Cheddar and Gruyere Mac n Cheese

 

 

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Good Eats Meatloaf

 

Ingredients

• 6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and broken
• 3 whole cloves garlic
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 18 ounces ground chuck
• 18 ounces ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.


In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.

Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.

Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

12 eggs beaten
1 pound ground sausage
2 cups milk
3/4 teaspspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup cheddar cheese
8-10 slices of bread

Evening Before:

Cut bread into squares to cover the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 pan.  Whisk the eggs, dry mustard and 11/2 cup of the milk, salt and pepper together.  Spread ground sausage over bread and pour in egg mixture.   Top with shredded cheese and refrigerate overnight.

Next Day:

Mix soup and 1/2 cup milk together and spread over top of casserole to seal the contents.  If desired, add extra grated cheese before baking.

Bake at 325 F for 1 1/2 hours.

Homemade Irish Cream

1 cup irish whiskey
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups of half 'n half
splash of coconut flavoring
2 T of Hershey's chocolate syrup

Mix the whiskey and condensed milk. 
Add remaining ingredients and refrigerate for up to one month

Spiniach Pomegranate Salad

Time: 30 minutes. Both pomegranate juice and seeds go into this salad.

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3/4  cup  unsweetened pomegranate juice
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons  roasted hazelnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 5  ounces  spinach leaves (about 2 lightly packed qts.)
• 3/4  cup  finely shredded radicchio (from 1 head)
• 1/2  cup  pomegranate seeds*
• 1/2  cup  coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 1  large firm-ripe Bartlett pear

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan, boil pomegranate juice until reduced to 1/4 cup, 5 to 6 minutes. Let cool. Whisk in lemon juice, oil, salt, thyme, and pepper.

2. In a salad bowl, gently mix spinach, radicchio, pomegranate seeds, and hazelnuts with dressing. Divide among 6 plates.

3. Quarter pear and core. Thinly slice crosswise, then stack slices and cut in matchsticks. Arrange pear on salads.

*Splatter-free seeding: Cut a pomegranate into chunks. Put chunks in a bowl of water, and, working under water, use your hands to break seeds free from pith.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 124 (56% from fat)

Protein: 2.2g

Fat: 7.7g (sat 0.6)

Carbohydrate: 13g

Fiber: 2.3g

Sodium: 118mg

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Brittle Reciipes to Research

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/candybrit/candybrit.html

Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark

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Ingredients:

17 oz good quality white chocolate (Lindt or Bakers)
6 oz candy canes, crushed
7 oz  bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chopped (or chocolate chips)
6 T whipping cream
3/4 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

Turn large baking sheet bottom side up and cover with foil.  Mark off a 12 x 9 rectangle on foil

Place 2/3 of white chocolate in microwave to melt.

Pour melted white chocolate onto the foil rectangle.  Use icing spatula to fill rectanagle - sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy.

Chill at least 15 minutes until set.

Stir bitter chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth.  Cook 5 minutes.

Pour melted bitter chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate rectangle and spread in even layer. 

Refrigerate until cold and firm.  - About 25 minutes

Melt remaining white chocolate and pour over firm bittersweet layer, spreading quickly to cover the dark chocolate layer.  Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermint pushing into white chocolate layer.

Chill just until firm

To cut, slide bark onto cutting board and trim edges straight.  Cut bark crosswise into 2" wide strips and then into rectangle sections  Cut rectangle sections in half to form triangles. 

Chill in air tight containers.

Makes 40 pieces.