Nicole's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

 

I never ever ever would have tried this recipe if it wasn't for my good friend, Nicole, raving about how good it is.

This is not your typical creamy mac & cheese.  This recipe, my friends, is all about the FLAVOR.   REAL GOOD FLAVOR.  I love the texture too, but it is more of the clumpy and creamy texture than  a smooth and creamy texture.

  This was one of the first "from scratch" recipes I learned to make when I first started cooking.  Which means it is as EASY as can be.  If you can boil pasta, then you can make this recipe.

My whole family loves it and I know yours will too.

Nicole's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from: Nicole W.
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

8 oz. elbow macaroni
1 (16 oz.) carton low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 c. sour cream
1 large egg, beaten
2 tsp. dried onion flakes
salt and pepper
8 oz. Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Garnish:
1/4 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbl. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, beaten egg, dried onion flakes, salt, pepper and grated Cheddar cheese.  Drain pasta when done and stir into cottage cheese mixture.  Pour into a greased 8x8-inch casserole dish.  Add bread crumbs to a small zip-top bag and add the melted butter (add just enough to barely moisten the bread crumbs).  Shake bag until crumbs are coated with butter and sprinkle evenly over casserole.  Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serves: 4

Jenn's Notes:  Italian seasoned bread crumbs taste great, but I also like to use Panko bread crumbs combined with dried parsley and Johnny's Garlic Seasoning.  I sprinkle it over my casserole and spray the top with butter spray.  

Butterscotch Peanut Butter Bars

I'm not really a country music fan, but I have been watching Trisha Yearwood's cooking show every Saturday morning and I kinda really like that girl :)

Her food always looks delicious, but I think this is the first recipe of hers I have actually tried?  

Have you ever had butterscotch and peanut butter together?  What a combination!  So so good.  Have you ever had Scotcharoos - the peanut butter flavored rice krispies with chocolate and butterscotch topping?  Well, similar flavors, minus the chocolate.  I knew I loved that combo, so I knew I would love these. 

I made these one weekend, devoured them and then made them again for work.

They are rich and chewy and it is hard to stop at just one.

Have you tried any of Trisha Yearwood's recipes?  Which ones are your favorite?

P.S.  Trisha, you were rocking that red shirt the other day!

Butterscotch Peanut Butter Bars

adapted from: Trisha Yearwood
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
  or 1/4 c. white chocolate chips and 1/4 c. butterscotch chips

Peanut Butter Icing
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
a few Tbl. of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13x2-inch pan with cooking spray.  Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter until very light and fluffy.  Mix in the egg and vanilla.  Add the baking soda, salt, flour and oats and mix until combined.  Press dough evenly into prepared pan.  It will be very sticky and might not look like enough to fill the entire pan, but it will.  Sprinkle butterscotch chips over the top.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with peanut butter icing.  Allow to cool.  Cut into squares and serve.     

For the Peanut Butter Icing:  Combine all ingredients and stir together until smooth and creamy.  If mixture is too thick, add a little more milk.  Spread over warm peanut butter bars.    

Linked up at Weekend Potluck!

Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling and White Chocolate Drizzle

These cookies come from my Mom's neighbor, Cathy, who is known for her delicious food.  I found the recipe in one of my Mom's neighborhood cookbooks.  Cathy drizzles them with a semisweet chocolate glaze, but I was feeling like white chocolate.  

Last year, I made these delicious Pistachio Pudding Cookies for St. Patrick's Day and this year I made these thumbprints, but you could really make these all year long and they are so pretty that they would look great on a Christmas cookie platter.  Not that I want to get ahead of myself, we still have 9 1/2 months to think about that.

These cookies are something you will want to make ahead of time.  The flavors really develop on days two and three.

They are a dense cookie that pairs perfectly with the creamy filling.  I think they are delicious.

You might also like:

 Cheesecake Cookies

Pistachio Cake Mix Cookies

Frozen Pistachio Pudding Pops

St. Patrick's Pistachio Cake

Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

From: Cathy L.
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 (3.4 oz.) box instant pistachio pudding mix
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. finely chopped pecans, for rolling

Filling:
1 Tbl. unsalted butter, softened
2 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
a little milk, only if needed

White Chocolate Drizzle:
1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1 tsp. shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the Cookies: Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined.  Add the flour and dry pudding mix and mix until combined.  Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll in chopped pecans.  Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Use the bottom of a round teaspoon and press into the top center of each dough ball (or you could use your thumb).  Bake for 10-11 minutes.  Remove from oven and press the teaspoon into the top again, because when you bake the cookies the indent fills in a little.  Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  Makes around 22 cookies. 

For the Filling:  Microwave the cream cheese for 15 seconds or so until very soft.  Stir in the softened butter until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until very creamy.  If mixture is too thick, you can add a little bit of milk until it reaches desired consistency.  Filling should be the consistency of a very thick glaze.  Divide filling between cooled cookies and drizzle with melted white chocolate.  Store cookies in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

For the Drizzle: Combine white chocolate chips and shortening and microwave for one minute or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.  Use a fork and drizzle over the top of the filled cookies.   

