Macaroni And Cheese/Comfort Food

When I was a little girl my mom and I would come to Utah to visit extended family. We would often go to Walgreen's across from Temple Square and have lunch. They had the best Macaroni and Cheese I had ever tasted. I have craved this comfort food recently and have tried to find recipe that might come close, this one was similar.

Macaroni and Cheese

4 T. butter
1/2 c. flour
3 c. milk
4 c. elbow macaroni, cooked
4 c. Cheddar Cheese
1 . Parmesan Cheese
2 c. breadcrumbs
1. 4 c. butter



Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour to thicken (a roux). Gradually add the milk to the roux and thicken to a Bechamel sauce, slowly add the cheese to melt. Add the cooked and drained macaroni to the sauce and mix well pour into a 9 x 13 pan. Melt the remaining butter and mix with the breadcrumbs and cover the the top of the macaroni. Bake at 350 for 30 mins. or until bubbly.



This can be made or a "Rainy Day." Simply freeze and the reheat at 375 for 50-55 minutes until heated through.

Herbed Chicken

In an effort to use some of my fresh herbs I decided to experiment with them a little. I felt this one turned out pretty well.

I took the chicken out the night before to thaw and then made the marinade in the morning and placed in the fridge, turning it throughout the day.
Herb Chicken Marinade

1/2 c. honey

1 lime, juiced

1 t. salt

2 t. fresh Rosemary, chopped

1 t. fresh Thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 t. ground pepper

2 T. olive oil

Place all of the ingredients in a zippered bag and add 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (pounded to the same thickness). Place in the fridge and turn the bag several times. The chicken should be used with 4-6 hours. Fresh chicken could also be placed in the marinade and frozen, when thawed it will be ready to cook immediately.

Natalie's Spinach Salad

Natalie's Spinach Salad

spinach leaves
green leaf lettuce
Swiss cheese, grated
mushrooms, sliced
cottage cheese, (drained)

Dressing;

½ c. vegetable oil
½ c. cider vinegar
4 T. sugar
½ t.. mustard
1 t. poppy seeds
½ red onion, sliced thin
**Marinate dressing in the fridge for 1 hour before putting on the salad, just before serving.

Copy Cat Rebecca

Rebecca saw these "Salad Kabobs" in the Foodnetwork Magazine and decided that it would be fun to make some and take them to a family reunion. They were really cute. She made them on 10" Skewers and we decided that we would do them on a slightly smaller one next time but they were fun.

I still think that she is a Betty Crocker in the making!!!!

Beef and Cheese Enchildas (with left over Beef)

After making a pot roast for dinner one Sunday I had quite a bit of really tender meat left over. I decided that I wanted to use the meat in a different way. My idea was to make Beef Enchilada's. I didn't want to use canned Enchilada Sauce and I remembered that my daughter had a recipe from a friend that she really liked so I decided to give it a try. I also made cheese enchilada's with the sauce. The end product was very successful.

Half cheese and half beef.
Freezer meals for my mother-in-law!
The end product!

Left over pot roast, chopped in food processor

2 4 oz. can diced green Chile's

12-14 corn tortillas (I love to buy them at the Tenochtitlan Market in Orem where they are made fresh daily!)

Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1/2-1 c. onion, chopped

Red Enchilada Sauce

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 46 oz. can tomato juice
1 can El pato 7-¾ oz Mexican style hot sauce (yellow can)
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. vinegar

Combine butter and flour in a large pot over medium heat. Stir to make a
paste. Remove from stove and while stirring add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling simmer on low until sauce thickens.

Place a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of the pan take the meat or cheese mixture place in the corn tortilla and roll, place seam side down. Fill the pan, cover and add more cheese on top. Cover with foil and place in a 350 oven for 25 mins. Take the foil off of the pan and cook for 5 more mins. until cheese is browned. Serve with refried beans, sour cream, and guacamole.

(these are very mild and could use some extra spice if desired)

Part of our family barbecue traditions include Kerry's baked beans. Almost all of the girls will request him to make these for our gatherings during the summer. They remind me of the beans that my Aunt Cella would make when I was a little girl. Funny how scents can take you and drop you back in a particular time and place almost a fast a music can. These pictures doesn't do the beans justice.

Kerry's Baked Beans

1 large onion, diced 3 cans pork and beans
½ pound bacon, cut in ½ inch chunks
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fry bacon in skillet until done. Drain and set aside. Cook onions in bacon fat until lightly browned. Add all ingredients to a covered casserole dish and mix well. Bake for 2 hours.

