If you find Mac'N Cheese to be one ultimate comfort dish you"ll enfoy this version. I'm not a big fan of a backed take on the dish, but why not? I wanted something that wasn't part of the normal menu. I call this Double Pleasure because of the creamy cheese and crunchy topping.
1 16oz pkg large shell noodle
1 cup milk
1 cup french onon dip
1/2 cup butter
2 cups diced Velveeta cheese
1 1/2 cup diced pepper jack cheese
1 1/2 cup colby jack chees
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup crispy onion toppers crumbed
Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking warm milk, french onion and butter in a 3 quart sauce pan on medium heat. Add velveete and whisk until completley blended. Add remaining cheese small amounts at a time and stir until completley melted.
Remove pasta from heat once done and drain. Do not rinse. Pour into a 9 x 9 baking dish that has beem coated with cooking spray. Pour cheese sauce over pasta Top with bread crumbs, and than onion toppers. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 20 to 25 minutes until top is golden brown.
Just to be clear (and proper) all vegan recipes posted here belong to my daughter who shares credit for this blog with me. I've tried her dishes before and I can't wait to try this one. I love italian!
1 16 oz pkg Spaghetti
1 14 oz Tofurkey Italian Sausage
1 8 oz pkg Daiya Mozzarella Shreds
1 pkg Daiya Prvolone slices
3 Cups Marinara Sauce (see recipe below)
Kosher Salt and Ground Pepper to taste
Cook speghatti according to package directions and drain. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking process. Dice and gently saute sausage seasoned with Salt and Pepper. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Seat sausage aside for later use.
I used the following fresh marinara sauce (made in advance):
Four large beefstake hothouse tomatoes
1/2 cup diced Onion
3 large Garlic Cloves minced
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tbs Oregano
2 Basil leaves
1 Tbs Thyme
1 Tbs Rosemary
1 Tbs Cilantro
Kosher Salt to taste
Quarter 4 Tomatoes and place in a medium pot of boiling water.
Saute onion and garlic in saucepan with heated olive oil. Saute for three minutes and remove setting aside. Once tomatoe skins have seperated from the tomatoe lift from boiling water. Remove skins from tomatoe with a fork by gently placing fork under skin and lifting. Puree tomatoes in blender and add to onion/garlic. Stir in all herbs with salt and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Any can sauce will due. Just be sure to chech the ingredients.
Brush a 4 X 6 baking dish with olive oil. Layer bottom with 1/3 of noodles, sausage, and sauce in order. Top with mozerella cheese and provolne cheese. Complete layers 2 more times. Bake uncovered in a 350° preheated oven for 30 minutes.
One of the best things about a waffle is not just how good they taste. If you make ahead on the weekend the waffle will freeze easily. You can pull one out any day of the week and simply stick it in the toaster for a quick, easy, warm and delicious breakfast. This recipe will make roughly 1/2 dozen. 2 Cups Flour 4 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2Tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg
1 Small Banana ripe
1/2 Cup pumpkin puree
1 Cup Soy Milk
Preheat waffle iron according to directions. Mix first five ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Blend mashed banana and pumpkin in a separate bowl. Using a pastry blender, or a large fork, stir into dry dough until combined well to resemble a slightly moist batter. Add milk a little at a time to reach right consistency. Batter should pour easily into waffle maker, but not overspill. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until waffle maker no longer steams and your waffle is a golden brown.
TO REVERT TO A NON-VEGAN RECIPE REPLACE SOY MILY WITH REGULAR MILK.
One dish meals are always quick and easy. When they are full of old fashion, cold weather, comfort they are even better. Throw in a lot of those home grown crops and you simply can't miss. It's the most perfect way to warm up with a good movie and someone special. If you are in a hurry canned chicken will do in a pinch. But I don't recommend it. Fresh cooked chicken is best and you have the advantage of all that rich chicken broth to make any dish full of flavor. I like to use chicken quarters. Not only are they tasty, but you can usually find them at a good price. Serves 4 to 6.
Four good size chicken hind quarters
Boil quarters in fresh water with a dash of salt for at least an hour until done. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Save broth.
1/2 cup green bell pepper
1/2 cup red bell pepper
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 bunch (about one dozen) green onions chopped
2 cups fresh, uncooked green beans sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 8oz can cream of mushroom soup
four medium to large white potatoes
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Saute all vegetables in oil for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add 2 cups of the saved chicken broth and the mushroom soup. Stir until thoroughly blended. Remove chicken from bones and add to pan. You want nice large chunks of meat to bite into so don't over shred.
