Caprese Mac and Cheese

Ya know. I think I let the holidays sneak up on me this year.

Usually, I’m planning for Thanksgiving dinner WEEKS in advance. Oodles of recipe planning, shopping lists, trips to different grocery stores and prepping happens to plan for the big event. And it really gets me revved up for the holiday.

But this year, with no big meal to plan I got snowballed by the holidays. I managed to make it through Thanksgiving with out great incident, but Lindsey B, Wes and I are throwing a Christmas gift exchange for my high school girlfriends and their dudes on the fourteenth and I’ve done NOTHING. Whoops.

This morning while checking my email, I realized I was just twelve days away from party time and just twenty-three away from C day! I gotta get my booty in gear.

The good news, is I have extensive menu options to choose from for the party.

With the red and green, this may be a serious contender.

You will need…

1 lb dried pasta shells

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup burrata cheese

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup basil, roughly chopped

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by turning on your broiler.

Then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

While you are waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, heat the olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions until softened. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the butter and flour and stir to make a roux.

Whisk in the milk and cook on slow, stirring often until the milk has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat and whisk in the cheeses a bit at a time and season well with salt and pepper.

By now the pasta should be cooked. Toss the pasta in with the cheese sauce and stir well until the pasta is coated.

If the sauce isn’t creamy enough, pour in a little bit of the reserved pasta water.

Toss in the basil and tomato and season well with salt and pepper.

Pour the pasta into an oven safe dish, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and pop it in the broiler until it is golden on top. About 4 to 5 minutes.

While the pasta is in the oven, pour the vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer on medium high heat until it is slightly reduced.

When the pasta is browned, remove from the oven and drizzle with the reduced vinegar and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Caprese Mac and Cheese

1 lb dried pasta shells

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup burrata cheese

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup basil, roughly chopped

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by turning on your broiler.

Then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

While you are waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, heat the olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions until softened. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the butter and flour and stir to make a roux.

Whisk in the milk and cook on slow, stirring often until the milk has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat and whisk in the cheeses a bit at a time and season well with salt and pepper.

By now the pasta should be cooked. Toss the pasta in with the cheese sauce and stir well until the pasta is coated.

If the sauce isn’t creamy enough, pour in a little bit of the reserved pasta water.

Toss in the basil and tomato and season well with salt and pepper.

Pour the pasta into an oven safe dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and pop it in the broiler until it is golden on top. About 4 to 5 minutes.

While the pasta is in the oven, pour the vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer on medium high heat until it is slightly reduced.

When the pasta is browned, remove from the oven and drizzle with the reduced vinegar and serve hot. 

Chipotle Cheese Enchilada Sauce

Hi folks! I'm coming to you live from the very spot where I sat and did my homework at as a young lass. 

Many hours were spent in this chair, combing over pages and pages of Cliff's Notes. Many a late night was spent typing out a paper at the very last possible second. 

Man oh man. Writing about food is SOOO much better than that. 

I made this sauce a few years ago with lobster enchiladas. After thinking of this sauce pretty much constantly, I decided it was so good it needed its own post. 

This sauce DESERVES the spotlight. 

It is the perfect combination of richness and pizzaz. 

You will need...

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely minced

2 tablespoons flour

2/3 cup milk

2/3 cup chicken stock

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons chipotle chile in adobo

Start by melting the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. 

Add in the onions just until they are translucent. Be careful not to brown them. 

Add in the flour and stir until the onions are coated. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. 

 

Pour in the milk and chicken stalk and whisk until well combined. Add in the garlic and continue to whisk. 

Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking continuously until it starts to thicken. 

Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese in one handful at a time. 

Whisk until all the cheese is melted and remove from the heat. 

 

Add in the chipotle puree and stir. You can adjust the chipotle amount depending on your spice preference.

 

Serve hot with chips or use on enchiladas. 

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Chipotle Cheese Enchilada Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely minced

2 tablespoons flour

2/3 cup milk

2/3 cup chicken stock

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons chipotle chile in adobo

Start by melting the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. 

Add in the onions just until they are translucent. Be careful not to brown them. 

Add in the flour and stir until the onions are coated. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. 

Pour in the milk and chicken stalk and whisk until well combined. Add in the garlic and continue to whisk. 

Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking continuously until it starts to thicken. 

Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese in one handful at a time. 

Whisk until all the cheese is melted and remove from the heat. 

Add in the chipotle puree and stir. You can adjust the chipotle amount depending on your spice preference.

Serve hot with chips or use on enchiladas. 

Hamentashen

Last night my family and I celebrated Passover.

Latkes are not necessarily a traditional Passover food, but it is a staple for the holiday in my home.

But for some reason, yesterday I just did not feel like making them.

And man oh man did I regret.

My lack of latkes was met with great resistance.

But, after I served these tasty cookies all was forgiven.

I was so confident in these cookies that I took them to work to try and win over my new coworkers with goodies.

Not sure if they love me or not, but they loved these treats. The tin was empty by the end of the day.

You will need…

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons rated orange zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup poppy seeds

½ cup milk

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup golden raisins

6 large blackberries

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in the orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract.

Then add in two of the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Then with the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Divide the dough into three smaller disks and wrap them up in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour.

While the dough is in the fridge, make the filling.

Combine the poppy seeds, milk, honey and blackberries in a small saucepan.

Cook the filling over medium-low heat until thickened. Stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes

Remove the filling from the heat and add in the lemon zest and raisins.

Stir well to combine and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheating you oven to 350 degrees F.

When the filling has cooled, roll out the dough disks one at a time. Using a 3 inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many round cookies as possible with each thing of dough.