Cupcakes and Cuties...Memories

Cupcakes certainly are one of the hottest trends from a culinary perspective. Rebecca decided she wanted to make some really big ones for a friends birthday, and some mini ones for her nephews who were coming to visit the next day. Fortunately for me Rachel was here also and I had my camera handy. These are some of the moments that I love as a mother. The laughter and silliness of sisters.

The future Betty Crocker? Fun times with great girls, now all that is left is the clean up!!!! For some reason it even was fun and quick.

Thanks to an old family friend for the great frosting recipe we have loving called "Bonnie Smith's frosting."

"Manti Turkey"

This became a tradition in our family after visiting the Manti Temple Pageant in Manti Utah. It is served there annually. We have served for many special occasions in our family from birth's to weddings and many other events. I have seen it posted on other blogs so I know that it is popular with many others as well. We have also done this marinade with a boneless pork roast.

"Manti Turkey"

1 pint oil
1 quart 7-Up
1 pint soy sauce
1 T. horseradish (not the sauce)
1 T. garlic powder
Turkey Breast, cut into strips


Combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly. Marinade for 18-24 hours. Barbecue slowly, do not over cook or burn. Turn frequently. Cook until meat is evenly white when cut into with a knife.

Most of the time there are family members standing close by to snatch a piece before we even start the meal. Me included!

She is the reason for our lastest celebration. Isn't she beautiful?

Meatballs

Lauri’s Meatballs

1-2 lbs ground beef
1-2 lbs mild Italian sausage
1 c. bread crumbs, seasoned or plain
1-2 T. dried onion ( or ½ chopped fresh onion that has been sauteed)
2 eggs
1-2 T. Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

Combine meats with bread crumbs, egg onions, and Worcestershire sauce. Roll in 1-1 ½ in balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
For freezing place cooked meatballs on another cooking sheet and place in a freezer until frozen, then place in a zipper bag in serving sizes and date.

Swedish Meatballs:

½ t. nutmeg or allspice
2 pkgs. brown gravy mix

Add the water to the skillet according to the package directions for the gravy. On medium heat stir gently until thickened, then add the cooked meatballs. Serve over rice or buttered noodles.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs:

½ c. packed brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 13 oz. can pineapple chunks
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 small green pepper, chopped

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in skillet. Stir in pineapple, including the syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Add cooked meatballs reduce heat, add green peppers and simmer until tender.

Saucy Meatballs:

1 10 ¾ can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c. milk
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
½ c. sour cream

Stir soup, milk and nutmeg into a large skillet. Heat to boiling, add cooked meatballs and reduce heat. Cover and simmer

10 minutes, stir in sour cream and heat through.

Marinara Sauce w/ Spaghetti ( my sauce is on the left column) or for a quick fix your favorite brand!

I love to make meatballs in large quantities and have them frozen for Rainy Days or for when I need to throw something together very quickly. I also love to buy my Italian Sausage from Harmon's here in Utah, I love the fresh grind they make.

Chicken Nuggets

When making Chicken Cordob Bleu I decided that I had made a big enough batch and used the last chicken breast to make Chicken Nuggets for my grandsons. I discovered these when my children were little and liked the idea that they were baked not fried. These can be made ahead and frozen. They are in the round pan in the picture.

Chicken Nuggets

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders
3/4 c. milk
1 c. cornflake crumbs
1/3 grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Pour milk over chicken and set aside. Mix crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag and shake. Drop chicken pieces into the bag, shake to coat the pieces. (This may take several times to coat all of the chicken)
Spray a large cookie sheet with a vegetable spray, spread chicken evenly on the pan. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 20-25 mins.

Honey Dip

1/2 c. honey
2 t. lemon juice
Microwave on high for 45-60 seconds, until hot

Barely Barbecue Dip

1/2 c. ketchup
½ c. barbecue sauce

Microwave on high for 1 min., stir. Microwave and additional 1 - 1 1/2 mins.

*** My last batch I pulled chicken out of the freezer and later discovered that I had pulled out chicken thighs instead of boneless chicken breasts. Since it was rapidly approaching dinner time I just breaded the thighs and cooked them at 350 for 30 minutes. They were so yummy and tender. A mistake that turned out delectable. I will definitely use this method again, as good as fried chicken without the frying and fat.