What's For Dinner?

Here's what we've had for dinner lately...

1. Bbq chicken sandwich.  I used leftover rotisserie chicken and bbq sauce.  Super fast and easy.
2. Spinach and cheese ravioli.  Frozen raviolis...just simmer in water until heated through.  I made the sauce by whisking together mascarpone, sour cream, pesto and parmesan.  So good and has been requested again already.
3. Scrambled egg and bacon sandwiches.
4. Grilled cheeseburgers.
5. Grilled salmon with dill from the garden.
6. Super nachos.  Ground beef, refried beans, black beans, corn, avocado, queso blanco, sour cream, shredded cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro and sriracha.  Tortilla chips on the side.  Yum.

"You eat first with your eyes!"

♥

Betsy's Homemade Mac & Cheese

I mentioned making macaroni and cheese the other week and

Keith asked for the recipe.  I guess those poor Brits don't make

it over there!  It's a staple in this country, especially with kids!

But many people just buy the instant box kind instead of

making it.  This is my own recipe and I've made it for years.

True comfort food!  Yum!

Typical of ooey gooey comfort food, it doesn't really photograph well.

You'll just have to trust me that it's really yummy.

I make a huge pan of it so we can enjoy leftovers for a few days.

This recipe makes a 9x13 plus a 9x9!
But before you try to cut it down to make less,
consider making it all and putting one pan in the freezer
or taking it to another family that needs some encouragement.

Macaroni and Cheese

5 cups elbow macaroni
1 cup cheddar/jack shredded cheese
1 stick butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, quartered
2 cups half and half 
2/3rds large pkg of Velveeta, cubed
1/2 c parmesan

Boil macaroni in salted water
until al dente. (not quite done)
Drain pasta and divide between the two pans, which 
have been greased.  Sprinkle with shredded jack 
blend cheese. Set aside.

In a medium sized sauce pan, melt one stick of butter
on medium heat.  Add cream cheese 
and whisk and melt until smooth.  Add half and half,
Velveeta and Parmesan and whisk until completely melted.
Watch your heat and don't scorch the sauce.
You may need to turn the heat down a bit.

Pour sauce over pasta in pans.
Take a spatula and poke through the pasta
and around the sides of the pan so the sauce sinks
through and completely coats the pasta.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 350.
Or it can go into the freezer at this point.

Enjoy!

♥

This And That

1. my first look outside today

2.  a little flour and egg yolks

3. the beginnings of chicken-and-noodles

4.  a bouquet for my desk

5.  crab apples dusted with snow

6.  cranberries dusted with sugar
7.  the beginnings of a forecasted snow storm
8.  some mitten creations in my etsy shop
9.  my most favorite Christmas item in the shop

♥

Oven Roasted Garden Tomatoes

This is a nice way to use up tomatoes from your garden!

Quick, easy and very yummy.

Lay thick sliced tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle generously with salt, sugar, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake 3 hours at 250 F degrees.

Beware, though, your house is going to smell wonderful!

I used them to top a pizza crust.  No sauce needed...just cheese!

I used a ready-to-bake crust and followed the baking directions on the package.

The flavor is intense and delicious.

These tomatoes are also wonderful chopped into pasta

or layered in sandwiches.  Enjoy!

I've linked up to Marsha's blog 

for The Weekend Potluck!

Click HERE for more recipes!

Thai Pasta Salad

Perfect for summer...a chilled pasta salad

with lots of spicy heat.

******

Thai Pasta Salad

1 lb angel hair pasta, cooked and cooled

2-3 c cooked, shredded chicken

2 c shredded cabbage mix

1/2 c peanut sauce

2 T honey

3 T lime juice

******

Whisk peanut sauce, honey and juice

together and pour over the rest.

Mix well and chill.

Angel Hair Pasta Primavera

A really yummy one dish meal. :)

Pasta Primavera

1/4 c olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 c sliced zucchini

1 c sliced mushrooms

1 c pea pods (I used sugar snap)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tomato, diced

1 c ham, cubed

1 1/2 t salt

2 t Italian seasoning

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/4 c grated parmesan

8 oz angel hair pasta, cooked al dente

******

In 12 " skillet over medium heat, saute onions.

When translucent, add remaining veggies, meat

and seasonings. Saute 3-4 minutes until

veggies are tender but crisp. Add pasta

and cheese. Heat through and serve.

Beef and Noodles

Last month we had 20 guys over

for dinner from Taylor's high school

basketball team. We served Beef and Noodles...

so good, I made them again over the weekend!

Recipe

****

1.5 lbs stew meat, trimmed and cut in 1" cubes

1 onion, chopped

4 T butter

4 t Tones Beef Soup Base (from Sams Club)

12 oz wide egg noodles

****

Saute beef and onions in butter in large stock pot.

Cover with 5 cups of water.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low.

Simmer 2.5 hours, covered.

Take out meat, set aside.

Add soup base and noodles.

Cook until noodles are tender.

Return meat to pot and check seasonings

I usually add some salt and pepper at this point.

Enjoy!

For extra comfort, I made an apple crisp using my summer

orchard apples from the freezer.

I used my Blackberry Crisp recipe and just exchanged the fruit.

The recipe is in the comments section of that link if you are interested!

Seafood Pasta Salad

16 oz pasta, cooked and cooled

1 large bunch fresh broccoli, chopped

1 pkg cherry tomatoes, halved

16 oz. bottle Italian dressing

2 T mayo

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c vegetable oil

1/4 c lemon juice

2 T poppy seeds

2 lb shrimp, cooked

1/2 lb crab meat

(white fish imitation or lump)

~~~~

Whisk dressing ingredients and pour over

pasta. shrimp and crab meat.

Mix all and chill 4-6 hours for flavors to blend.

Willow and I had this at a beautiful little restaurant

20 years ago this summer. We just loved it and

between the two of us, decided that we could

probably figure out the recipe.

After a little trial and error, this is it!

It's been a favorite of our family ever since.