Macaroni and Cheese

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp dry ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce - almost as hard to type as it is to say
• 2 cups milk (if I am feeling generous I use half and half)
• 2 cups shredded cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly. Let boil 1 minute. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Drain pasta and stir into cheese sauce. Pour into a 2qt casserole. Bake uncovered in 350* over for 25 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

• 1/4 C Butter
• 1/3 C Flour
• 2 C Chicken Broth
• 3/4 C Milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 C sliced Mushrooms
• 8 oz pkg Wide Egg Noodles, cooked
• 2 C Chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1/3 C grated Parmesan Cheese

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour, broth and milk until smooth and thickened. Add salt and pepper and set aside. In a skillet sauté mushrooms in butter until tender, then add to sauce. Fold in noodles and chicken. Pour in a greased 2qt casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes, until golden.

Serves 6

Yorkshire Pudding

• 2 C Flour
• 2 C Milk
• 4 lg Eggs
• 1/2 C Butter (you really need to use the real stuff)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9X13 pan place 1/2 C butter. Place in oven to melt butter completely, be careful to not burn the butter. Pour batter into pan over the melted butter. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cut pudding into squares and serve with beef and brown gravy.

Tradition Yorkshire pudding is baked in muffin tins, almost like a popover. Also they use the drippings from the meat instead of butter, I just like the flavor the butter adds to the pudding. I have also seen individual servings baked in ramekins. I use a 9X13 pan because it is easier.

Enjoy!

Chicken Stir-fry

I am going to share my top secret, labor-intensive chicken stir-fry recipe. I really had to think long and hard to decide if I really wanted to share this little gem, but here you go:

Take 2 chicken breast and do this:

and then this:

Then take 2 bags of this (you could chop fresh, but really why bother):

and do this:

Then add this back into the pan:

Then for the super secret ingredient:

Why yes it is salad dressing, why do you ask?

Pour it here:

Then add a little of this (1/4 cups cold water to 2 Tbsp of corn starch):

And it looks like this:

Then cook it like this for a little while:

Then get some of this:

And then you have this:

Yum!

Seriously this is such a fast and easy recipe. The rice takes longer to cook than the stir fry.

Bon Appétit!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

28 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can corn
14 1/2 oz can black beans
4 oz can diced green chiles
3 - 14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth
1 to 2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
6 to 8 tortillas, cut into 1/4 in strips

Add all the ingredients except chicken and tortillas to a heavy stockpot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add chicken; heat additional 10 minutes. Fry tortilla strips until crispy.

Garnish soup with tortilla strips, cheese and sour cream.