Magic Leftovers!

Last night I saw an episode of Chopped where all the mystery ingredients were leftovers. It inspired me to transform the leftover buffalo chicken from my party into something amazing! I can never fit all of the chicken onto the french bread so a handful of chicken in a cheap box of macaroni and cheese equals some surprising delicious buffalo chicken mac and cheese! Easy peasy!

Boy Approved.

Cheese and Drinks!

I made leftover mac & cheese last night. It wasn't half bad considering I winged it and didn't measure anything. I based it loosely on my recipe for Devil's Mac & Cheese and used all of my party leftovers. I used a mix of leftover cheese (cheddar, colby, mozzarella), replaced the cream/half&half with milk, and used the improper type of noodle....the horror! Speaking of horror, it's nights like this when Mr. Lawyer comes home and announces that I'm five years old. In my defense we had leftovers to use up and I refused to go to the store for random ingredients like hot dog buns....and maybe some days I just want mac & cheese and hot dogs.

The Mother Unit played mixologist genius this weekend before passing the duty of the Mr. Lawyer. This drink was decent but really, really sweet. I think it's the dragonberry rum. One is okay but two is way too much. We solved this problem by adding a splash of sparkling wine. I'm sure seltzer would also work.

The Patriot

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:

4 ounces Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1 1/2 ounce Bacardi Dragonberry Strawberry Rum
1 tablespoon frozen strawberries, thawed
Mint sprig, garnish

**Splash of sparkling wine or seltzer recommended** 

Directions:

1. In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add all ingredients except garnish and shake well. 

2. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with mint sprig.

Holy Cheese!

My life.

Did you know that it was National Mac and Cheese month?! I didn't know until the other day which was tragic. Luckily there was a one pot mac and cheese recipe making the rounds on pinterest. I was intrigued and reviews were split but I decided to give it a go. But first I had to set my table!

Yessssss, finally a two dish meal so I could mix and match. Just incase the mac and cheese was a bust a grabbed a ham hoagie from Wawa. Plus I knew the manly lawyer would not be okay with just mac and cheese for dinner, weird right? Well the recipe was not a bust! In fact it was creamily delicious in a "I'm going to explode your heart" kind of way. It reminded me of Stouffers mac and cheese, very thick and creamy. It seemed easier than a oven baked recipe but was very different from a boxed mac and cheese. You did have to keep an eye on it to make sure it didn't soak up all the milk or boil so I stirred every few minutes. After looking at the reviews I doubled the cheese which was a smart decision. Some reviews also said it did not reheat well and I'd believe it. It began to cool and clump up very quickly (so serve immediately) and I could see where the cheese would get grainy or separated upon reheating. Do not skip the dijon mustard, I actually added a little more and it resulted in a nice flavor/depth. It is SUPER RICH. After all it's basically just melted cheese. I would recommend using this as a side dish.

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

(Pinterest find! Adapted from macarooniandcheesecake.com)

Ingredients:
2 cups dried pasta
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used two because I'm a cheese rebel!)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dijon mustard (do not skip, it was marvelous)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions:
1.  In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook until pasta is soft, 15 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.
2. Turn heat off, add cheese & salt & and stir to combine. Stir in the mustard & cayenne a little at a time, to taste. Cover and let stand for a couple of minutes, then stir again and serve.

Devil's Mac & Cheese

I think I will rename this recipe from "Spicy Macaroni and Cheese" to "Devi's Mac & Cheese" for two reasons. First, it's completely unhealthy. When I served it I told Mr. Lawyer that it was a "Don't ask" recipe. It did manage to put a little dent in my Cabot stash. Secondly, it's spicy! And delicious. It was a big hit but very rich so proceed with caution!

I made some very smart alterations to the original recipe. For starters, and most importantly, I added the jalapeno topping! It was fabulous. It gets nice and broiled and is kind of sweet/kinda spicy. It was my favorite part. The original recipe called for 8 ounces of colby cheese which I swapped out for the 1/2 cup parm. Sure the colby would have made it more creamy but another block of cheese?! I find colby to be a bit lacking in the flavor department so I went with the parmesan and do not regret it!

Devil's Mac & Cheese

(adapted from Sunny Anderson, Food Network)

Ingredients:
2 cups shell pasta, cooked until almost al dente
8 ounces Cabot Cheddar, shredded
8 ounces Cabot Pepper Jack, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup finely grated onions

1 jalapeno, minced
4 slices bread (or panko bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg. Add the sour cream, egg, heavy cream, half-and-half and onions. Mix in all the cheese!

3. Pour over the pasta and mix well. Bake in a 2 quart (or 8x8) dish. Sprinkle the jalapeno and a little extra parmesan on the top. Bake uncovered until the top is just beginning to brown, about 35 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-size squares. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, add the bread cubes and toast until golden. Sprinkle the bread cubes (or panko crumbs) on top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

Homemade Fish Sticks!

