Smoky Macaroni and Cheese

I know fall doesn’t technically start for another couple of weeks, but for me, Labor Day feels like the end of summer. So what if it’s 90 degrees and absolutely stifling outside today? It’s FALL. Bring on the apples, bring on the pumpkins, bring on the brightly-colored leaves. And also? Bring on pots and pots of this macaroni and cheese!

I actually made this version of mac and cheese back in the middle of summer, but it’s definitely the kind of dish that just screams autumn. It’s got this awesome smoky flavor from the fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked cheddar cheese. Smoke makes me think of bonfires, and bonfires make me think of fall. See how that logic works? :)

The only thing that could improve this mac and cheese in any way would be about half a pound of bacon. I know, I know, I always want to put bacon in everything, but just look at the title of this recipe: “Smoky Macaroni and Cheese.” This dish is definitely meant to contain bacon.

Next time I may try mixing up the smoked cheeses I used, too. When I was buying the smoked cheddar for this recipe (usually in the specialty cheese case at the grocery store, and take some time to look for it; it’s most likely there, just hidden), I noticed smoked provolone and smoked gouda, which I think would also be amazing in this. And don’t even get me started on smoked fresh mozzarella. Mmmm, smoky deliciousness!

Okay, now I want a huge bowl of this to eat. While sitting beside a bonfire. On a crisp fall evening.

Smoky Macaroni and Cheese
source: slightly adapted from Betty Crocker

1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
8 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, well drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions (4 medium)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on box. Return to saucepan; cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream, mustard, salt and red pepper to boiling. Reduce heat; stir in Cheddar cheese with wire whisk until smooth.

3. Pour sauce over macaroni. Stir in tomatoes and onions. Pour into baking dish. In small bowl, mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Stir in oil. Sprinkle over top of macaroni mixture.

4. Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown.

Weekly Meal Planning, Week of 9.6.10

I hope you're all enjoying the long weekend! Our weather has been absolutely gorgeous, so we've spent most of our time doing this:

We've been having such a great weekend so far. The cook-outs start this afternoon, so I can't wait to say goodbye to summer with some delicious grilled eats! If you're still looking for something delicious to eat this weekend, be sure to check out this post!

Anyway, on to the meal plan. There's lots of chicken this week, I know. What can I say, it was on sale. Gotta love those Labor Day specials!

Monday: Asian wonton chicken salad. Our cook-out is mid-day on Monday, so I thought this would be a nice light dinner for us that night. (If we're hungry, that is.)

Tuesday: Butter chicken, roasted broccoli, rice pilaf

Wednesday: Chicken with pesto mushroom cream sauce over angel hair pasta, cheesy roasted tomato bread (again with the roasted tomatoes; I'm totally obsessed lately)

Thursday: Rustic chicken over rice, rolls

Friday: Pizza night

Saturday: Baked potato bar with assorted toppings (bacon, broccoli, chili, cheese, sour cream), salad

Sunday: Pasta All’Amatriciana, garlic bread

Labor Day Recipes You'll Love

Instead of posting a new recipe today, I thought it would be fun to share a list of foods worthy of your Labor Day cook-outs this weekend. I love Labor Day weekend, although I’m always a little sad that summer is ending for another year. Our family always utilizes the grill in a big way, and after a delicious mid-afternoon meal we go swimming, then visit the flea market, so Labor Day really is like summer’s last hurrah for us. Here are a few (okay, 13; it was really hard to narrow them down!) of the dishes I thought would be just perfect for a late-summer cook-out.

Cowboy burgers. These savory burgers are topped with caramelized onions that have been drowned in steak sauce. They’re messy and taste amazing, and definitely one of our favorite burgers.

Summertime hot dogs with Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce. Use any kind of meat you like, it really doesn’t matter; the BBQ sauce is the star here. And the Dr. Pepper is the star of the BBQ sauce. It adds a really deep, sweet, syrupy taste that I just love. (Not surprising, since Dr. Pepper is my biggest vice.)

Foil-packet potatoes. So much flavor in such a compact package. These are endlessly adaptable, easy to make for a crowd and grill up in no time. And the best thing about them? They’re mouth-wateringly good.

Potato salad. This is one of the most-requested recipes from my family. My mom’s potato salad was a staple at all of our family gatherings growing up, and now that she’s gone, the torch has been passed to me. Every cook-out needs a good potato salad, and this is definitely better than good.

Wonderful pickles. This is another classic family recipe. Crunchy cucumbers are combined with onions and sweet peppers and drenched in a sweet, tangy dressing. I always have this in my refrigerator all summer long, and since it doesn’t contain mayonnaise, it’s the perfect cook-out food.

Pesto pasta salad and deviled egg pasta salad. I’m including both of these in the list because if you put a gun to my head, I don’t think I could choose which one of these I like better. They’re so different, but they’re both so delicious. If you’re going for something a little more upscale, try the pesto version. If you just want a pasta salad that’s plain old delicious, go for the deviled egg version. I honestly don’t think you could go wrong either way.

