Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I didn't grow up eating macaroni and cheese and honestly don't remember when it was that I first tried it.  TBG will eat it but he isn't much of a fan so we don't have it often but when we do, it needs to be really good.

I've tried a number of recipes over the years and most were tasty but this one is close to perfection for me.

This is another recipe from Nagi that is in her Dinner cookbook.  

Macaroni:

8 ounces elbow pasta

1 tbsp unsalted butter

Topping:

2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp unsalted butter-melted

1/4 tsp salt

Sauce:

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup flour

3 cups milk

2 cups freshly shredded cheese-I used gruyere, she also recommends Colby or cheddar

1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 tsp salt

Seasonings:

1 tsp garlic powder-I used granules

1/2 tsp onion powder-I used granules

1/2 tsp mustard powder

*She has the seasoning listed as optional.  I say use them.

Cook pasta in boiling water for 1 minute under the recommended time on the box

Drain, return pasta to the pot, add butter and toss until melted.  Set aside to cool while making the sauce.

Mix together the topping and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan or in an ovenproof skillet melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for one minute.

Add about 1 cup of the milk and mix to dissolve the paste into the milk.  Add remaining milk and mix until lump free. A whisk works best.

Mix in salt and seasonings.

Cook, stirring regularly for 5-8 minutes until thickened to a cream consistency.

Remove from the stove, add cheese and stir.

Combine the pasta and the sauce in oven safe pan.  Sprinkle breadcrumb topping all over the top. 

Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown.

Serve immediately.

I halved the recipe since it was the two of us which totaled about 4 nice size servings.

I really liked the flavor of this dish.  The creaminess was perfect for me.  Not dry and not too saucy.  

I don't care for reheated mac and cheese so I used the last two servings and made mac and cheese bites in the air fryer and they turned out delicious.  I used a small cookie scoop to get rounded balls and dipped in flour, egg and panko.  I cooked them for 10 minutes on 400 degrees.

This dish was easy to put together, great flavor with a delicious consistency making it my new go to when I want to make mac and cheese.

My Weekly W's

 

What's top of my mind:  My first full week after vacation was cut shorter because Winter hit our area of Southern Illinois all week.  We started out with sleet Sunday night that turned into snow.  The totals of ice were .75 inch, and snow was 3 inches, so I stayed home Monday.  FREEZING temps followed all week keeping everything frozen solid.  Then Friday it snowed all day totaling 7 more inches, and I came home around 9am.  It truly looks like a winter wonderland outside.  The downside of these cold temperatures hit me on Thursday.  I left work and heard loud thumping under the Jeep.  I pulled over to check my tires and make sure no ice or snow was blocking the wheels, but it all looked good. I decided to keep going since I live less than a mile from work.  I heard two more thumps then nothing more.  TBG checked under the hood and said everything looked fine and we drove it around the neighborhood to see if it was still making noise.  It wasn't and we pulled into the garage, and I again looked under the Jeep.  This time I was horrified to see a cat's tail hanging down.  To make a long story short, while I was at work a cat had climbed up under the Jeep and that thumping noise was him.  It was removed yesterday with no damage to the vehicle.  But I've been sad about that poor cat for three days now.  I park in the garage at home and hadn't been anywhere but work all week so never thought to look before I left. 

Where I've been:  No where but work and home.

Where I'm going:  Hopefully I will make it to work all week and I'm sure I'll make a small grocery run but no other plans so far.

What I'm watching:  I watched the latest episode of Southern Charm and a few DDD episodes while making dinner but really didn't watch much else.

What I'm reading:  I need to finish Wintering because I have two books from Christmas that I can't wait to read.

What I'm listening to:  I love when everything is covered with snow because it is so quiet out.  I went out Friday and Saturday to just enjoy the stillness and silence for a bit.  It was wonderful.

What I'm eating:

Soul soothing chicken and white bean soup with garlic cheddar biscuits.

I had a couple of Belgian waffles in the freezer left over from breakfast last weekend, so we had chicken and waffles. I made a siracha and maple syrup sauce for them and it was delicious.

LO beef and bean chili with cornbread

Chicken sausage with green peppers and onions, baked potato and salad

BIG salad

Chicken, mac and cheese and salad with Texas Toast.  This was a new recipe for a baked mac and cheese that I will share this week.

Tonight, I am roasting a bone in turkey breast, sides undecided yet other than I want to use the cranberries in the freezer to make a cranberry, orange relish.