Tonight I had the palate of a five year, a slightly fancy five year old but not by much. I also haven't been real grocery shopping in forever and a half. I was going to declare a "fend for yourself" night but then I remembered we still had a big bag of frozen tilapia (and some ground turkey, that's it! I should really take advantage of this and clean the freezer). So homemade fish sticks and mac & cheese it was! (Long live Wegman's Spiral Mac & Cheese!!) I went with lemon pepper seasoning because we just had Old Bay Fish Tacos the other week. It was yummy. I saw one recipe that added some parm cheese into the breading, that might be even better! I whipped up some tartar sauce and cocktail sauce for dipping.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

1 large egg, lightly beaten
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup panko
1 tablespoon Lemon-Pepper Seasoning or Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into wide strips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet(s) with aluminum foil; set aside.
2. Place egg in a wide shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine panko, Lemon-Pepper Seasoning or Old Bay, and oil. Dip tilapia into egg, shaking off excess, then into panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes

Death by Dairy Products

Is there a limit to how many pasta and cheese dishes you can having sitting in your fridge? Because right now I have around 10 pounds worth of various pasta and cheese combinations just chilling in the fridge. Please come eat my leftovers.

Tonight we had Brad and Christine over for a chicken and mac'n'cheese dinner. I used my standard Perfect Roast Chicken recipe from Martha. It's my fourth time using this recipe so I might experiment with something new on my next whole chicken. For the macaroni and cheese I used a recipe from my mom which contains absolutely nothing healthy. She likes to call it "Death by Dairy Products" for obvious unhealthy reasons. I'm almost embarrassed to post it. Also, this picture sucks.

Macaroni and Cheese

(From the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
1 lb cooked elbows
6 tbs butter
6 tbs flour
4 cups scalded milk
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne
Pepper to taste
1 ½ cup grated cheddar
1 ½ cup grated monterey jack cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup buttered bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Melt butter and stir in flour. 

2.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly till boiling. Reduce heat and stir in spices. 

3. Stir in ½ of each cheese and cook till melted. Combine sauce with macaroni. 

4. Assemble in buttered casserole by layering macaroni with remaining cheese. 

5. Top with cream and breadcrumbs.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

The Aftermath

I can't believe no one went for a drumstick! Mr. Lawyer has called dibs on them for breakfast.

And then Mr. Lawyer and Christine attempted to explain what their jobs entailed effectively putting Brad and I to sleep. Wait, you mean not everyone has exciting stories about hooligans lighting things on fire at work?!

A Guinea Pig Keeper!

Cheese + Chicken. Need I say more? We have a Guinea Pig Kitchen Keeper! These Cheesy Crunchy Chicken Nuggets were marvelous! Just the right amount of cheese rounded out with a zesty homemade honey mustard. The buttermilk was the only "special" ingredient I had to go out to buy but I suppose it would still work with a normal egg or egg/milk wash. This recipe perfectly showcases why I love panko breadcrumbs: a nice crunchy texture. 

Since it is Tuesday and Tuesdays are the worst day of the week according to the Mister I went with a childhood favorite/comfort food theme: grown up chicken nuggets and white cheddar shells. The perfect little kid meal with a grown up twist!

Crunchy Cheesy Chicken Nuggets

(adapted from how sweet it is)

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1.5 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup freshly grated asiago cheese (I used a tad bit more)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
Directions:

1. Chop up your chicken into bite sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Put in bowl and cover with buttermilk. Let soak a minimum of two hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, put a wire rack on it and spray it with Pam.

3. Mix bread crumbs, flour, cheese, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Take each nugget from buttermilk and dredge in breading mixture, place on wire rack.

4. Bake for 10 minutes, pull out pan and flip each nugget. Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes until cooked.

5. For honey mustard: mix honey and mustard together! Serve with your nuggets.

Buffalo-Chicken Macaroni and Cheese!

Since we ate all of the mushrooms from last nights chicken dish all we had left was a bunch of lightly lemony chicken which was just not acceptable. I decided to chop it up and make some buffalo-chicken macaroni and cheese with a poor young couple living in the city twist (read: I eliminated a bunch of the ingredients). The original recipe is amazing and delicious. I highly recommend making it without changing a single thing. I made it last spring for my roommates and there wasn't a lot left. It makes a TON so you might want to cut it in half.

Buffalo-Chicken Macaroni and Cheese 

(Food Network Magazine) 

Ingredients
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank's)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

4. Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

5. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

For our poor young couple living in the city version I used left over green onions instead of a real onion and italian seasoned bread crumbs instead of the panko (and the panko is essential!). I omitted the celery, half-and-half (used 2% milk instead), pepper jack cheese, sour cream, and blue cheese (the travesty!). It still tasted good but it didn't come close to the original in taste or creaminess for obvious reasons. I just pretended I was being all healthy by cutting the cheese, half-and-half, and sour cream. Mr. Lawyer was inhaling it until I told him about the cuts to which I received an anguished "But you could have included ONE of them!!!" The best part is that even though I cut the recipe in half (another cheapo sacrifice influenced by ingredients on hand) there's enough to feed us for three nights!