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. 

Bison Cheddar Burger with Crispy Shallots and Pickled Cucumbers

Something is wearing me down. It’s either my old age, my over scheduling or both.

I’ve always been pretty good about remembering events and occasions with out much help. But lately since I’ve been so booked up (not complaining because I love it, just saying) that I’ve taken to using the calendar on my phone. You know, just to be safe.

So I was downright shocked yesterday at three-thirty in the afternoon when I realized that I was supposed to be at a party two hours ago and that the party was now over. Even though I had used my calendar, I had set it for the wrong time.

Dummy.

Literally did a forehead slap.

I felt HORRIBLE. Not only do I have FOMO, I really hate to let people down.

Luckily, my friend Lindsey is wonderful and understanding and forgave me as soon as I explained what happened. Good thing, because she doesn’t eat meat and it would have been really hard to win her forgiveness with this tasty burger.

You will need…

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned

½ cup white wine or other tasty vinegar

5 large shallots, very thinly sliced

1 cup olive oil

1 ½ lb ground bison

½ onion, grated

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

2 cups baby arugula

4 brioche buns (or other soft roll), lightly buttered and toasted

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber and vinegar and season well with salt and pepper. Set the cucumbers aside to pickle, stirring every so often. Let them sit for at least 1 hour and up to over night.

In a large bowl, combine the bison, onion, onion powder, garlic power, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. 

Combine the mixture well and season well with salt and pepper.

Divide the meet into 4 equal sections.

Separate 1 of the sections into to parts and flatten each out into a patty. Fill the center of one of the patties with a handful of cheddar and top it with the other patty. 

Form the two patties into 1 large patty filled with cheese. Set it aside and repeat with the other 3 sections.

Heat your grill to a high heat.

Lightly oil the burgers and grill them until they have good grill marks and are cooked through. About 6 minutes a side.

While the burgers are cooking, heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is very hot, add in the shallots and fry until golden brown and crispy. 

Using a slotted spoon, move the shallots to a paper towel to dry.

When the burgers are done, place them on the bun, top with arugula, crispy shallots and the pickled cucumbers and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Bison Cheddar Burger with Crispy Shallots and Pickled Cucumbers

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned

½ cup white wine or other tasty vinegar

5 large shallots, very thinly sliced

1 cup olive oil

1 ½ lb ground bison

½ onion, grated

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

2 cups baby arugula

4 brioche buns (or other soft roll), lightly buttered and toasted

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber and vinegar and season well with salt and pepper. Set the cucumbers aside to pickle, stirring every so often. Let them sit for at least 1 hour and up to over night.

In a large bowl, combine the bison, onion, onion powder, garlic power, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Combine the mixture well and season well with salt and pepper.

Divide the meet into 4 equal sections.

Separate 1 of the sections into to parts and flatten each out into a patty. Fill the center of one of the patties with a handful of cheddar and top it with the other patty. Form the two patties into 1 large patty filled with cheese. Set it aside and repeat with the other 3 sections.

Heat your grill to a high heat.

Lightly oil the burgers and grill them until they have good grill marks and are cooked through. About 6 minutes a side.

While the burgers are cooking, heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is very hot, add in the shallots and fry until golden brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, move the shallots to a paper towel to dry.

When the burgers are done, place them on the bun, top with arugula, crispy shallots and the pickled cucumbers and serve hot.

Shrimp Enchilada

It is pretty standard for Mondays to be a little depressing. I mean, it is really rough knowing you have a full workweek ahead of you.

But my Monday blues were multiplied by ten times today due to my post girl’s weekend depression.

My weekend with my girlfriends was hands down the best time I have had in years. YEARS.

Maybe the best time ever.

It was wonderful to just all be in the same place. Eating together, exercising together, shopping together, spilling our guts together and just basically enjoying being in one another’s presence.

So it was no shock today that I was in a deep funk.

And my way to fix a funk is to cook me some food.

These enchiladas were the perfect fix.

You will need…

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups jack cheese, grated

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 avocado, cubed

12 large flour tortillas

2 cups salsa verde

Chipotle Cheese Enchilada Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by tossing together the shrimp, paprika, cumin, olive oil and salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.

When the pan is nice and hot, add in the shrimp and cook just until pink on both sides. About 2 minutes a side.

Remove the shrimp from the heat and allow it to cool for you to handle.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop the shrimp into bit sized pieces.

Mix together your cheese and combine 3 cups in with the shrimp.

Add in the yogurt and avocado and mix to combine.

In the same pan you cooked the shrimp in, heat the salsa verde over medium heat.

When the salsa is warm, dunk a tortilla in it and toss it with the salsa just until it is damp.

Move the tortilla to a 9 x 13 inch, lightly greased, oven safe dish. Scoop about ¼ to ½ cup depending on the size of your tortillas. Roll the filling up in tortilla and slide it to the end of the dish.

Continue this process with the remaining tortillas and filling.

When all the tortillas have been filled, drizzle the enchiladas with the enchilada sauce.

Top with the remaining cup of cheese and bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and the enchiladas are hot throughout.

 

Remove from the oven serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Shrimp Enchiladas

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups jack cheese, grated

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 avocado, cubed

12 large flour tortillas

2 cups salsa verde

Chipotle Cheese Enchilada Sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by tossing together the shrimp, paprika, cumin, olive oil and salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.

When the pan is nice and hot, add in the shrimp and cook just until pink on both sides. About 2 minutes a side.

Remove the shrimp from the heat and allow it to cool for you to handle.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop the shrimp into bit sized pieces.

Mix together your cheese and combine 3 cups in with the shrimp.

Add in the yogurt and avocado and mix to combine.

In the same pan you cooked the shrimp in, heat the salsa verde over medium heat.

When the salsa is warm, dunk a tortilla in it and toss it with the salsa just until it is damp.

Move the tortilla to a 9 x 13 inch, lightly greased, oven safe dish. Scoop about ¼ to ½ cup depending on the size of your tortillas. Roll the filling up in tortilla and slide it to the end of the dish.

Continue this process with the remaining tortillas and filling.

When all the tortillas have been filled, drizzle the enchiladas with the enchilada sauce.

Top with the remaining cup of cheese and bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and the enchiladas are hot throughout.

Remove from the oven serve hot. 

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.