Broccoli Mac and Cheese with Bacon Potato Topper

Macaroni CasseroleBroccoli, Bacon , Tater tots, not the usual ingredients you will find in a Mac and Cheese recipe. I was intrigued, plus I had both Mozzarella and Cheddar in my house which is rare, as I usually only have one or the other. So we tried it, we loved it. The only thing I would say is it needed some extra salt and pepper. I did modify the recipe a bit to use what I had and added a few extra bits, changed bacon to bacon bits for less work, but it all worked out really good. I think I will definitely make this again, and it is a huge recipe so there would be plenty if you need a potluck dish, or a dish to serve company. Original recipe from Allrecipes although I did make changes.

  • 450 grams macaroni (8 ounces)
  • 2 cups each, cheddar and mozzarella
  • 3/4 cup real bacon bits
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/4 tsp Cajun seasonings- I would increase this to a full tsp next time
  • salt and pepper- don’t be shy
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 30 frozen tater tots

1. Cook macaroni in salted water until tender but still firm. Drain and pour into a large casserole dish that has been greased.

2. Melt 1 tsp of the butter in skillet, and sauté the broccoli and onion until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

3. While veggies are cooking, crack eggs into large mixing bowl. Whisk with milk, remaining 1 tsp butter and seasonings. Stir in 1 cup of each cheese,10 tater tots,  and vegetables, when they are finished. Pour this mixture on top of macaroni and mix well.

4. Top with remaining 1 cup of each cheese, and top the cheese with the bacon bits. Scatter remaining 20 tater tots on top. Cover.

5. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

6. Eat and enjoy!

Chicken Salsa Pizza

chicken salsa pizzaWhat a great weekend! In our house we celebrate birthday weekends. Yup , that’s right, we think birthdays should get more than one day celebration. We kicked off the party on Friday, with The Hobbit. That is right we went to a movie on opening night. This is a very, very rare occurence in our house. We are more, go on a Wednesday night when the theaters are less busy kind of people. But it was fun, and both hubby and I loved the movie. Can hardly wait til it comes out on DVD so I can watch it to my little hearts content! Saturday was the family party, we all meet at Dairy Queen for Ice Cream. Yup, really I’m like a kid, and I wanted some delicious Dairy Queen soft serve! Yum, Strawberry Sundae! Saturday evening my husband was working, so what better to do than make some homemade pizza and snuggle in with the kids to watch Christmas movies! We watched Elf, it was the kids first time seeing that movie, and they have voted it best Christmas movie of all time. Then on to one of my absolute favorites, Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Pretty much the perfect night. This pizza of course was the perfect addition. I made homemade pizza crust so took  a little longer, but otherwise it was a snap! I had mine with a little sour cream and jalapeno. The kids had theirs plain. Everyone liked it though, so we were all left fully satisfied.

Recipe from Allrecipes

  • 1 store-bought, baked pizza crust- Or homemade( make sure you bake it before you add the toppings, about 10 minutes should do)
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 12 oz salsa
  • 1 cup cooked chicken

1. Layer 3/4 cup of cheese on pizza shell. Top with salsa. Remaining cheese, then chicken.

2. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

3. Eat and enjoy!

McMuffin Casserole

McMuffin CasseroleYay, it’s my birthday, and to celebrate we are going to the opening night of The Hobbit. Quite convenient that it opens on my actual birthday, and since it is a trilogy I can go for my birthday for the next three years. Yup, three years of birthday festivities planned. Woo Hoo! I also am going to share with you one of my new absolute favorite recipes. It seriously was so good! I, if you are unaware, am a huge fan of McDonald’s. There I said it. I love their burgers, and let’s just be honest nobody has fries as good as them, so when I saw this recipe over at Plain Chicken, I knew that is what I should make for brunch! Head on over to Plain Chicken and check out her other recipes, we have absolutely loved everything that I have ever made from that sight. Full of delicious recipes!

  • 4 English muffins, split , and cut into cubes
  •  6 oz Canadian bacon-The store I shopped at didn’t carry this so I used deli ham.
  •  1 cup cheddar cheese
  •  4 eggs
  •  1 1/4 cup milk
  •  salt+ pepper

1. Grease a 8×8 inch baking dish. Layer with half of the english muffins, deli meat, and cheese, then layer again, english muffins, deli meat and cheese.

2. Beat eggs, add milk and salt and pepper. Pour over casserole.Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. In the morning, pre heat oven to 325 degrees, remove cover, bake for 45-50 minutes.

4. Eat and enjoy!

 

Rustic Potato Soup

Rustic Potato SoupYes , we have entered soup season again. One of my least favorite parts os summer is definitely the lack of soup. One of my favorite meals for sure, soup with a side of homemade bread. There is not much better than that, let me tell you. So I am happily back to making and eating soup, soup and more soup! I served this gem of a recipe with the Cheddar Dill Bread I made a few weeks back. So get your soup pot out, scrub up those potatoes it’s soup making time!

Recipe from Betty Crocker

  • 3 cups water
  • 2 pnds unpeeled russet potatoes
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 16 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese

1. Heat water to boiling in large soup pot. Dice potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and add to boiling water. Simmer for about 7 minutes until potatoes are tender.Drain.

2. Set aside 2 cups potatoes, place remaining potatoes in blender.Add 1 cup of milk and blend until smooth. Return mixture to soup pot.

3. add reserved potatoes, 1 cup milk, butter, salt & pepper, 3/4 cup green onions and 3/4 cup cheese to soup pot. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Ladle into bowls and serve topped with remaining cheese and green onions.

4. Eat and enjoy!