Ree's Mac & Cheese

I really was missing Kyle last night. I was so down in the doldrums that the only thing that could pull me out of my depression hole was the best comfort food ever created.

awww yeah!!!!

MAC & CHEESE!!!

This classic recipe is a great staple to have in the old recipe box. Although not the best homemade mac and cheese I have ever had (that one is reserved for this) It is definitely one work making. I like it especially because it is so versatile. You can use any combo of cheese you like and add as many or as little spice as you want. I used only Sharp Cheddar (I had a Tilamook loaf in my fridge that keep calling to me "make me into mac and cheese! make me into mac and cheese!") for this one but it's really good with Jack, white cheddar, fontina, any cheese you want! I used plenty of pepper because I like pepper on my mac. (Ever try it on Kraft blue box mac and cheese? It will literally change your life)

Here's the recipe!

Classic Mac and Cheese

source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• ¼ cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 2-½ cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• ½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
• ½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• ½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Mhm, this is the definition of SOUL FOOD!!!!!

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

This is the second time I made this dish. I make it once in January while at home in Rhode Island; the batch didn't last the night. This batch I brought over to new mommy Suzannah today. I used disposable ovenware so she doesn't have to worry about bringing any dishes back to me.

Now let me preface the ingredient list by saying this, yes this recipe uses cottage cheese as it's soft cheese base. When I first saw this I was like YUCK I HATE COTTAGE CHEESE which I do, I can't stand the stuff (it's a texture thing I think). I can tell you that it really makes this dish. It was baked in America's test kitchen and they swear by the use of cottage cheese to obtain the creamy texture of the dish. So If you are like me and say "EW COTTAGE CHEESE!" Give this a shot, believe me you won't be disappointed.



Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage
source: Anne's Eats


Ingredients:
1 lb. whole milk or 1% cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
Table salt
1 lb. ziti
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
20 oz. turkey Italian sausage
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
5 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
1 tsp. sugarGround black pepper
3/4 tsp. cornstarch1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
8 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; cook until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Crumble in the turkey sausage and cook until nearly browned. Add in the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is completely browned. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and the sugar, and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and heavy cream. Transfer the mixture to the now-empty stockpot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the cottage cheese mixture, 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and 3/4 cup mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Transfer the pasta to a 9×13″ baking dish and spread the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the top. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

Bacon Mac

Let's be real for a second ladies, who doesn't love some homemade baked macaroni & cheese?....that's what I thought.



Now don't get me wrong, I love me some blue box every now and then, but that's not something I'm gonna serve center stage on my table. This melty cheesy goodness is something you can serve proudly to your mother-in law then eat out of a mug later while you relax on the couch watching bad T.V.

I made this as written and it was fantastic, however next time I prepare it I think i'm going to swap out the bacon for some ham and peas. I'm more of a ham person anyway. The best part of this recipe? No cream, no butter, no whole milk and no, I'm not lying.

Bacon Mac
From: Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients

* 3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
* 12 ounces strozzapreti or penne pasta
* 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups skim milk, divided
* 2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
* 1/4 cup sliced green onions
* 1 teaspoon hot sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
* Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Bring 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add 1 cup milk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until it cools to 155°. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. Add pasta; toss. Spoon into a 2-quart broiler-safe dish coated with cooking spray; top with 1/2 cup cheese. Broil 7 minutes.

Pan Fried Pasta

I'm Italian, I eat my fair share of pasta (carbs, carbs, CARBS). I usually don't try to eat leftover pasta because I feel after a day or two it's a little soggy, this solves that problem. Pan-frying the pasta adds texture and also caramelizes the tomatoes in the sauce you used to change the taste of the sauce completely. A quick and tasty solution to leftover pasta.



Pan Fried Pasta

Ingredients

• Leftover Pasta with sauce of any kind or freshly cooked pasta and tomato sauce
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan cheese

1. Heat two-four turns of olive oil in a medium sized skilled (amount to cover the bottom of the skilled) over medium high heat.
2. Add pasta to heated oil. Turn and separate pasta while it cooks. Frying the pasta will shrink the size of the noodles and turn them crunchy.
3. Fry until desired consistency is reached. (I fried mine for about 5-7 minutes for a good mix of crunch with traditional pasta texture.)
4. Drain off excess oil and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Fresh Tomato and Turkey Sausage Pasta

I made this recipe earlier this week but haven't had time to post it until now. It was a nice a flavorful dish that freezes well too



Fresh Tomato and Turkey Sausage Pasta
Source: Cooking Light

Ingrediants

• 8 oz uncooked penne
• 8 oz sweet italian turkey sausage (any kind of sausage will work in this dish)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup vertically sliced onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/4 lbs fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 6 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano Cheese, divided (I found this in the deli section of my supermarket but I suppose fresh parmesan would work as well)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup torn basil leaves

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt, drain.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add oil to the pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook for 4 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cook for an additional 2 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese, salt and pepper. Mix with basil and serve immediately with remaining cheese.

Basic Tomato Sauce

So I decided to try my hand at a basic pasta sauce that I can freeze and use over time. I found this on foodnetwork.com It was really easy to make and tastes great! I am going to freeze single servings, frozen the sauce will last up to 6 months.

Basic Tomato Sauce
-Adapted from Everyday Italian - Giada De Laurentiis

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 4 to 6 basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Directions

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. (My food processor is small so I used my blender) Process until smooth. (Blending will significantly lighten the color of the sauce) Continue with remaining tomato sauce. Cool sauce completely and seperate 1-2 cup servings into freezer bags. Freeze up to 6 months