Your kids will eat it!

Though my kids are pretty good eaters, I'm still really pleasantly surprised when they pack it down and almost eat as much as an adult. Alli especially gets in food funks and doesn't want any of the 10 things I offer for breakfast; she gets manic and soooo moany and whiny until we go run errands and she eats Goldfish, after which she goes on a fishy-y high and is singing with delirious happiness. Anyway, I digress . . . she and Simon really went for the following recipe; and I am always looking for another way to cook eggs, so it was nice (and somewhat indulgent) for me too. Simon came prowling in the kitchen asking "what is that really yum smell, can i have some?--it's sooo yummy!" We had it for dinner first, and then breakfast a few days later.

Annette Matrisciano's Cheesy Eggs
8 Eggs
6 oz. Cream cheese, cubed
1/2 c. Grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper
3 t. Unsalted butter
2 Minced garlic cloves

Preparation
Mix eggs, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Set aside.
Melt butter, add garlic and saute.
Pour in egg mixture and fold gently.
Serve immediately.

And there you go.

Wanna have Sunday Dinner with us?

So I thought it might be fun to have Sunday dinner together. Though we can't eat at the same place, we can eat the same thing. To start us off is the following recipe. It has lots of things that kids can pick from (I never know from day to day what mine are going to want, beyond cheese). Mark wasn't sure he'd like it, from the name, but when he tried it he really loved it--so give it a try! We were able to have a dinner and two lunch servings--it gets big, so plan accordingly depending on your group. Hope the recipe isn't too hard to read--this was the best I could get my computer to do . . . Oh, and Bon Appetite!




Barbecue Chicken Chop Salad (from my Boise ward cookbook)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts [I used a 1 lb pkg of ground chicken, which saved me prep time and chopping and decontaminating, but has a different presentation. I just cooked it with the bbq sauce in a skillet]
1 cup barbecue sauce [we like Sweet Baby Ray’s a lot (wow!) but I don’t know if it’s a national brand]
½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped
½ head romaine lettuce, chopped [you could easily increase this amount w/out overpowering the other ingredients]
3 to 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 jicama, peeled and diced [ a light brown root with a sweet taste and crunch. Try to get one about onion size or you might have extra jicama left in the bowl after everything else’s been eaten]
½ c cilantro, chopped [Mark and I never liked cilantro until about 4 months ago and now we can’t get enough—something in the TX air. ]
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. sweet corn
½ lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Corn tortilla chips, for serving
Ranch dressing

Marinate chicken in bbq sauce, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Chop into pieces and refrigerate.
Combine chicken in a large salad bowl with salad ingredients and toss. Serve with Ranch dressing or dressing of your choice. Drizzle bbq sauce over serving and crispy corn tortilla chips.

A Dish we're Digging lately!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese (America’s Test Kitchen)

Serves 6-8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes (includes 25 minutes baking time)

Although the classic pasta shape for this dish is elbow macaroni, any small, curvaceous pasta will work. Do not use lowfat or skim milk, as neither is rich enough to make a creamy sauce. Low sodium vegetable broth can be substituted to make this dish vegetarian.

8 T unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 c fresh bread crumbs (2-3 pieces in food processor)
1 lb elbow macaroni [I use caravatti or something similarly named]
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t dry mustard, dissolved in 1 t water
¼ t cayenne pepper [I use a few dashes of Tabasco or some chili powder]
6 T all-purpose flour
3 ½ c whole milk
1 ¾ c low-sodium chicken broth [basically a 14oz can, I’ve found]
1 lb Colby cheese, shredded (4 c)
8 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 c)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt 2 T of the butter and toss with the breadcrumbs.

2. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the macaroni. Stir in 1 T salt and the macaroni and cook until almost tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the macaroni and leave it in the colander.

3. Wipe the pot dry [I think the water just steams off on the hot burner, personally], add the remaining 6 T butter, and melt over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, mustard mixture, and cayenne. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly wisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking often, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.

5. Off the heat, whisk in the Colby and cheddar until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the drained macaroni, breaking up any clumps, until well combined [I put a little less than half of the noodles in (because my saucepot can’t hold more) and the rest in the 9x13 and it works and seems easier to dump]

6. Pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.


To Make ahead
Assemble through step 6, except don’t put on breadcrumbs or bake. Store in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days before serving. The casserole can also be frozen, wrapped in an additional layer of foil, for up to 2 months. Allow to sit at room temp for 1 hour before baking. (If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hrs before letting it sit at room temp.)