One of the great joys of parenting, grandparenting, “aunting” and “uncling” is getting to do things again like dress up for Halloween, go see Santa, and play with things like Legos, modeling clay, coloring books, and finger paints.  We’re just doing it for the kids!  And when it comes to feeding children, macaroni and cheese is about as close to a universal food as one can get.   Kids always seem to love it and even when they profess not to be hungry, their little appetites can usually be tempted by a few bitefuls of good old “mac and cheese,” I know a lot of grownups that can be tempted the same way.

The problem is that the geniuses (really) that figured out how to make that little box mix or pop the freezer version into the oven make us forget that as good as those products are, homemade macaroni and cheese is far superior (in taste and nutrition) and is the best kind of comfort food.  If you haven’t made homemade macaroni and cheese in a while, it’s time to enjoy this wonderful dish with or without the kids in your life at the table.

Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 6 to 8

Preparation time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Total time:  1 hour

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
2 cups milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Fontina Cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs, or leftover bread, crusts removed, made into crumbs
¼ teaspoon paprika
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook the pasta according to pasta directions and drain well.  After the pasta is drained, drizzle the olive oil over it and toss.
Meanwhile, Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. While whisking, slowly add the milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat.  Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.   Add the pasta to the pan and stir to coat the pasta well with the sauce.   Pour into a lightly buttered 9 x 13 inch rectangular or oval baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, sit in the breadcrumbs and the paprika and stir with a fork to combine.  Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the pasta. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is nicely browned.

I recently returned from an amazing “girl’s weekend” with my book club.  We had so much fun together as we always do—sharing a love for food and cooking in addition to our passion for books and conversation. Read more…

Just about everyone in my world loves pasta and Mexican food.  And when I can manage to combine them into a casserole, I am happy because there are a lot of days where I have limited time before dinner and I love to be able to pull a delicious looking dish out of the refrigerator, and toss a salad while it cooks.  Read more…

My husband’s family is a big, fun jumble of Louisianans…originally from the heart of the Louisiana rice farming country.  When their family gathers, you have to know how to feed a crowd—and they all do.

The girls (and some boys) that my husband grew up with all have stayed in or returned to Louisiana, have families of their own—and are all good cooks.  I recently asked one of them for a “tried and true” recipe—and got this gem in return.   She recommends serving this with pork tenderloin…and we thought it was yummy with roasted shrimp too.   If we’re lucky, she (and others in our wonderful family) will send more—and soon!  Merci, nos belle cousine!

Grits N Greens Casserole
(from “Hissy Fit”)

Serves 8

2 cups whipping cream or Half and Half
8 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups grits – not instant or quick cooking
1 1-pound bag frozen mustard greens or collard greens
2 sticks butter
2 1/2 Cups Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Butter a 13 x 9 or 2-quart casserole.  Combine the cream and 6 cups of the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Stir in the grits and cook over medium heat until the mixture returns to a boil.  Cover, reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook, for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the grits are done.  Stir frequently to keep it from sticking or burning to the pan.   Add a little milk if needed to thicken to the right consistency—which should be like creamy on-the-thin-side oatmeal.

While the grits are simmering, cook the frozen greens with the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Drain the greens well in a colander, pressing with a spoon to get as much liquid out as you can.  Add the butter, 2 cups of the Parmesan and pepper to the cooked grits and stir until the butter is melted.  Stir in the cooked greens and spoon into the buttered casserole.  Top with the additional ½ cup of Parmesan and the crumbled bacon.  This can be served at room temperature or heated in a 350 oven until browned on top.

Living in Florida, Mardi Gras comes and goes some years with hardly a mention, even though my dear husband is New Orleans born and bred with a slew of wonderful Louisiana relatives who really know how to cook, eat and party. At least this year, I was treated to a slice of King Cake by a good friend who also hails from there—but that was it for Mardi Gras for me this year.

I was thinking about that yesterday, craving something New Orleans-y, and thought of this great pasta recipe, which I adapted from quintessential New Orleans chef Emeril.  I do love the classic Jambalaya made with rice, but we’ve also grown to love this pasta version. This is a good recipe to make when you need to feed a crowd.  And once I’ve made it, I can leave it on the stove while I watch the news, and then it reheats nicely while I’m tossing the salad or slicing some bread to go with it.   If you’re not feeding a crowd, it’s also great as a leftover.  So there you have it…Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Jambalaya Pasta

Preparation Time:  30 minutes of chopping, peeling, etc.
Cook Time:  30 minutes
Total Time:  1 hour (unless you’re a lot faster than I am)

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 pound farfalle (bowtie) pasta
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
2 tablespoons of Emeril’s Essence or other Cajun seasoning
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch dice
¾ pound andouille sausage, cut into ½ -inch dice
1 medium onion, finely diced
½ green bell pepper, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
1 (14.5) ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for passing separately

Cook the farfalle in boiling, salted water according to package directions until it is al dente (tender but still firm to the bite).  Remove the pot from the heat.  Add the shrimp to the pot, cover and let stand until the shrimp are pink and firm, about 2 minutes.  Drain the pasta and the shrimp, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring and turning to brown all sides.  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Put the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and add the sausage, onion and green pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the sausage is browned and the onions are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for another 30 seconds.  Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the diced tomatoes, thyme, the remaining tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, and ½ teaspoon salt.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the cream to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the chicken, the shrimp and pasta, and the reserved one-cup of pasta cooking liquid.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp and chicken are fully cooked through, and most of the pasta cooking water has evaporated. The pasta should have a nice, creamy texture.  Remove from the heat, stir in the basil and the Parmesan.  Toss to combine and serve.

Note:  This recipe has a bit of kick to it—medium to spicy in my book.  You can reduce the spiciness of this by using a less spicy sausage (a kielbasa would also be good) and/or lightening up on the Cajun seasoning.