What I'm planning:  I've been looking over my planner for 2025 and scheduled a few trips, day dates and celebrations.  I want to stay ahead of the planning for holidays and events.

What is making me smile: This meme really hit home for me.  Making the most out of every day is my number one intention.

My heart goes out to everyone in the California area experiencing this historic loss.  It seems like the list of people having their lives totally devastated by these events continues to grow.  Prayers out to them all.  

Asian Glazed Salmon

From Recipetin Eats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi

2 x 6 ounce salmon fillets

Marinade Glaze

1 tsp finely minced ginger

1 garlic clove finely minced (I used two)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp oyster or fish sauce

2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce

Garnished (Optional)

Sesame seeds

Finely sliced green onion

Combine all of the ingredients to make the glaze and marinate the salmon in it for 30 minutes or overnight.  (I marinated ours for probably 4 hours)

I used the broiler setting on our Ninja and cooked the salmon skin side down for 9 minutes and it was perfect.

According to her notes you want the salmon to be 120 F for medium-rare and 140 F for medium.  Ours was right at 130 F.

The glaze gives the perfect amount of heat and flavor.  We both enjoyed it served over white basmati rice and a small salad.  This will absolutely be added to our meal rotations.  10 out of 10!

My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind:  I try to make January and February slow months. I like to spend time thinking about the last year and making plans and lists and intentions for the new one. Reflecting on the last year reminds me of the 'little things' that ended up being so important and the people that have been by my side through it all.  As we go into this next chapter, I'm excited to look for small ways to bring a little excitement to each day.

Where I've been:  I did go to work Thursday and Friday to make a dent on the work that piled up during my 12-day vacation.  I stopped at Kroger on Thursday to pick up fresh fruit and veggies because I knew there was a storm coming today.  I saw the pictures on Facebook of local stores on Saturday with the crowds and the empty shelves and was thankful I didn't have to deal with that.

Where I'm going:  It looks like this storm will have us at home for at least today and tomorrow. 

What I'm watching: I caught up on the latest episodes of Southern Charm.  I also watched the new season of Queer Eye. Jeremiah Brent is the decorator this season.  I used to watch him on Nate and Jeremiah and loved his sense of style and decorating.  I think he is even more amazing now.  

What I'm reading:  Thanks to Treaders at Random Thoughts for letting me know her thoughts on the book Wintering.  This week I picked it back up and am a little over half the way through now and really enjoying it.

What I'm eating:

Lamb and rosemary potato pies with salad

Beef and bean chili with jalapeno poppers

Steak and shrimp with baked potatoes and salad

Deconstructed taco bowls with rice

BIG salad with fresh baked bread

Roasted chicken, smashed potatoes and Brussel sprouts

Tonight, I'm making a new salmon dish that I will share next week

I'm going to try this sometime this week too.  I'll let you know if it does taste like soy sauce.

Who needs a good slap:  Well, I'm sure there are many, but I've been thinking about this for 10 minutes and no one comes to mind so we'll skip this week.

What is making me smile:  Once again Binx.  When it got light outside, he saw it snowing and got very excited. He jumped on his perch and was reaching at the door, looking at me to open it.  At the time, we had only gotten about an inch of sleet/snow.  I opened the sliding door, and he was excited but when his two front paws hit the snow on the step, he jumped back inside. 😀 I'm interested in how he will respond to the 9-12 inches we're supposed to get by tomorrow morning since he's never seen that much snow.

I hope everyone is easing into the New Year.  If you are in the path of this storm, stay safe and warm.

Happy New Year!!

My Weekly W's

 

What's top of my mind:  September thru December is my favorite time of the year and I have to say the 'bers' were very good this year.  We enjoyed all four of the months with celebrating each day and making memories. For me, January is a slow month, mainly hunkering down reflecting on life. Now that Christmas is over, I'm looking towards 2025. We never know what a year will bring but I have to have faith and hope that it will be good.  Otherwise, honestly, what's the point?

Where I've been:  We went to breakfast yesterday and picked up a few things we wanted while we were out.  We stopped by the library but forgot it was Saturday, so they weren't open yet.  Other than that, we've been at home enjoying no schedule or routine and enjoying every minute of it.

Where I'm going:  I have no plans to leave the house until I go back to work on Thursday.  Most of administration will still be on holiday so I'll hopefully be able to get caught up on emails and do payroll.  I figured working two days, then having two days off would be better than taking two full weeks off and sending my body into shock with a full week of work. 😃 

What I'm watching:  SO many Christmas movies.  We also watched the season finally of Villans.  

