When the weather turns cold, I crave comfort foods. How about you? Here’s the perfect thing to satisfy your cravings. Watch out – I cut this recipe in half and it still made way too much! I’ll link to the original recipe in case you want to feed a crowd, but if you’re cooking for fewer than 6 people, I’ve halved the recipe for you. The key to a smooth cheese sauce is warming the milk before making the sauce (thanks, Martha, for the tip!).
Macaroni & Cheese Adapted from Martha Stewart, Feeds about 6
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 1.5 qt casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a small dish and add the bread crumbs and stir to coat. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat (stir occasionally). Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, stir and cook for one minute. Slowly pour in the warm milk, and whisk constantly. Continue to cook and the mixture should bubble and become thick. Remove from heat and add the cheese, reserving 1/4 cup. Stir until the cheese is melted. Set aside.
Cook the pasta to al dente, then drain and mix with the cheese sauce. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs. Bake at 375 degrees until warm throughout and bubbly, about 20-30 minutes. The top should be nice and golden brown. Serve with a salad or broccoli.
Do you use your crock pot much? I rarely use mine. John will sometimes use it to keep chili warm (he makes the best chili!!) but we don’t use it much for meals. I don’t often make recipes more than once because I like to keep trying new ones – but this is one that I thought was worth making a second time! Basically you just throw everything in the crock pot in the morning and then when you get home you have an awesome meal to eat with no prep work!
Tex-Mex Chicken Chili Serves 4, adapted from Martha Stewart
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar mild or medium salsa
2 tablespoons chopped chilies (from a can, in adobo sauce)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 small red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Stir together the beans, salsa, chilies, flour, and chicken stock in your crock pot. Place chicken on top, season with salt and pepper. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top. Cook on low for 8 hours. (Don’t open the lid or stir) Take out the chicken, and shred (using 2 forks) if desired, then return the chicken to the pot. Serve in bowls, topped with a little sour cream on top and corn muffins on the side. Enjoy this perfect dish for a chilly fall day!
When I saw this recipe on the cover of the September issue of Bon Appetit, I knew it was something I had to try. It’s a great way to use up all the rosemary growing in my herb garden (well more like an herb box) and garlic I picked up at the farmer’s market last week.
Al mattone means “with a brick” and is an old Italian technique for grilling. I had also recently seen this blog post for Chicken Under a Brick. This method is typically done on the grill, but the Bon Appetit article gave instructions for baking the chicken in the oven. This is preferable to me, since I tend to burn things on the grill while somehow managing to not cook them through.
So, after work today I went to Menards and bought myself a brick, wrapped it in foil, and proceeded to butterfly my chicken. That was not a pleasant experience, especially since all my knives are in desperate need of sharpening. Nonetheless, everything turned out pretty well, although when we cut into the chicken we discovered it probably needed another five or so minutes in the oven. But, I’m resourceful so I just threw the pieces in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until cooked through. The meat was pretty flavorful and tender. I’d make it again. I served it with roasted veggies and corn on the cob.
I’ve linked to two recipes for Chicken al Mattone above, so I will refrain from typing it out for you.
Everyone likes pizza, right? My favorite thing about pizza is that there are so many options! I decided to mix things up this time and make the pizza sauce from scratch. For the crust, I used Rhodes frozen pizza dough and once thawed, cut in half to make two individual-sized pizzas.
Pizza Sauce (adapted from the Martha Stewart Cookbook: The Original Classics)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 14oz can plum tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Crush the tomatoes (I used my clean hands) and add to the olive oil. Add the oregano and salt. Cook at medium-low heat for 40-50 minutes until thick, stirring occasionally. Break up any tomato chunks if necessary.
Topping the pizza
Margherita Pizza (for me)
Roll out the dough (pierce with fork several times – I learned this today from my pizza connoisseur husband. It prevents the dough from rising too much during baking). Spread 1/4 cup of sauce on the dough, then top with thinly-sliced fresh mozzarella, basil, and minced garlic. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Drizzle olive oil on pizza
Supreme Pizza (for John)
Spread 1/4 cup of sauce on the dough, then top with chopped green pepper and onion. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, then with pepperoni. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (about 15 minutes).
