Creamy Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups elbow macaroni (about 10 ounces)

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

2 tablespoons white vinegar (substitute: Sweet Pickle juice)

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 cup cubed Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Step-by-Step:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water; drain again.
Combine sour cream, mayonnaise and milk in a large bowl; mix well. Add relish, vinegar and mustard; mix well.
Add cooked macaroni, Cheddar, celery, bell pepper and onion to bowl; mix well. Sprinkle with paprika.

Creamy Cheddar Potatoes

Ingredients:


3 1/2 to 4 pounds baking potatoes, scrubbed
12 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon black pepper


Step-by-Step
1. Combine potatoes with enough water to cover in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes; drain. Let stand to cool.
2. Coat bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with butter. Peel the potatoes and coarsely chop. Place in prepared baking dish.
3. Heat the Cheddar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Stir in milk, whipping cream, salt, dry mustard, nutmeg and black pepper. Pour sauce over potatoes. Chill, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
5. Remove the cover from the potatoes. Bake until potatoes are heated through and lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Serve with baked chicken and green beans, if desired.

Pot Luck Potato Casserole

Ingredients


1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoon butter, divided
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup undiluted
8 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds potatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 to 2 cups stuffing mix


Step-by-Step


1. Place 1/4 cup butter in medium microwave-safe bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap. Heat on HIGH about 50 to 60 seconds or until completely melted. Add undiluted soup, sour cream, onion and salt to butter; mix well.
2. Peel potatoes; cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
3. Combine potatoes and cheese in slow cooker. Pour soup mixture into slow cooker; mix well. Sprinkle stuffing mix over potato mixture.
4. Place remaining butter in small microwave-safe bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap. Heat on HIGH 40 to 45 seconds or until melted. Drizzle butter over stuffing mix in slow cooker.
5. Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH 5 to 6 hours or on LOW 8 to 10 hours or until hot and bubbly and potatoes are tender. Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator.

Cheesy Penne with Broccoli

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked mini penne pasta
• 5 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head)
• 1 1/3 cups fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2.5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2/3 cup)

Preparation

1. 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to pan; drain. Place pasta and broccoli in a large bowl.
2. 2. Combine milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add cheese mixture to pasta mixture; toss. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Ivy Manning, Cooking Light 

MARCH 2013

Pasted from <http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cheesy-penne-broccoli-50400000126252/?xid=scancook-mar13-ck>

Two-Cheese Macaroni

Ingredients:


1 (7-ounce) package elbow macaroni
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
1 large egg
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; optional


Step-by-Step


1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place 2 quarts water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni. Boil until tender, about 10 minutes; drain well.
3. Shred Cheddar. Whisk egg in a large bowl. Add cottage cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper; mix well. Stir in Cheddar.
4. Fold macaroni into cheese mixture gently; mix well. Spoon macaroni mixture into prepared baking dish.
5. Bake until the mixture is bubbly and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Twice Baked Potatoes

I don't make these as often as I wish I could. I just love them but there is the time it takes. To help cut down on the time, make extras the next time to bake potatoes, you can store in the fridge for the next day or the day after to use. Saves time.

Ingredients:

6 large baking potatoes

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 teaspoons onion salt

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese

Step-by-Step

Preheat oven to 500°F. Microwave potatoes on HIGH for 10 minutes. Bake in oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Cut 1/3 off top of each potato.

Scoop flesh from potatoes into a medium bowl, reserving shells. Add cream cheese, sour cream and butter to potato flesh.

Beat potato mixture with an electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add onion salt, salt and pepper; stir. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Spoon potato mixture into potato shells. Sprinkle with Cheddar. Bake until cheese melts and potatoes are heated through, about 15 minutes.

Mac and Cheese with Broccoli

• Serves 6

  INGREDIENTS

  Salt
• 1 pound whole wheat or whole grain penne with lines
• 2 bundles broccolini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths or 1 large head broccoli, trimmed and cut into small florets
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups milk
• 2 1/2 cups extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese, divided
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup chives, chopped or 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

PREPARATION

Pre-heat the broiler.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions (about 10-12 minutes total, depending on the brand). When the pasta has been cooking for a couple of minutes, add the broccolini or broccoli to the water and finish cooking everything together, 8 minutes more.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauce pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the stock and milk. Let the sauce thicken to coat the back of a spoon; stir in 2 cups of cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and broccoli and toss with the sauce. Adjust the seasonings, to taste. Place in a large casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese and chives or scallions, then place under the broiler to bubble and brown the top.

This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's goodand good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, go to www.yum-o.org.

Creamy, Light Potato Soup

Ingredient:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pound cubed peeled baking potato (about 2) 
• 1 pound cubed Yukon gold potato (about 4)
• 5 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets (about 1/2 head)
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
• 1/2 cup fat-free fromage blanc (such as Vermont Creamery) or sour cream 
• 2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled 

Preparations:

Hands On: 35 Minutes 
Total: 1 Hour, 10 Minutes 

1. 1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. 2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.
3. 3. While potatoes simmer, combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, cauliflower, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray; toss to coat. Roast at 450° for 30 minutes or until browned, turning once.
4. 4. Place cauliflower mixture and milk in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour cauliflower mixture into a large bowl. Add half of potato mixture to blender; pulse 5 to 6 times or until coarsely chopped. Pour into bowl with cauliflower mixture. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. Place cauliflower-potato mixture in Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 cup green onions, and fromage blanc; stir until fromage blanc melts. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Top evenly with remaining green onions, cheese, and bacon.

Sidney Fry, MS, RD, Cooking Light 
January 2013

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Servings: 8 
The kids added a suggestion that all the food and Thanksgiving and Christmas are mainly adult foods and that they wanted something for kids this year. So Bethany suggested Mac and Cheese and I made this for Christmas this year (2012)

Ingredients
1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni
4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1 cup bread crumbs
2 pinches paprika

Step-By-Step

1. Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
3. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until nice and browned. Serve.