What I'm reading:  I finished The Bookshop of Hidden Dreams and loved it.  Then I started Wintering by Katherine May.  I got to page 13 and put it down.  I've been looking forward to reading this but honestly, she comes across as a bit whiney and depressing so far and I don't know if I can finish.  Has anyone else read this?  Does it get better?

What I'm eating:  

Hot ham and Havarti cheese on brioche buns with a loaded baked potato

Stuffed shells, salad and puff pastry pesto bread.

Instead of regular jumbo shells I picked up a bag of these.  The extra piece of pasta across the top actually holds them together very well after stuffing with the cheese mixture.  You do need to cook them a few minutes more because the pasta is thick, but they were delicious.

Bone in turkey breast, cornbread stuffing, roasted parm Brussel sprouts, roasted carrots, orange cranberry sauce and yeast rolls.

Cornbread stuffing waffles with turkey and gravy and veggies on the side

Beef chili with garlic cheddar biscuits

BIG salad 

Tonight, I'm making Moroccan lamb meatballs, rice and Naan.

Who needs a good slap:  On pause for the Holiday.

What is making me smile:  So many smiles this week.  I've felt very blessed. I did realize how little I usually just sit when I'm home.  Binx took full advantage of the slow week and curled up to me each day as I sat on the couch reading or watching movies.  He enjoys it so much I have to work on making the time to sit with him a bit each day.  

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!

A Good Reminder

 

Merry Christmas

                                     Wishing each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas!!

My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind:  Enjoying this wonderful time of year.  Our Christmas vacation started yesterday, and we celebrated by making our gingerbread house and attending the Lights at Cedarhurst.  The gingerbread house came out OK. We have a long way to go before anything spectacular comes from us.  But I do think this will be a new tradition because we had fun doing it.

The lights were as fantastic as always.  It was a little chilly but not cold, and the hot chocolate was abundant, so it was a good night for the two-mile walk. I won't bore you with all of the photos again this year, but here are a few.  

Where I've been:  I worked all week.  Ran to Kroger on Friday morning for fresh fruit, veg and dairy.  We also went out to eat twice this week, which is very rare for us, but it is the holidays.  After Cedarhurst we drove around a bit to see more lights.

Where I'm going:  I'm baking all of my cookies today so tomorrow I will be making deliveries.  Friday we'll be getting together with family.  The rest of the time is wide open, and it feels so good to know I'm done with work until after the New Year.  

What I'm watching:  A LOT of Christmas movies.  It's been a mix of old favorites and new movies.  The Holiday, The Family Stone, Christmas Vacation, Love Actually, A Christmas Story and so many more are a yearly tradition to see.  

What I'm reading:  The Bookshop of Hidden Dreams by Karen Hawkins is the latest in the Dove Pond series that I love.  I'm halfway through and enjoying it as much as the others. The next book up is Wintering by Katherine May.  I'm excited to read it.

What I'm listening to:  Christmas music and Christmas movies.

What I'm eating:  SO many treats from friends.  I'm excited to try the Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin from Poland.  And these chocolates were absolutely decadent.  

Dinners this week:

BIG salad times 2 on the nights that we had lunch out.

Chicken fajitas, rice and cheese roll ups

LO Beef chili loaded with jalapeno poppers 

Fried chicken strips, baked potato and salad

Lamb cheeseburgers with sweet potato fries

LO Brunswick stew and cornbread

Who needs a good slap:  On pause for the Holidays

What's making me smile:  SO many people and things have been making me smile.  TBG bringing two tubs of this Port Wine Cheese brought back so many memories.  My Mom used to buy this around the holidays and make me a large plate with it, crackers, pickles, turkey or ham and so much more.  It was her version of a charcuterie board, and it was so delicious.  She's the reason we have heavy appetizers every New Years Eve.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the season.  The holidays are bittersweet sometimes but there is still a lot of joy and more memories to make.

My Weekly W's

I hope everyone that celebrates had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We're in full Holiday mode now and I couldn't be happier.

What's top of my mind: The Christmas season.  TBG and I sat down and decided what things were a must to put on the need to do list this year.  

1.  Visit Cedarhurst to see the lights. Enjoy this holiday season with family at "The Lights" at Cedarhurst!

2.  Make a gingerbread house.  I have vague memories of making one when I was young, but we've never made one as adults. I found this kit and thought it would be perfect for our first attempt.  If we decide to keep this tradition, we can get more creative.