Slice potatoes thinly and place in a 9X13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Smother the potatoes with chicken and cover with foil. Bake in oven at 350 for one hour. Remove pan from oven and layer top with cheese. Top with bread crumbs and return to oven. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
My favorite way to fix Sunday dinner is a tray of finger food to enjoy while watching the game. Chicken nuggets are always a favorite weather they are baked or fried. Buffalo Chicken is the best. They are well seasoned, and you can add as much spice as you like. I always make plenty so there are leftovers. Reinventing leftovers is something I get a kick out of. This is quick and simple and oh so delicious. If you don't want to make Buffalo Chicken I'm sure the local supermarket has a bunch already prepared for use. Recipe serves 2
Potatoes to me are the ultimate comfort food. They happen to be one of the most versatile vegetables around. They will make a great side dish or a complete meal on there own. It is the only vegetable I can think of that you can fry, mash, bake, steam or boil and still have the ultimate dish. Leftovers? No problem. They reheat perfectly, or try creating a hole new dish (ie fried potato cakes from leftover mashed potatoes). This recipe will serve four to six with enough of tomorrows lunch.
2 LBS russet potatoes sliced
2 Cups chicken broth
1/4 Cup chopped green onion
1/4 Cup chopped green pepper
1/4 Cup chopped red pepper
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 mini chipotle (or 2 if you prefer) bullion cube
1/4 cup flour mixed with 1/2 cold water
1 Medium tomato sliced
1/2 LB Velveeta cheese sliced
1/2 Cup Asiago cheese shredded
Add broth, onions, peppers, garlic and bullion in a large pan and bring to a boil. Briskly whisk in flour and water mixture. Remove from heat.
Place 1/2 of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a glass casserole dish and cover with 1/2 of the broth.. Layer 1/2 of the sliced Velveeta cheese on top of the potatoes. Repeat the the layers one more time. Top with sliced tomato and shredded Asiago cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until potatoes are completely done. Let set 10 minutes before serving.
Even a rainy Summer afternoon can call for a little bit of comfort food. This really turned out to be more than I expected. Trying to come up with something different and tasty my mind started twirling around a Pork Steak Pie, Along the lines of say a Pot Pie, but I wanted something different. This dish has a rich, creamy gravy and a flaky golden crust that practically melts in your mouth. This will make one 9" pie.
Preheat oven to 350
2 lb pork loin steak (or roast) cut into cubes
3 cups water
4 cloves garlic minced
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS Salt and 1 TBS Pepper
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower
1 1/2 cups chopped white mushrooms
1/4 cup melted butter flavored with 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup flour mixed with 1/2 cup cold water
Place first ingredients in a large dutch oven and simmer for one hour stirring occasionally.
While the meat is cooking prepare the pie crust as below (or simply buy two pre-made pie shells if you prefer).
After pork has become nice and tender add the remaining vegetables and let simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Continue to stiff occasionally. Thicken broth with flour and water mixture stiring briskly while adding to avoid lumps
Once vegetables are tender, but still firm remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
This makes 2 Pie Crusts
3 cups flour
additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour (as needed)
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add oil and butter blending with a pastry cutter, or fork until mixture is slight moist and looks crumbly. Add milk a little at a time until dough is just right (slightly moist, and not to dry. It should stick a little to the side of the bowl). You may not need to use the entire amount of milk. Place doug on a counter that has been coated with additional flour. Kneed the dough into the flour until it becomes stiff and forms a solid ball, adding more of the flour as needed. Split dough in half and roll each half to about 1/4" thickness.
Place one rolled pie shell in the bottom of a 9" pie dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil. After cooled for 15 minuts pour Pork Steak filling into shell and spread evenly. Place additional shell on top. Move around the top edge and roll the bottom and top crust together (to prevent pie from spilling over). With a fork poke four chris-cross indents along the length of the shell to allow air flow inside. Brush 1/2 of the garlic over the top shell, including the edges. Place in oven preheated to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and coat the top with the remaining garlic butter. This process will help to make the crust very flaky. Bake an additional 30 minutes or until crust is flaky and a nice golden brown. Let set 10 minutes before cutting.
