Emergency 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese and the Great Kitchen Accident

Fair Warning- This post might potentially be a little gory.


So tonight, while preparing dinner, I managed to slice tip of my thumb off using a cheese grater!  I promptly called my friend Melissa who is a veterinarian to come and see if I needed stitches.  She is a SAINT.  God Bless her.  I have NO IDEA what I would do without Melissa.  She is a good friend.  Plus, I figured if I had to go get stitches, she would be able to tell instantly.  Unfortunately it wasn't an injury that could be fixed with stitches.  Melissa made a really good bandage for it and helped to slow the bleeding.  She also helped me finish dinner, which is not easy to do with one hand and a starving 2 year old.  David was working a 12 hour shift today so he wasn't going to be home until late.  Anyway, I had planned to make my regular old macaroni and cheese, but plans changed.  This makeshift mac and cheese, which I am calling "emergency" turned out super yummy and it was SUPER easy...easy enough to make with one hand!  Of course, I had already grated all the cheese...and half of my thumb! Haha.  Instead of making the cheese sauce from scratch, I was lucky and in the cupboard I happened to have a jar of Newman's Own Alfredo that I used.  It turned out SO yummy!


Emergency 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese

• 1 (16 oz) box spiral pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 1 (15 oz) jar Alfredo sauce (I used Newman's Own but you could use refrigerated, or even leftover homemade- just be careful of the ingredients list).
• 2 cups of three grated cheeses of your choice (I used swiss, cheddar, and parmesan)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, spray a 13 X 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Mix the pasta with Alfredo sauce, the peas, and half of the cheese.  Pour into the baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.  Bake 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Yummy!

Daniel LOVED this and kept asking for "Mo macnoni tees" (more macaroni and cheese).  So cute!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Chicken Divan Mac and Cheese

HURRY!  The Foodie Mommie Grand Opening Sale ends tomorrow at midnight!  Be sure to get your orders in and take advantage of some great offers!

I like to think myself something of a mac and cheese connoisseur.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE macaroni and cheese.  It is food from Heaven, sent here for me by God.   Although you can't go wrong with a classic mac and cheese, I like to change it up a bit.  I make all sorts of different kinds from chicken and broccoli, to ham and pea, to taco, to fancy ones like gorgonzola and leek!  For tonight's dinner, I got the idea to mix two classics into one fabulous recipe!  I took Chicken Divan and melded it with Mac and Cheese and the result?  OH SO YUMMY!
Fair warning though, this is not a meal that is friendly on your waistline.  You can, however, lighten it up a tad by using low fat cream cheese and sour cream.


Chicken Divan Mac and Cheese

• 1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked chicken (I use leftover roasted chicken or a deli rotisserie chicken but you can use whatever you have on hand)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 6 oz. (or about 3/4 cup) sour cream
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 package frozen broccoli florets or 1 head fresh broccoli cut into florets and blanched
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 (16 oz.) package elbow macaroni

Cook macaroni according to package directions and drain.  In a large, deep sided skillet melt the butter.  Add the onion and saute until translucent about 3 minutes. Add the wine, scraping up the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, and cook until reduced by half, another 2-3 minutes.  Whisk in the cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth.  Add the sour cream, the mustard, half of the parmesan and half of the cheddar.  Stir until smooth.  Add the chicken broth and continue stirring.  Sauce should be thick but not sticky.  Add the chicken, and combine.  Add the broccoli to the sauce and cover.  Allow to simmer on low until the broccoli is cooked through.  Stir every few minutes to avoid scorching the sauce.  If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more chicken broth.  Stir in the macaroni and coat evenly with the sauce.  

The meal can be served as is, or I like to top with the rest of the cheeses, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melty on top.  YUMMY!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

My MIL Carolyn's Southern Mac and Cheese (with a little bit of Elizabeth added in)

OH MY GOODNESS I love Macaroni and Cheese!  It is like my favorite food EVER!  Growing up, my mom used to make it every year for me on my birthday because I love it so much!  I like to think of myself as a bit of a Mac and Cheese aficionado, and I actually have created my own very delicious mac and cheese recipe.   I know, now that I have mentioned it, I am sorry, I won't be posting it tonight, you will just have to wait!  You will see many, MANY mac and cheese recipes over the winter, when it is cold and you need something lovely, cheesy and comforting.  I change Mac and Cheese up a dozen different ways, I actually considered writing a Mac and Cheese cookbook, maybe I still will!  Anyway, sorry everyone, I have begun rambling.  Back to the topic at hand. 
This week at Abbe Hills we got some collard greens.  Now, having lived pretty much my entire life in the beautiful Pacific Northwest up until very recently, I had never eaten collard greens.  David is from the South, he grew up in Houston, and his mother is from South Carolina.  I called her up to ask her what I should do with collard greens.  She told me that she had never prepared collards in her life but a lot of people eat them with fried chicken.  Well, I LOVE friend chicken, so I was all over that (I make Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons Fried Chicken Fingers- try it, it is well worth it!)  So back to the mac and cheese.  Whenever my Mother in Law (MIL) makes fried chicken, she also makes what I like to call Southern Mac and Cheese.  See, I never knew it before but Mac and Cheese is made differently in the South.  Anyway, here is my MIL's recipe for Southern Mac and Cheese (which she insists is just "macaroni and cheese).  I made a few little changes, cause you know I can't just leave a recipe alone, which are noted in parentheses as "Elizabeth addition."  Give this a try, you will be glad you did!  It pairs really well with fried chicken!


My MIL Carolyn's Southern Mac and Cheese

• 1 lb package macaroni
• 6 cups chicken stock or broth (Elizabeth addition)
• 2 cups milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. granulated garlic (Elizabeth addition)
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (I used a Cheddar Jack blend)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Elizabeth addition)
• 2 tbsp. butter cut into small pieces

Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions except substitute chicken stock for water. Spray a 13X9 baking dish with cooking spray and set your oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic, nutmeg, and pepper.  Pour half of the noodles into the baking dish, spread  half of the cheese on top.  Pour the rest of the noodles on top of the cheese and top with more cheese.  Pour the egg mixture over the top of the noodles and cheese and stir gently just to combine.   Top with additional cheese and butter.  Bake for 45-60 minutes or until cheese is browned on top and egg mixture has set.  Yum, yum is all I have to say!

Well, that is all for now, until next time happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!