Cracker Barrel Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Cracker Barrel Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
2 1/2 cups shredded colby cheese
2 1/2 cups uncooked pasta
1 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat; add the flour a little bit at a time whilst whisking to make a roux.

Heat the broth.

Next, add the broth to the roux, and stir with the whisk; this will thicken as it heats.

Add a little cream, watching for the desired consistency.

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a separate pot; add salt and pasta.

In the other pot, add shredded cheese a 1/4 of a cup at a time whilst stirring with a spoon. When you have about one cup of cheese in you can add the rest of the cheese.

Cook the pasta until al dente; strain and combine with the cheese sauce.

Pour the mix into a casserole and bake uncovered in a preheated oven set to 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Keep an eye on the mac & cheese, you want it to brown around the edges and in patches on top.

Remove and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Stuffed Baguette Recipe

Stuffed Baguette Recipe

Ingredients:

• Baguette about 14-inch long
• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 oz fresh goat cheese
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
• ½ cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
• 2 oz finely chopped spicy salami
• About 2 tbsp minced Italian parsley
• About 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste (very unlikely since there’re plenty of salty ingredients)

Preparation:

Slice off both ends of the baguette. Using a long thin knife and working from the both ends, hollow the baguette out leaving about ½-inch thick crust all around.

Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth and lump-free. Beat in the goat cheese and garlic. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Working again from the both ends, fill the baguette with the cheese mixture. Pack the filling tight. I like to use a slender tequila shot glass for pressing the filling in. Wrap the stuffed baguette very well in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to two days. Right before serving, slice the baguette into ½-inch thick slices and serve. For the most neat looking slices, treat it as a cheesecake – each time slice it with a hot dry knife.

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 500°F and lightly grease a casserole dish.
2. In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.
3. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.
4. Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes.

Pickle Chips

Pickle Chips 

Ingredients

• Dill Pickle Chips
• 3/4 to 1 cup of beer
• 2 eggs
• 1 -2 cups of flour
• Cholesterol free oil

Directions

Pour oil in a large skillet until the oil is about 1-2 inches up the side of the pan. Heat oil to 350 degrees.

Strain pickles in a small colander.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the yolks and 3/4 cup of the beer. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Whisk in enough flour to form a batter. If the batter is too thick add the remaining beer to thin the batter.

Dip pickles one at a time using tongs into the batter and then place in the heated oil.

Fry pickles for about 2 minutes flipping the pickle after about 1 minute.

Place pickles on a plate lined with paper towel and then season with salt. Serve with Ranch Dressing.

PJ’s Meatballs and Sauce

PJ’s Meatballs and Sauce

(makes 12-15 meatballs and 4 cups marinara sauce)

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28oz can crushed or ground, peeled tomatoes

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

For the meatballs:

1 lb ground beef (80-85% lean)

1 egg

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

2 ½ teaspoons dried mint

2 teaspoons dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Make the sauce:

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan completely. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, until browned. Lower the heat if they begin to burn. The more color that develops on the onion and garlic, the more flavor they’ll add to the finished sauce.

Once the onions and garlic are tender and caramel in color, add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste and stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Add the remaining ingredients (oregano through pepper), stir, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the bottom does not burn.

Make the meatballs:

Break apart the beef as best you can in a large mixing bowl. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl and then pout evenly over the top of the beef. Sprinkle the bread crumbs, oregano, mint, salt, and pepper over the beef and egg and use your hands to blend the whole mixture into one uniform mass. You do not want to overwork you beef, or it will yield tough meatballs, but you do want to incorporate all of the ingredients into the ground beef so that each meatball will have a bit of the breadcrumbs and herbs and spices.

Shape the meat mixture into about 15 1” balls. Drop into the sauce, stir gently so that they’re all covered in sauce, and then let them cook, covered, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour over low heat. Stir the pot occasionally to prevent burning.

(Source)

How to Bake Cakes in A Can

How to bake mini-cakes in a can. So simple and fun! This is a great idea and a great recipe.