Macaroni & Cheese

In an effort to win you back over, & to apologize for not blogging any recipes in a while.... I'm sharing this macaroni & cheese recipe with you. Now if you are dieting... RUN! Run really, really, far. The thing is, this recipe does not contain butter believe it or not. But what it does contain, makes up for it. I've tried a lot of macaroni & cheese recipes & none of them have compared to how delicious this one is.

You will need:
16 oz elbow noodles
2 cans of cream of mushroom
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup miracle whip, light.
4 oz diced pimentos
1 lb of sharp cheddar cheese
1 lb of mild/medium cheddar cheese

(Warning, this recipe makes A LOT! It's good to take to a pot luck, party, or if you have a big family that loves mac & cheese. If not doing any of these, make half of it, & it works like a charm.)
 
Preheat your oven to 375. Boil some water in a pot, & when it comes to a boil, add the noodles to it. While it's cooking, mix the 2 cans of cream of mushroom, mayonnaise, & miracle whip together. Drain the pimentos then add to the creamy mixture. Shred the cheese & add to the mixture & mix it all together once again. Once the noodles are done drain them off & place them in the mixture & stir. This may take a while, since it's a lot of stuff, but it's so very worth it! 

Spray a 13x9 pan, or you could butter it, & place the mixture in the pan, covering it with foil. Allow this to bake for about 45 minutes. After 45 minute passes, take a look to see if it's all hot & bubbly, if so, take the foil off & allow to cook for another 15 minutes. 

This recipe is absolutely to die for. It's so amazing. I could go on & on & on with this recipe! All the mac & cheese recipes I've tried have always ended up turning dry while in the oven or have not been so great. This one is my soul mate. Just saying.

Best dishes,
Katherine 

Beef Bulgogi

I'm not a fan of trying new recipes that aren't American or Mexican... Because frankly, I love Chinese & Asian food, & I don't want to screw them up! I'm not sure who's recipe this is, if it's Korean food, or Chinese, or Asian, or Uncle Bills... All I know is, is that this is absolutely yummy!!

My friend had a party a few months ago, & she served this to her guests. I begged her for the recipe, but to my surprise she said she bought it in a bottle... I don't like trying recipes that are from a bottle, because they usually don't taste as good, but that one day. I went to the store to purchase it & paying $6 one a bottle isn't my thing. So I looked up a recipe, & found one that is even better!!! Plus it's cheaper too!



You will need:
 

• 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced (Your grocery store may already have this meat cut up for fajitas, or it may even be meat specifically for Bulgogi. My grocery store had it that way, it's slicked super thin!)
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion (or regular onions, that's all I had.)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (I used the ones that are in a container.)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Put your flank steak in a zip lock bag or a bowl & pour the mixture of it. Allow to marinate for a few hours.  

When it's time to cook, heat up your pan with oil, however much you'd like. I used about a tablespoon. But I also cooked mine in an electric wok. The recipe I looked up said to cook on a grill, but it's Alaska & I'm not doing that. Feel free to do so if ya want! This cooks pretty fast since the meat is rather thin, so it should be done within 4-5 minutes. I also sprinkled on some red peppers since we like stuff spicy over here.. Mmmmmm... Serve with white rice.

I thought the meat was going to suck up all of the juices will marinating so I ended up mixing another batch of the marinade & cooking it on the stove with a little bit of cornstarch. It thickened nicely & I added it on top of the meat when it was on my plate. It was SUPER SUPER YUMMY!!!

If you don't feel like running out for take out but are craving something that isn't your everyday meal, give this a shot! Super easy & delicious! 

I believe Paula Deen would approve! =)
-Katherine 

Edit:: Totally just found out that this is a Korean dish, & that it's usually served with lettuce, some what like a wrap. =) Give it a shot if your into that kinda thing, I need more carbs so I opt for the rice, lol.  

Baked Spaghetti!

I'm on Spring Break officially starting today, from work & school!!! So I expect to be cooking a lot during this week, & to kick it off, I'm going to share you this recipe that I made on Thursday. It's really delicious & comforting & it's like a huge warm hug in a pan.  I can say really nice things about this, but at the end of the day, it's up to you if you try it! 

I found this recipe from a Paula Deen magazine that I bought about a year ago, but I do believe it's in her 2nd cookbook as well.