3. Multiple Christmas movie afternoons and nights.

4. Multiple board game breakfasts.

5. Be a secret Santa for someone.

6. A cozy lunch with friends at Pinky's.  Can anyone else appreciate a heated igloo?  Pinky's

7. Drive around to see lights in town.

8.Decorate the inside of the house.

9. Make Christmas cookies

Where I've been:  We live in a town with about 13,000 people or less and most hard-core black Friday shoppers go to the larger cities, so we felt confident to run to a couple of places and we were not disappointed.  We went out for a good breakfast and then we went and ordered a new refrigerator that was half off the regular price, plus we can always use a tax credit. I'd rather get something for my money instead of just handing it to the IRS.  Last year was the first time in years that we actually had a federal refund, and it was all because we bought the new heating and cooling system and water heater.  

Where I'm going:  It's back to work this week but no other appointments so that is good.

What I'm watching:  We finished the Great British Baking show and was happy with the winner.  This was one of my favorite seasons in a while.  

What I'm reading:  Nothing much worth writing about.

What I'm eating:

Breakfast this morning was French toast for TBG and he said it was delicious.

Deconstructed stuffed poblanos over rice with a cheese roll up.

LO beef tips, mashed potatoes and asparagus.

BIG salad x 2

Thanksgiving meal.  Turkey and all of the traditional sides.  With pumpkin and sweet potato pies.

Beef cheeseburgers and 'fries'.

The traditional pot of Brunswick stew and garlic cheddar biscuits.  Culinary Adventures with Lori: Thanksgiving Leftovers

Who needs a good slap:  Mean and rude people.  I've seen a lot of keyboard warriors posting comments on a few different blogs lately and I just don't get it.  What is the point?  What could anyone possibly get out of it?  

What's making me smile:  We had a wonderful 5-day holiday break.  I truly have so much to be thankful for.  Then today I woke up to our first snow.  It was just gorgeous out.  This is the view from our bedroom window.

I hope everyone has a lovely week ahead and remember to put a little love in your heart.  Everyday, but especially this time of year.

Cardinal Versus Binx

I came home from work yesterday and TBG told me they had a pretty eventful afternoon.  According to him, about 15 minutes before I arrived at home, this happened and I'm so thankful he was able to get a video.  Binx is as crazy as this cardinal was bold.

                                            

My Weekly W's

What's top of my mind:  The holiday season is upon us here in the US!  This week is Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve is one month from today.  I'm excited to celebrate a little bit each day between now and New Years.  

Also on my mind, my brother raises turkeys for all of us to enjoy and apparently the black variety of turkey compared to the white variety is moister and juicer.  We're doing a taste test, and I'll let you know.  This is some of them before they went to the processor last week.  Check out that awesome chicken coop my brother built.  He wants to build one for me to start raising chickens, but I politely said no thank you.

 

Where I've been:  I had an eye appointment My vision hasn't changed much at all over the last two years.  I did a bit of shopping and scored some really good deals on a couple of things for us. I also wanted a new winter coat and found the exact London Fog coat that I was looking for at Kohls.  It was originally 160.00 and I saved 70.47 between the sale price and rewards making it 98.17.  Can't beat that for such a nice coat. I let my gas tank get quite a bit lower than I usually do and I was pleasantly surprised when I had .60 off a gallon making the gas 2.39.  So, I ended up spending much less than I had anticipated.

Where I'm going:  I only work Monday and Tuesday this week.  I have no appointments, so the options are endless.

What I'm watching:  We caught up on Villans and British Bake Off.  Other than that, I didn't watch much TV.  I am noticing that a lot of trees are bare of their leaves and it's looking close to winter.

What I'm reading:  I didn't read much this week either.

What I'm eating:

This week I used a lot of leftovers to make freezer space for Brunswick stew after Thanksgiving.

LO chili made into chili mac with Texas toast.

Chicken pot pie and salad

LO chicken soup with garlic cheese biscuits

LO chicken pot pie and salad

BIG salad

I have beef strips cooking in the crock pot but haven't decided exactly what I want to do with them yet.  I have a couple of options stirring around in my mind.

Who needs a good slap:  Honestly everyone I came in contact this week was kind so no slaps.

What's making me smile:  I watched Sunday Morning on CBS this morning.  It was their annual food show and it was really good.  If you get a chance, watch it.  They had a young girl on their Renad Attallah from Gaza who does cooking segments on Instagram using what food they can get.  Her spirit is contagious.

I hope everyone is well and has a lovely week.  Remember to embrace each day!!