easy Weeknight Dinner, Pasta, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

Easy Mac and Cheese

August 10, 2011 by 4 Comments

It’s not what you think. I know that it looks like I’ve got a plate full of Velveeta Shells and Cheese, but it’s not! What’s really on the plate is the easiest and maybe creamiest homemade mac and cheese I’ve ever made. I consider myself to be somewhat of a mac and cheese connoisseur, I’ve made countless recipes, some that were amazing and some that were big fat flops. I was worried that this was going to be one of those flops. It just seemed way too easy, like 1-step up from the box kind easy. But this was no flop. It is the great, easy, weeknight answer to your “How can I make mac and cheese for a side dish without it taking longer than the main course” question.

Of course I upped the cheese to milk ratio a little bit because I’m cheese crazy and I’m so glad I did. I used a Medium Cheddar, but the possibilities are endless. Half Medium Cheddar half Vermont White. Half Colby Jack half Pepper Jack. Half Cheddar half Jack. See where I’m going with this? The more significant the cheese is on it’s own the more significant the taste will be in the mac and cheese. The Medium Cheddar resulted in a mild, smooth, and creamy mac.

Easy Mac and Cheese

(Adapted from Evil Shenanigans, originally from Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients
16 oz box pasta, I used small shells
2 Tbsp butter
12 oz can evaporated milk
2 egg, beaten
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp red pepper optional
1/8-1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese*
Salt to taste

*Sorry kids, I just don’t think the packaged pre-grated cheese will work for this. It’s coated in stuff to keep it from sticking together and therefore, won’t melt well.

Directions

Boil pasta shells 1-2 minutes short of the suggested time on the box (No one wants mushy watery mac and cheese). In the meantime, combine the evaporated milk, eggs, mustard powder, and pepper in a large measuring cup and whisk together.

Drain the pasta in a colander and then return it right back to the hot pan. Reduce heat to low. Add the butter and stir until melted.

Carefully add the milk egg combination to the pan, stirring constantly to avoid making scrambled eggs. Stir for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Add the cheese in 4-5 increments, making sure that each addition is completely melted before adding the next.

Serve immediately. We had ours with grilled steak and small salad and it was the perfect meal.

Filed Under: Cheese, Easy Weeknight Dinner, Pasta, Side Item Tagged With: , , , ,

Just 2 More Weeks!

June 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

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In just 2 short weeks I’ll be jet setting around the world! I simply can not wait. I’ve already started setting things aside and this weekend I’ll probably start packing my suitcase. Never in my life did I think I would be able to spend 6 weeks in another country, let alone China! Of course the very best part of it all is that I finally get to see Jesse again, that week will mark 2 months apart for us. 🙁

I can’t really decide if it’s easier or harder to be apart now that I’m in San Diego. When I was in Ohio I felt like I was more disconnected, even though we would be apart anyway, China still somehow seemed like and even bigger step. Here, I still feel connected and somehow strangely a part of it. But of course in Ohio I had my friends and family to help me through too. I can’t tell you how many times Michelle saved me with a bottle of wine and girl talk. That sort of thing is probably one of the things I miss the most about Ohio. I really had some awesome friends there and my family was always there for me.


On a less serious note, one other thing I miss about Ohio is buffalo wings. (are buffalo wings? either way it doesn’t sound right, help me out grammar police!) Yes, there are wings here but I guess I grew used to Buffalo Wild Wings, or B-Dubbs, and now that’s the flavor and texture I crave. Lately I’ve been craving a chicken tender wrap, sub pico for tomato, with spicy garlic sauce (and extra on the side) and a side of tortilla chips from B-dubbs, like nobody’s business. In all honesty there is a B-Dubbs in Huntington Beach but that’s a pretty far drive for one measly chicken tender wrap. So when I saw this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, I thought maybe, just maybe, I could satisfy my buffalo tooth. (Like a sweet tooth only different)

Yeah, you’re going to need to try this. Like now. The spice, the cheese, the creaminess. Yum. Yum. Yum. I used 2 recipes for inspiration pulling a few ideas from each. And, because I like to use as few pots and pans as possible (Jesse will tell you that’s a lie, but I said I LIKE to, not that I always do), I tried to streamline the recipes.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
(Adapted from Foodnetwork and 1 Fine Cookie)

2 chicken breasts – marinade in 1 cup buttermilk and 2 Tbsp Frank’s Red Hot overnight*
1 lb elbow macaroni noodles, cooked and drained(shells would work too)
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup celery, chopped (about 2 large stalks)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup half-half
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cups Franks Buffalo Red Hot (or other buffalo sauce), divided
1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded**
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced or 2 tsp dry parsley
Blue Cheese dressing for drizzling over top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a grill pan over high heat, grill the chicken breasts until the juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side depending on thickness of chicken. Chop the chicken into bite size chunks, cover to keep warm and set aside.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 4 minutes, or until the celery is soft and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, last 2 Tbsp of butter and 1/4 cup of Franks, stir to coat the celery and onions. Sprinkle in the dry mustard and flour and stir well with a whisk. When the flour is fully combined, pour in the milk and half and half, whisking constantly. Then whisk in the remaining hot sauce and sour cream. Bring to a light simmer, continuing to whisk. Stir in the cheese until smooth and melted. Add the chicken and stir to combine. (at this point you can sing to yourself, just keep stirring, just keep stirring, stirring, stirring). Remove from heat.

In a small bowl melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add the panko, blue cheese, and parsley and stir.

Sprinkle the panko mixture over top of the mac and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Drizzle with blue cheese dressing to serve.

* I liked the idea Jasmin had for infusing the chicken with a subtle hot sauce taste by marinating over night. But I was way too lazy to bread the chicken and fry it in addition to all the stirring I had to do. So I just grilled it. The overnight soak made the chicken incredibly moist with just a hint of spice. You could take the even easier way out and use left over chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken. I won’t judge ya if you’re lazy!

**I always recommend shredding your own cheese, from the block, for mac and cheese.

Filed Under: Chicken, Dinner, Pasta Tagged With: , , , ,