Stove-Top Perfection

Have I told you how much I LOVE macaroni and cheese?  Ever since I can remember, it has been my favorite food.  It was my favorite food even way back when all my mom made for us kids was macaroni and cheese from the blue box (you know what I'm talking about!).  I have since branched out and started making homemade macaroni and cheese, and I have found some to-die-for recipes.  This here is one of them.

Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

12 ounces dried pasta

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup shallot, minced

8 ounces gouda, shredded

2 ounces grated Parmesan

1/4 cup milk

4 ounces low-fat Greek yogurt

3 Tablespoons butter, softened

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

2.  Return pasta to the pot.  Add the garlic, shallot, and cheeses.  Stir to combine.

3.  Stir in the milk, Greek yogurt, and butter.  Continue to stir until cheese is completely melted.  If necessary, add some pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper.

Source:  Annie's Eats

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Are you sick of regular ol' mashed potatoes?  No?  Me either...

But if you ever want to mix things up a bit, give these White and Sweet Mashed Potatoes a try!  They are delicious and sweet...and a little unusual.  I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I made them, but I ended up really enjoying them.  I liked that they were seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg because it smelled amazing.  If you're planning on ham for Easter, these would be a great side dish!

White and Sweet Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pound russet potatoes (about 4), peeled and cubed

1-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4), peeled and cubed

1 cup milk, warmed

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1.  Place potatoes in a large pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain potatoes.

2.  Return potatoes to pan.  While mashing the potatoes, add the milk, butter, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Only add enough milk until you reach the desired consistency.

Source:  Taste of Home

Olive Oil and Herb Biscuits

The week before Christmas, I made some biscuits using a popular, boxed biscuit mix.  I was super disappointed in them.  They were not very yummy.  I was worried because I had been planning to make these homemade olive oil and herb biscuits for my family for Christmas dinner.  Would they be any better than the boxed mix?  Oh, they were!  They were fluffy and fragrant, and they were the perfect accompaniment to our ham and mashed sweet potatoes.

Olive Oil and Herb Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in rosemary.  Add the milk and olive oil.  Mix just until combined.

3.  Drop rounds of dough on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Source:  Handle the Heat

Festive Pumpkin Dip

I'm back!  I apologize for my serious lack of posts last month.  December is a crazy time of preparing for the holidays and celebrating the holidays and all.  I had so much going on, and so much on my mind, that I had little time or energy to dedicate to blogging.  

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite recipes from the holiday season.  It was introduced to me by my good friend Danielle.  She made it for a party and brought me the recipe because she knew I would want to blog about it.  She was SO right!  I ended up making it for two family gatherings over the holidays, and it got rave reviews.

It's a pumpkin dip, and you all know how much I adore pumpkin.  Me and pumpkin...we're tight.  Amazingly, though, nobody knows there is pumpkin in this dip unless you tell them.  It tastes like a taco dip, and it is oh so yummy!

Festive Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients: 

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

2 Tablespoons taco seasoning

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup dried beef (I used beef jerky and chopped it up in a mini food processor.)

1/3 cup chopped green pepper

1/3 cup chopped red pepper

1 can sliced ripe olives (I also chopped these up in the mini food processor.)

Italian bread, crackers, pretzels, or veggies

Directions:

1.  Beat cream cheese using an electric mixer until smooth.  Add pumpkin and beat until combined.  Add taco seasoning and garlic powder and beat until mixture is smooth.

2.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

3.  Chill before serving.

Source:  Danielle 

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins

Who loves the mini doughnuts that are sold at fairs?  I do, I do!!!

Because of their crunchy cinnamon and sugar topping, these muffins remind me so much of mini doughnuts.  They were so simple and quick to make.  Plus, I had all of the ingredients on hand and didn't have to buy anything out of the ordinary in order to make them!

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins


Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup oil or melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk


1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg, and milk.
4.  Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Pour batter into muffin cups.  Bake for 22-24 minutes or until muffins are golden.
5.  Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping.  When muffins are done, immediately remove from the pans, dip in the melted butter, and roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.


Source:  Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Smoked Cheddar Bacon Mac

So warm.  So comforting.  So delicious.  So perfect.

Smoked Cheddar Bacon Mac

Ingredients:

2 cups orrechiette or shell pasta

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk instead and it worked just as well)

1-2 cups grated smoked cheddar cheese

1/4 pound applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

a pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2.  In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk butter and flour.  Add half of cream and half of chicken stock.  Add half of cheese, stirring continuously.  Alternately add more cream, chicken stock, and cheese until desired consistency is reached.  Continue to heat and stir.  Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

3.  Layer pasta and half of bacon in a casserole dish.  Top with cheese sauce and sprinkle with the rest of the bacon and bread crumbs.

4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Sourece:  How Sweet It Is

Beer Dip

I like drinking beer, but I LOVE baking and cooking with beer!  I repeat, I LOVE it...in all capital letters.  First I discovered these savory beer pork chops, then I discovered this amazing beer bread, and later I stumbled upon this delicious beer and cheddar risotto.  

Oh, but it didn't stop there!  My sister found the recipe for an addicting beer dip when we were celebrating my grandpa's birthday in beer-themed fashion.  It is to die for!  I made it again for my birthday and proceeded to eat most of it myself.  

Beer Dip

Ingredients:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup beer

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

pretzels

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.  

2.  Add beer and salad dressing mix and beat until smooth.

3.  Stir in shredded cheddar.

4.  Serve with pretzels and refrigerate leftovers.

Source: Taste of Home