You will need:
1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck (hamburger meat) (also I only used 1lb & it came out great!)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (You really need this! It makes a difference!)
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons Seasoning Salt
Garlic powder, ground black pepper & salt to taste.
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 (8 ounce) package cheddar cheese shredded
1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded (I didn't have all these cheeses on hand, I just what I had, you can do the same!)

In a large saucepan, cook ground chuck, pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat, stirring until beef is browned & crumbly and vegetables are tender; drain well.

In the same pot (make sure it's a pretty good size) combine meat mixture, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, Seasoned Salt, & sugar. Bring mixture to a boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. [I accidentally covered it, & I have no idea what the difference would be? Maybe preventing your stove top from being dirty...] 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees during this time...

Cook pasta according to package, & cook until done. Drain & set aside. I wouldn't do this too soon though, or it will make your noodles get stuck together & hard!

Spray a 13x9 ince baking dish with non stick cooking spray. 

Spoon one-third of sauce mixture over bottom of baking dish, then add the pasta, then the cheese. Do this two more times, ending with the sauce. Reserving 1/3 of the cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. top with remaining cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes. Remove from oven & let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into squares, garnish with parsley. =)

I know it seems like a lot of steps, & a lot of ingredients, but it's super easy to make! I made this after work, & it came together rather quickly and easily. I hope you give this one a try!! Also I didn't use all of the sauce, that's just my personal choice, I ended up freezing a small bag for the next time. 

Best dishes!
-Katherine 

Sunday Morning Casserole

This past weekend, I tried to make a few new recipes to update this blog with. I made about 4, & only two came out good. I was feeling a little bummed about that, & for a second I doubted myself & my dreams for the future. Then my husband gave me a gentle shake & made me snap out of it. Have you ever felt that way in the kitchen? I consider myself a pretty darn cook, so when I try a recipe & it comes out not so tasty, it bums me out! 

This recipe bummed me out. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try it!!! If you do not put the bread on the bottom of this casserole, it is going to be amazing. That is the only thing about this recipe that I did not like. @mamabeans was the one who inspired me to try a egg dish, the only thing I do with eggs is bake them in a cake, or scramble them.  



I got this recipe from my Southern Cooking Bible by Paula Deen & I used what I had on hand.

You will need:
2 Slices of White Bread (I would omit this, & instead use pie crust)
1 lb of milk breakfast sausage
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced cooked unpeeled red potatoes
1 1/2 cups mixed shredded cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese 
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
I also sprinkled in some cayenne pepper 

1. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter. I would not use a square pan like I did, since it will take about AN HOUR to bake it. Soo annoying. Don't be like me, & follow directions.

2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon until it's almost cook through, about 5 minutes. Drain off whatever fat you have. Layer the sausage over the bread, and top with the potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top.  

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard powder, salt & black pepper to taste. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage & potatoes in the casserole. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate overnight. 

4. When ready to cook the casserole, preheat the oven to 350. I put some cheese on top of it just to get rid of it. Bake the casserole until set & golden, about 30 minutes. To make sure this is cooked through, cut in the middle of the casserole. If it's runny, it's obviously not done. Bake for another 5 minutes. Make sure you serve this hot with orange juice & a side of pace picante. =) Or not, but that's what I did!

 

After taking out the bread, it was really yummy! I actually enjoyed it.

Happy eating,
Katherine
 

Sprite Cake!

It's been snowing around here a lot lately, so I've been missing summer more and more.. When I close my eyes & think of summer, I imagine flip flops, shorts, cooking out, & lemon aide! So that made me want a lemon cake.... Then I began to think of a 7-up cake that my Dad used to buy me. & Well, I ended up making a Sprite cake from a cookbook I found at the thrift store. & It was absolutely delicious & moist. So very, very moist. 



You will need:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant lemon pudding
1 1/2 cups 7 Up (or similar lemon lime soda, I used Sprite)
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 325 & grease a bunt pan. I normally spray it with Bakers Joy since it has cooking spray & flour, so it works like a charm. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, & combine together! It's as simple as that. Pour into the bunt pan & allow to cook 45-55 minutes. 

You could buy any kind of frosting that you like, I made my own since the recipe had a simple recipe. But I didn't like it... If you like tangy icing here it is:

1-2 tbsp. milk

I ended up having to throw away half it, and just adding more milk & sugar to it to balance it out. But once I did, it was to die for!!!



I hope you give this a try!