Quinoa Mac and Cheese Recipe

Quinoa Mac and Cheese Recipe

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained 

vegetables of your choice- I used onion, zucchini and tomato

garlic, salt, pepper and other seasonings

1 cup cheese of your choice (I used a mix of mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

olive oil, water (or stock)

Saute your vegetables in a little olive oil, salt and pepper until partially translucent.

Add the quinoa and toast for 5 minutes or so until opaque. Add your liquid- I used water but you could use chicken or vegetable stock for more flavor. The amount of liquid is double your quinoa- so 2 cups of water to 1 cup quinoa. Add additional seasoning- dried herbs, red pepper flakes, etc. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and grated cheese. Pour in the quinoa mixture and combine. It will look gross at this point. Pour into a greased pan and top with breadcrumbs or more cheese (optional). I used panko and parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes depending on the depth of your dish.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe

1 16 oz. box Penne pasta, cooked and drained

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cubed and cooked

1/2-1 C. Franks Hot Sauce

3/4 -1+ C. Ranch dressing (or Blue Cheese)

1-2 C. Shredded cheese (Colby Jack or Cheddar)

1. Preheat oven to 350* and prepare a deep baking dish.

2. Mix together hot sauce and ranch.  In separate bowl, mix chicken, pasta and cheese.  Pour sauce over all and mix well.

3. Pour everything into prepared baking dish, sprinkle with cheese (if desired) and bake for 20-25 min.

Panera's Stove Top Mac and Cheese

Panera’s Stove Top Mac and Cheesesource: Panera Bread

Ingredients:

• 16 oz pipette pasta or other small pasta shapes
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half
• 4 oz white American cheese, chopped or torn into pieces
• 8 oz extra sharp white Vermont cheddar, shredded
• 2 tsp – 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (adjust according to your tastes)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce (like Frank’s)

Instructions:

1. In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well.
2. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted and has started to bubble, whisk in the flour; cook for 1 1/2 minutes whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes.
3. Remove sauce pan from the heat and by the handful, stir in the cheeses allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more.  Stir in the mustard, salt, and hot sauce.  Return the sauce pan to the heat and stir in the pasta.  Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the sauce pan and thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce.  Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through.  Serve hot in bowls with spoons.

Slow-Baked Mac & Cheese

Slow-Baked Mac & Cheese

(Original Recipe)

1 1/2 cups milk

One 12 oz can evaporated milk (I used skim, evaporated milk keeps the egg and milk from curdling)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temp

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend, recipe calls for Italian fontina cheese)

1/2 pound elbow macaroni or mini penne tubes, par cooked and drained (this means cook them for about five minutes until tender but not completely cooked)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Spray the inside of your slow-cooker with cooking spray or grease it with olive oil. Combine milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt in slow-cooker and whisk until until smooth (or you can use an immersion blender to do the whisking for you).

Add the shredded cheese (not the Parmesan) and macaroni, sprinkle with black pepper (and whatever other spices you want to use). Stir gently with a spatula to coat evenly.

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to LOW and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until custard is set in the center and the pasta is tender. The macaroni and cheese may sit in the cooker on the KEEP WARM setting for 30 minutes before serving. Before dishing it up, I sautéed some bread crumbs with olive oil and sprinkled them over the top to make it a little fancier.

Mac & Cheese Bites Recipe

Mac & Cheese Bites

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, olive oil and salt; set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes, it should still be a little firm. Remove from heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in the butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated.

3. Reserve 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese and stir the remaining cheddar cheese, 1 cup of milk and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese into the pasta. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the reserved cheddar cheese and the breadcrumb mixture over the tops.

4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan in order for them to take shape.