Broccoli salad. This salad is seriously so good. It’s a great thing to make ahead of time so the flavors can really combine. This is one of the dishes I’ll be taking to our cook-out this year.

Summer fruit salad with creamy lime dressing. I sang the praises of this salad earlier this week, and it really is perfect cook-out food. Blueberries, strawberries, and cantaloupe are still in season and readily available at the markets (and cheap!), so this is a great way to utilize them before they disappear.

Grape salad. I could write love poems about this salad, I love it so much. Our entire family is crazy about it, and it’s the second dish I’m taking to our cook-out this weekend. Everyone insisted.

Sour cream peach pecan pie. This isn’t your typical peach pie, but it’s still an incredible way to highlight the flavor of those delicious, juicy peaches that are just falling off the trees right now. My favorite part is the buttery, crispy, streusel-like topping. I could probably eat an entire pie made up of just that and be perfectly happy.

Rich chocolate chunk brownies. I mean, c’mon, how much more American does it get than a gooey, fudgy brownie? Top it with some homemade vanilla ice cream (another staple in our family) and it’s pretty much Heaven in a dish.

Peanut butter pie. This is my mom’s recipe, and the third and final dish I’m making for this weekend. If you like peanut butter pie, you’re going to love this version. Instead of topping the pie, fresh whipped cream is folded right into it, resulting in a light, creamy texture. And the crust? It's made from peanut butter Oreos. You won’t believe how good this pie is. Mmmm. Delectable.

Have a great long weekend!

Fruit and Yogurt Muffins

These muffins have been the hit of the summer around our house. I made them the first time in mini form for one of Andrew’s snack days at daycare. When I picked him up that afternoon, there were two left...and the second we got in the car, he opened the container, grabbed a muffin in each hand, and proceeded to stuff both of them in his mouth.

So, yeah. He really loves these muffins. I’m lucky if I make it through an entire weekend without him asking me to make a batch. Which I usually always do, because I’m crazy about them too.

This is definitely one of the best muffin recipes I’ve ever tried. The yogurt makes them incredibly rich and moist, and adds a ton of flavor too. The thing I love most about this recipe, though, is that it’s so incredibly versatile. You can use any combination of fruit and yogurt that appeals to you. So far we’ve tried blueberries with blueberry yogurt, blueberries with vanilla yogurt, raspberries with peach yogurt, and strawberries with strawberry banana yogurt (pictured above). Andrew’s favorite is definitely the peach-raspberry version, and mine is the all-blueberry version. Next time I’m going to use lemon yogurt and pair it with blueberries, raspberries, or cranberries; I think the lemon flavor would add a really delicious tang to these. Apple yogurt really has its possibilities, too, especially with apple season coming up. You could even use a mixed berry yogurt, and add any combination of fresh or frozen berries you like. And you could probably use those fancy flavors, too -- Boston cream pie, key lime pie, etc. See? The possibilities really are endless!

The first time I made these muffins, I was surprised by how thick the batter was and how hard I had to work to get everything incorporated. But the muffins turned out fine. If you’re worried about the batter’s thickness, though, you could always add a couple of tablespoons of milk to thin it out a bit. I usually get 15 to 18 regular-sized muffins out of this recipe.

These are soooo yummy. Seriously. Try them!

Fruit and Yogurt Muffins
source: Allrecipes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 8-ounce container yogurt, any flavor
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups fresh or frozen fruit

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, egg, vanilla, butter and fruit. Stir mixtures together just until combined (batter will be very thick). Scoop into prepared muffin cups.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Greek-Style Chicken Skillet

This recipe has been sitting at the top of my “coming soon” list for weeks now, just waiting to be shared. Poor little recipe. Just because I’ve waited so long to share it certainly doesn’t mean it’s not delicious, because oh, it is. For something that comes together so quickly -- and uses a can of condensed soup to boot -- you won’t believe how flavorful this dish is. The bell peppers are sweet, the zucchini and garlic are savory, and when they’re combined with the tangy, sharp bite of feta cheese, this meal really does offer the perfect balance of flavors. We served ours over plain orzo pasta, although the couscous mentioned in the original recipe would be a great choice too. Even my two-year-old loved this and asked for seconds. That alone means this meal will surely be repeated in our house!

Greek-Style Chicken Skillet
source: very slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (1 medium)
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (1 medium)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 10.75-ounce can condensed tomato soup
2 cups cooked orzo pasta
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. In a 12-inch skillet, cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until juices of chicken run clear, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

2. Add zucchini, green pepper, onion, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to skillet. Saute for 5 minutes, adding more oil if necessary. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in water and soup, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring once.

3. To serve, divide orzo among dinner plates. Place chicken on orzo. Spoon vegetable mixture over chicken and orzo. Sprinkle with feta cheese.