Jenn's Notes: I only roll about half of the cookies in nuts, incase not everyone wants them.

Linked up at Weekend Potluck!

No-Bake Cinnamon Chip Granola Bars

I have been eating granola bars as my mid-afternoon snack at work for the past few months.  I eat the same kind for a few weeks and then switch to the next kind.  I am running out of flavors to try and it's sure getting old.

I figured a homemade granola bar would taste much better and is probably much better for me than the same old store-bought flavors.

These bars are soft and chewy with a light honey flavor.  They hold their shape and don't get crumbs everywhere while you are eating, which is good news for my desk. 

Cinnamon chips have a pretty strong flavor, so if that isn't your thing, you can always add white chocolate chips, regular chocolate chips or even peanut butter chips.

No-Bake Cinnamon Chip Granola Bars

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

2 c. quick-cooking oats

1 c. rice krispies cereal

2 Tbl. coconut oil (or canola oil)

1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. honey

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. cinnamon chips

Combine oats and cereal in a medium bowl; set aside.  In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil, honey and brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Stir in the vanilla extract and pour over the oat mixture.  Stir until everything is evenly coated.  Stir in the cinnamon chips; reserving a few for topping.  Press mixture into a 8''x8'' baking pan (or similar size).  Press the reserved cinnamon chips into the top of the granola bar.  Allow to set for several hours or until firm.  Cut into 10 bars.  If taking in lunches, wrap individual bars in plastic wrap.  

Jenn's Notes: If cinnamon chips aren't your thing, you can substitute with white chocolate chips, regular chocolate chips or peanut butter chips. 

Linked up at Weekend Potluck!

Skinny-licious Cookbook Review and Giveaway

(Image Credit)

The publisher provided me with a copy of this cookbook for the purpose of this review, but the opinions expressed herein are my own. 

Skinny-licious: Lite and Scrumptious Recipes for a Slimmer You, by Shauna Evans

I'm going to be completely honest with you . . . I was really excited to get this cookbook.  I have been searching for healthier food ideas and I couldn't wait to have a whole book of them.

Well . . . the recipes in this book were not quite what I was expecting.  I found ingredients like whipping cream, sour cream, butter, cheese, cream of chicken soup and so on.

Is it possible to really lose weight while eating this food?

Now, being a food blogger, I sometimes stretch the idea of "healthy."  Like saying zucchini bread is good for you, because it is loaded with zucchini or saying a cupcake recipe is healthier because it is loaded with greek yogurt or calling a cake recipe "skinny" because it only has 4 Tbl. of butter as opposed to 8 Tbl.  Compared to an alternative, maybe they are a little bit better?

That is kind of the same idea that I get from this cookbook.  

I knew there had to be a reason behind these recipes.  Turn to the front of the book and you can read all about the author's weight loss journey.  She has a unique way of losing weight.  Her plan involves only eating during a certain "window" throughout the day.  It is about changing your metabolism.  After struggling for 5 years, she has had success losing almost 60 pounds, in 7 months, while still eating foods she loves, all by using her plan.

Whether you think the recipes in this book should be considered "skinny" or not, they all sound delicious.

A few that I cannot wait to try are:
General's Barbecue Chicken Skewers
Harvest Garden Chili
Greek Salad Sandwich
Peanut Butter Cookies

I tried the Cashew Chicken and we thought it was good and it did feel like a light meal.

You can purchase this cookbook at Costco, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Cedar Fort Publishing and several other places.

*Congratulations to Carol E. for winning this giveaway.*  Winner has been notified via email.

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Bobby Deen's Baked Spaghetti

Tomorrow is Friday!!!  Any fun plans?

You should make this Baked Spaghetti for your family.

The first time I made this casserole, it blew my expectations out of the water.  I was so surprised how much I liked it.  One, because I thought I added too much pasta and two, because it was baked - I didn't know what to expect.  

I have made it countless times since and it turns out perfect every time.  It is now a family favorite recipe.  I love that you can cut it out of the pan, in squares, and it holds its shape.  It is even good leftover.

Definitely a keeper.  

Bobby Deen's Baked Spaghetti

adapted from: Bobby Deen
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
splash of white wine vinegar, opt.
1 c. onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 Lb. lean ground beef
8 oz. angel hair pasta 
1 c. Cheddar cheese, grated
1 c. Mozzarella or Monterey cheese, grated

In a large saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Worcestershire, white wine vinegar, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, sugar and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.  When sauce is about done, in a nonstick skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains.  Add the meat to the sauce.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions and drain well.  Lightly grease an 8X8-inch casserole dish.  Combine the sauce mixture with the cooked pasta, 1/2 cup of Cheddar and 1/2 cup of Mozzarella or Monterey.  Pour into casserole dish.  Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Top with remaining cheese and continue to bake until melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.  Serves: 5-6

Linked up at Weekend Potluck!