One-Pot Bacon Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped ( about 1/2 pound)
• 1 lb cavatappi pasta
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated ( about 2 cups, packed)
• 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated ( about 2 cups, packed)
• 3 ounces Fontina cheese, coarsely grated ( about 1 cup, packed)
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus additional for serving, if desired
• handful chives, chopped 

Directions

1. Add bacon to a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven over medium-heat and cook, stirring, until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add pasta to pot with the rendered bacon fat. Add 4 cups water and one teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until pasta is just tender and a small amount of water still remains, about 7 minutes.
3. Add mozzarella, cheddar, fontina, cream cheese, milk, butter, mustard powder, and cayenne. Reduce heat to low, stirring until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with reserved bacon, chives, and additional cayenne, if desired.

 

Hot Savannah Chicken Salad Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise ( I use low fat)
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (10 ounce) bags potato chips, crushed
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds ( I omit this)
• 4 cups cooked chicken, cubed ( I sometimes use leftover chicken or turkey)
• 2 cups celery, diced ( I omit this and use a little celery seed instead)
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 -2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded ( This is my addition) 

Directions

1. Lightly butter a 13x9 pan. Stir together the soup, mayonnaise, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. In a medium bowl, reserve 1 cup of the potato chips and 2 tablespoons of the almonds for the topping.
3. Place half of the remaining potato chips in the casserole spreading them evenly.
4. Place half each of the chicken, celery, onion, eggs, and remaining almonds in the casserole, then spread half of the soup mixture on top.
5. Repeat the layers, ending with the reserved potato chips and almonds. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until heated through.
7. Enjoy!

 

Cheese Scalloped Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup coarsely crushed potato chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Add salt and cabbage to the boiling water, stir and boil 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat but do not drain.
4. In a bowl, combine eggs, vinegar and mayonnaise, mix in cabbage and cooking liquid.

Collard Greens Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese, divided use
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 6 ounces country ham, diced
• 2 bunches collard greens, stemmed and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated 
• 4 ounces monterey jack cheese, grated
• 4 ounces smoked gouda cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs ( Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk until well combined. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Increase heat to medium and gradually whisk in milk. Continue stirring over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add softened cream cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, Tabasco, salt, white pepper, and smoked paprika; stir until combined.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 9”x 13” casserole with cooking spray.
3. Cook pasta until al dente, drain and return to pot. In a large skillet, sauté diced ham to render fat; about 4 to 5 minutes. Add ham to pot with the pasta reserving the fat. Return skillet to heat and add collards and garlic; cook until wilted. Transfer greens to pot with pasta. Pour in the sauce and stir to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, toss together the grated cheddar, jack, and Gouda cheese along with 1 cup grated Parmesan.
5. Spoon one-third of the pasta mixture into the bottom of baking dish top with one-third of the cheese. Repeat layering two more times.
6. Combine panko, remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle over the macaroni. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbling. Serve hot.

Beer Bread

Ingredients

3 cups flour ( sifted)
3 teaspoons baking powder ( omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 teaspoon salt ( omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) cans beer
1/2 cup melted butter ( 1/4 cup will do just fine)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients and beer.
Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Pour melted butter over mixture.
Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

UPDATED NOTES: This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.

Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. That's because they aren't sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the "correct" way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.

I have had many email from you kind folks about using non-alcoholic beverages instead of beer. That is fine to do but I highly recommend adding a packet of Dry Active Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get a proper rise.
The final result should be a thick, hearty and very tasteful bread, NOT A BRICK! ;).

Pumpkin Cookie Butter Bundt Cakes

For the cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 15 ounces pumpkin puree
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup cookie butter

For the glaze

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cookie butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 -3 drops orange food coloring
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. For the cake:.
2. Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously coat a mini Bundt pan with oil.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla and the pumpkin puree, mixing until all ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Turn mixer down to low and stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by all of the yogurt/sour cream and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated, taking care not to over-beat.
6. Pour batter into mini Bundt pans. Tap on counter to remove any air bubbles.
7. Place cake in preheated oven and check at the 30-minute mark. If the top is browning too quickly, carefully tent it with foil for the remainder of the baking time. Bake for a total of 65 to 75 minutes, and then use a wooden skewer to test for doneness. If cake is still gooey in the middle, continue baking and checking every five minutes.
8. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow it to rest on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before turning it out onto the rack. Use a small dollop of cookie butter to adhere two of the mini cakes together.
9. For the glaze:.
10. Add cookie butter and powdered sugar to a small pot set over low heat. Stir constantly until mixture is warm and smooth. Add in food coloring for color and milk until it reaches desired consistency. Pour over the cooled cakes.

 

Meatball Stroganoff Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

1 bag (12 oz) uncooked extra-wide egg noodles (about 7 cups)

1/4 cup butter

2 packages (8 oz each) white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 carton (32 oz)  beef flavored broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into small cubes

1/ 4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 package (22 oz) frozen cooked beef meatballs, thawed

Chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, if desired 

Steps

• 1

  Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package, using minimum cooking time. Drain; set aside.
• 2

  Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender. Sprinkle flour on top of mushrooms and onions; stir well. Gradually stir in beef broth; add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
• 3

  Heat to simmering, stirring occasionally; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Stir cream cheese into hot broth mixture, stirring constantly with whisk until cream cheese is mostly incorporated (small pieces of cream cheese may remain but will incorporate in baking). Remove from heat; stir in whipping cream.
• 4

  In baking dish, add noodles, sauce and meatballs, carefully mixing to coat. Cover; bake 30 to 35 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and casserole is heated through. Stir; cool 10 minutes. Stir before serving; garnish with parsley.