Place the cookies onto a parchment line baking sheet.

When all the cookies have been cut, place the filling in a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off) and squeeze about 2 teaspoons filling into the middle of each cookie.

Whisk together the last egg and 1 teaspoon water.

Brush the outside of each cookie and fold in the side to form a triangle. 

Pinch the dough to enclose the filling.

Bake the cookies until golden. About 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Hamentashen

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons rated orange zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup poppy seeds

½ cup milk

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup golden raisins

6 large blackberries

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in the orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract.

Then add in two of the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Then with the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Divide the dough into three smaller disks and wrap them up in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour.

While the dough is in the fridge, make the filling.

Combine the poppy seeds, milk, honey and blackberries in a small saucepan.

Cook the filling over medium-low heat until thickened. Stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes

Remove the filling from the heat and add in the lemon zest and raisins.

Stir well to combine and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheating you oven to 350 degrees F.

When the filling has cooled, roll out the dough disks one at a time.

Using a 3 inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many round cookies as possible with each thing of dough.

Place the cookies onto a parchment line baking sheet.

When all the cookies have been cut, place the filling in a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off) and squeeze about 2 teaspoons filling into the middle of each cookie.

Whisk together the last egg and 1 teaspoon water.

Brush the outside of each cookie and fold in the side to form a triangle. Pinch the dough to enclose the filling.

Bake the cookies until golden. About 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes

The best way I can think of to describe these mashed potatoes is that they are like a twice-baked potato with out the skin. But better.

And I don’t know if you have ever had a twice-baked potato, but they are pretty freaking awesome.

Lets just think about all the deliciousness for a second.

Mash potatoes are little clouds from heaven.

Creamy cheesiness makes everything taste comforting and warm.

And a crunchy top is the star on the top of the tree.

I don’t know what more you could want from me. This is pretty much just tastiness in a baking dish.

Boom. Mind blown.

You will need…

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)

1 cup whole milk

1 ½ cups sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs (or crushed croutons)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by adding all the potatoes to a large pot and fill it with water just till the potatoes are covered.

Salt the water well and bring the water to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are very tender. About 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Drain the potatoes from the water and add them back to the pot

Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and add in butter and the milk.

Mash the butter, potatoes and milk together until they are smooth.

Add in the cheddar cheese and ¾’s cup of the Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melting.

Spread the mashed potatoes out in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Top the potatoes with the rest of the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs.

Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Remove from the heat and let them cool for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes 

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)

1 cup whole milk

1 ½ cups sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs (or crushed croutons)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by adding all the potatoes to a large pot and fill it with water just till the potatoes are covered.

Salt the water well and bring the water to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are very tender. About 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Drain the potatoes from the water and add them back to the pot

Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and add in butter and the milk.

Mash the butter, potatoes and milk together until they are smooth.

Add in the cheddar cheese and ¾’s cup of the Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melting.

Spread the mashed potatoes out in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Top the potatoes with the rest of the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs.

Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Remove from the heat and let them cool for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

This weekend was a wonderful reminder of how blessed I am. 

Gruyere Baked Broccoli and Cauliflower

Lobotomy success!!!

My minor procedure went off with out a hitch yesterday and today I woke up feeling like a million bucks.

After reflecting on the whole experience, I came up with one conclusion.

I now have a full understanding of how people become addicted to painkillers.

The procedure I had was MINOR. I was only out for about twenty minutes and have minimal pain.

But somehow, I left the hospital with a prescription for thirty high dose ibuprofen pills and thirty Vicodin tablets.

That is a LOT of pain pill power. When in reality, I probably would have been good with one of each. Since that is all I’ve taken and now I feel fine.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to develop ANOTHER habit.

For now, I’m sticking with food.

And this perfect option for a Thanksgiving side dish. 

Or just a Tuesday side dish.

You will need…

1 large head of broccoli, chopped

1 large head of cauliflower, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups shredded gruyere cheese

½ cup almond slivers

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.

Then fill a large pot with about ½ inch of water and heating it over medium heat.

Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the pot and steam the veggies for 3 to 5 minutes. Just until they are barely tender.

Drain the water and add the veggies to a large oven safe dish.

In a saucepan, gently melt the butter.

Slowly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until completely combined.

Cook the butter and flour mixture for 2 minutes, but be careful not to burn.

Add in the milk and cook for an additional 4 to 6 minutes until the milk begins to thicken. Stirring regularly.

When the milk has thickened, remove the heat and add in 1 cup of the cheese.

Stir the cheese until it has completely melted into the milk.

Season with the salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir well and pour over the veggies.

Top the veggies with the slivered almonds and the rest of the cheese.

Pop the dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, till browned and bubbly on the top.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Gruyere Baked Broccoli and Cauliflower

1 large head of broccoli, chopped

1 large head of cauliflower, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups shredded gruyere cheese

½ cup almond slivers

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.

Then fill a large pot with about ½ inch of water and heating it over medium heat.

Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the pot and steam the veggies for 3 to 5 minutes. Just until they are barely tender.

Drain the water and add the veggies to a large oven safe dish.

In a saucepan, gently melt the butter.

Slowly stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until completely combined.

Cook the butter and flour mixture for 2 minutes, but be careful not to burn.

Add in the milk and cook for an additional 4 to 6 minutes until the milk begins to thicken. Stirring regularly.

When the milk has thickened, remove the heat and add in 1 cup of the cheese.

Stir the cheese until it has completely melted into the milk.

Season with the salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir well and pour over the veggies.

Top the veggies with the slivered almonds and the rest of the cheese.

Pop the dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, till browned and bubbly on the top.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes and serve hot.