Traditional Southern Macaroni and Cheese!

 

I had a shocking revelation about macaroni and cheese about a year ago.  I was talking to a woman I worked with at the time and she was telling me about her mother's macaroni and cheese and that she always made the cheese sauce and put it in the casserole and baked it.  I guess I looked at her like she had horns or something, because she went on to say, "you know nobody does that anymore...bakes it in the oven and all of that".   Then I went on to say that I  still did.  I thought everybody did. She said no you don't, nobody does that anymore.    Did I mention that this woman didn't really like me and this might have been the longest conversation we ever had and it was going downhill fast...lol?  I once again told her that I did bake my mac and cheese in the oven and I even put eggs in it.  Her final words to me on this subject were that I was a little different and everyone knew it.  Okay, I see how this is going now. 

So I replayed this conversation to my mother, because I knew I would get my idea that people still make macaroni and cheese the proper way reinforced.  However, when I told her what was said, she said nobody does that anymore.  Does what?  Nobody makes a sauce and bakes it in the oven and all of that she said.  WHAT?  She goes on to tell me that she stopped doing that when the grandchildren were little, because they liked it just as well made on the stove and served right from the pan.  THE GRANDCHILDREN!  They were children.  What did they know about the future of the traditional macaroni and cheese?   How had I missed the fact that my own mother had stopped doing it the right way? The youngest grandchildren are a set of twins that are 19 years old!   This travesty of the mac and cheese has been going on for over 20 years right in my own family and I didn't notice?     I told my mother that Paula Deen still makes her macaroni and cheese the right way.  She said,  'you do know that is just a tv show, right'?  So I said, 'Well, why do I still make mine this way?'   My mother said, well you are a little different.  Are we seeing a trend here?  lol  I do tend to get a little passionate about my causes I guess...oh, well!

Different or not, I am on a mission to get people to make the macaroni and cheese the way it is supposed to be made.  No blue box, no dump the stuff in the pot on the stove and eat it...but make it the dish it should be.  The dish your grandmother made or your great- aunt or even Paula Deen on the show. It's really not a hard thing to make and the results are well worth it.

Here is what you will need:

2 cups elbow macaroni (or penne), milk, half and half, salt, pepper, butter, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Velveeta cheese, Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper,  garlic powder and flour.

Boil the macaroni in salted water for the time it says on the box and drain.  Some recipes say to rinse it off, I don't do this.  I think it removes the flavor.  Also don't under cook it because if you do the macaroni will soak up all of your sauce and you will end up with dry mac and cheese.

Put the macaroni back in the pan with 1 Tbs of butter and let it melt and coat the macaroni.

Now we make a cheese sauce which I like to do in the microwave.  It is much easier to do and doesn't stick or burn.  Melt 1/2 stick of butter in the microwave and then add 1/4 cup of flour to that.  Blend the flour into the butter with a whisk and microwave for about 30 seconds. 

 Add 1 cup half and half, 2 cups milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce.  Whisk well and microwave for about 3 - 4 minutes.  Whisk again to remove any lumps and then add 8 oz. of Velveeta cheese.   Microwave for 2-3 more minutes until the cheese is melted and whisk again until smooth. 

Beat 2 eggs in a bowl.

Put the macaroni in the cheese sauce and gently mix, then pour the eggs in and mix.  Make sure the cheese sauce and pasta are not too hot or it will scramble your eggs.  If it is still hot, you can temper your eggs by adding a little of the hot cheese sauce a spoonful at a time to the eggs and mixing to bring them up to temperature.  After you mix, pour 1/2  into a 2 quart casserole dish you have sprayed well with cooking spray.

Lay about 3-4 slices of Swiss cheese on this layer and then cover with 1 cup cheddar cheese.  Pour the other half over this and lay 3-4 slices of Swiss cheese over and the other 1 cup cheddar on top.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until it is bubbly and just starting to brown on top.

This sort of results in the best of both worlds of macaroni and cheese...it's creamy and custard -like because of the addition of the eggs.  That is southern macaroni and cheese!

Ingredients:

2 cups elbow macaroni or penne

1 cup half and half

2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) plus 1 Tbs.

1/4 cup flour

8 oz. Velveeta cheese ( you can use American, but nothing beats Velveeta in this)
2 eggs, beaten

about 4-6 slices Swiss cheese

2 cups cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce (optional)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (may sound strange but it adds a hint of flavor)

Cheeseburger Pie!

  

This is a quiche-like pie that even the non-quiche eaters will love!  If you have those people in your family that have already decided that anything called "quiche" is not edible, we decided to call this a "Cheeseburger Pie"!  Who could hate that?    This is so easy to make and it's also very economical.  

Here is what you need:

1/2  lb. ground beef

1/3 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup half and half cream (could use milk)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (optional)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1  1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1  9" deep dish pie shell, unbaked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a skillet, brown the ground beef and onion together.  Drain any excess grease. 

In a mixing bowl, stir together the milk, mayonnaise, eggs and seasonings, including the hot sauce if you are using it.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese. 

Sprinkle the ground beef and onion in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese over the beef.

Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly overall.  Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet or pizza pan to bake.  This catches any spillovers and it also helps the quiche cook more evenly.

Place in the preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the top and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes. 

 A sharp knife inserted in the center should come out clean.  Remove from oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with a salad or fresh sliced tomatoes and dinner is served!





Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip!

Every restaurant it seems has their version of this popular dip, some better than others I might add.   Sometimes you just want spinach and artichoke dip without having to go out for it and if you have ever tried any of those frozen varieties, you know they are not all that good.  This recipe is a little lighter than some of the homemade versions but it is still plenty good and creamy.  Here is what you will need:

1 10 oz. pkg. Birds Eye frozen Steamfresh Cream Spinach or you can use just a bag of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
dash of Tabasco sauce
1 cup Mozzarella cheese

This is the spinach I prefer to use.  It has just a little cream sauce on it that makes the dip even better. If you can't find this, you can use just a bag of chopped spinach.  Cook this in the bag in the microwave for about 2 minutes or just long enough to thaw. 

Mix the spinach with the chopped artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and Tabasco sauce.  Pour into a 1  1/2 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese and the rest of the Parmesan cheese.  Place in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly and just starting to brown.

Serve with tortilla chips, bagel chips, or a crusty bread! 



Chocolate Bread Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce!

Bread pudding is an old southern favorite, but not many people make it anymore it seems.  My great aunt, the same one that made the egg custard pies, used to make bread pudding quite a bit and hers was really a treat.  I always looked forward to dessert on the days she made the bread pudding.  My husband's mother made chocolate bread pudding and this is a variation of that recipe.  She served hers with a chocolate sauce, where I am serving this one with a caramel sauce.  Either way it is delicious.   Here is what you will need:

1  1lb. loaf of French bread or Italian bread (day old is better)
3 cups milk
1 (15oz.) can of evaporated milk
1 Tbs. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup powdered cocoa
6 eggs
6 oz. chocolate chips (mini chips are best)

Caramel Sauce

1 stick (8 Tbs.) of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup half and half or cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Cut the loaf of French bread into cubes and place into a 9"x13" baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the sugars, cocoa and salt together in a large mixing bowl.  Whisk in the evaporated milk and whole milk.  Add the vanilla flavoring.  Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then whisk them into the milk mixture just until blended.  Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes.  Make sure all of the bread is wet with the mixture.  Let stand for at least 30 minutes before baking. Stir the bead around a little if you need to so that it is all well soaked.   Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.  Place in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 1 hour.  A knife inserted into the middle should come out clean when it's done. 

 

Remove from oven and let stand while you make your caramel sauce.

 

 

Melt butter along with sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add milk.  Cook until it bubbles, stirring constantly.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring the entire time.   Remove from heat and add vanilla.   Let this stand off of the heat for a few minutes before serving.  It will thicken as it starts to cool a little.  



 Spoon it while warm over the warm bread pudding. Serve with or without whipped cream. You can also serve this pudding cold after refrigeration. 

 

 

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip!

This 'Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip' is the perfect dip to serve when you want buffalo chicken wings, but don't want the mess of eating and serving them.  This goes together fairly quickly if you use either a rotisserie chicken or even a good quality canned white meat chicken works well. 

 Here is what you will need:

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and chopped or 2  (12.5 oz.) cans white chicken meat, drained or about 3 roasted chicken breasts, diced fine
1 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Texas Peete's, but you could use Frank's or whatever you prefer)
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1 cup chunky blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix  diced chicken and wing sauce together and place in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
 
Place cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, blue cheese dressing, sour cream, garlic powder and celery salt in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chicken. 

Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese over cream cheese layer.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  

Remove and let stand for about 10 minutes.  

Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks, and tortilla chips or Frito Scoops.

This can also be warmed in a slow cooker.  Assemble as directed and heat on low for about 2 hours,  depending on your slow cooker and how hot it gets.  Don't let it heat too long though, because some slow cookers cook fairly hot and it will dry out!



Cinnamon French Toast Casserole!

 

I really like breakfast dishes that can be made the night before and just popped into the oven in the morning.  It makes having a nice breakfast for overnight guests or just family really easy and hassle free.  This French Toast casserole needs to be assembled the night before and then all you have to do is bake it and maybe cook some bacon or sausage to go with it.   Here is what you need for this:

8 slices bread (slightly stale bread works best)
1 stick butter, divided
1 cup brown sugar
6 eggs
1  1/2 cups half and half (can use whole milk)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt 6 Tbs. of butter and mix with the brown sugar.

Spray a 2 1/2 quart square or rectangular casserole dish with nonstick spray.  Lay 4 of the bread slices in the bottom, overlapping if necessary.  I used sliced Italian bread.   Sprinkle half of the butter/brown sugar mixture over the bread.

Lay the other 4 slices of bread over the first 4 and sprinkle with the rest of the butter/brown sugar mix.  Dot with the other 2 Tbs. of butter and sprinkle the cup of chopped pecans over the top.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.  Pour this mixture over all.  Press the bread down to get it all wet with the egg mixture.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.  The next morning remove from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  If it starts to brown too much on top, cover with foil. I usually remove it at about 40 minutes and it never browns too much, but all oven are different.

Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.  You can sprinkle with some powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.   This serves 2-4 people, if you have a bigger crowd, just double everything and prepare in a 9"x13" baking dish.

French Toast Casserole!



Party Cheese Ball!

  

 

This is the oldest recipe I have for a cheese ball.  I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, years ago and it is still one of my favorites for making a cheese ball.  It's also simple, without a lot of different ingredients. Cheese balls are good to keep on hand during the holidays in case guests drop in or you need something to take to a casual get together.  They also make nice gifts.  The flavor of this cheese ball just gets better as it ages also.  Here is what you need:

 

 

2  8oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened  (can use light cream cheese)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1/3 cup bleu cheese crumbles (optional)

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 pkg. onion soup mix (I used Lipton)

dash of Tabasco sauce to your taste

2 cups chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

 

 

Blend softened cream cheese with Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix and Tabasco sauce.  Mix in cheddar cheese and bleu cheese if you are using it.  Cover and chill until it's firm enough to roll into a ball.  You can divide this and make two smaller cheese balls. 

 

Spread chopped nuts on a sheet of wax paper.  Roll cheese mixture into a ball and roll in the nuts to coat the outside.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours.  Take the cheese ball out about an hour before serving.  Serve with crackers.

 

 



Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs!

You are just about always going to find a plate of deviled eggs at any southern holiday meal or picnic or special occasion gathering.  It's just what we do. Strangely enough, they are always gone at the end of the gathering also...no matter how many you make it seems.

Each person has their own 'recipe' for deviled or dressed eggs.  It isn't rocket science so it's very much up for interpretation folks, but I do have younger people and less experienced cooks ask me about the best recipe for making them.  

 Here is how I make them:

12 eggs, hard boiled

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. mustard, yellow or Dijon

dash of salt and black pepper

dash of celery salt

dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)

paprika or Cajun seasoning for garnish

Place eggs in enough water to cover them.  Add a tsp. of vinegar and a dash of salt and they will peel much easier.  Also, if you can, don't use really fresh eggs that you just bought.  They are much harder to peel than eggs you have had in the fridge for a few days.  Bring to a boil and boil for just a minute with cover on pan.  Turn heat off and let sit for about 12 to 15 minutes in the hot water.  Run under a couple changes of cold water and peel.  They will peel much easier.

With a sharp knife cut down the center lengthwise.  Remove the yolks and place in a bowl.  Mash with a fork.  Add the other ingredients and stir together until smooth.  You can fill them with a spoon or put the filling in a piping bag and pipe it in for a very pretty presentation.  Sprinkle with just a little paprika or I like to sprinkle with just a bit of Cajun seasoning which gives them a little more spiciness.

Another optional seasoning that I sometimes use for variety is to add 2 tsp. of dry ranch dressing mix.  It gives the eggs a really good flavor.

Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs!







Curried Chicken Cheese Ball!

Did you know that today is National Cheese Ball Day?  Don't feel bad I didn't either.  Which is sort of ironic, because I planned on posting this cheese ball recipe today before I found out it was National Cheese Ball Day.  I just happened to get an email from Food Network and it said something about "In Honor of National Cheese Ball Day" ...very strange.

This is sort of a different cheese ball than most people make and if you like the flavor of curry you will love it.  I always make this cheese ball when my sister and nieces are coming to visit because they love it.  I must admit it is rather addicting.  It's one of those things you just can't quit eating, like potato chips or M&M's. 

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Canned chicken breast (canned works best for this because it mixes better), 2 blocks cream cheese, Parmesan Cheese, cheddar cheese, green onions sliced thin, Tabasco sauce, garlic powder, curry powder, soy sauce and walnuts or pecans to roll it in.

Leave the cream cheese out of the refrigerator until it is soft.  Slice the green onions as thin as possible and include some of the green blades for the color.   Mix the cream cheese, green onions, curry, shredded cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, soy sauce, and Tabasco sauce.  Mix in the chicken that has been chopped in small pieces.   Place it back in the refrigerator to chill before you try to roll it in a ball (about an hour will do).  Chop walnuts or pecans fairly fine and place them on wax paper or foil.  Shape cheese mixture into a ball and roll all sides it the nuts. 

This is really good served with seedless grapes, strawberries or sliced apples and Nabisco Chicken in a Biskit crackers.

It makes a huge cheese ball so I usually divide in half and make two out of it.

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken chopped

2 8 oz. cream cheese (you can use light cream cheese if you prefer)

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 Tbs. curry powder ( I use mild curry powder so if you are using hot curry powder, use less)

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

The Perfect Easter Brunch!

...or Spring luncheon, bridal or baby shower, or afternoon tea (we still have teas in the south). I cooked with my mother to get some of her most requested recipes that should really just be common sense, but for some reason they never turn out quite the same as when she makes them.

Nobody makes pimiento cheese or chicken salad as good as my mother's and after watching her make them, I now realize why. She has a few 'secret' ingredients that I think she might have been holding out on me all of these years. Or maybe I just didn't pay close enough attention or she just 'forgot' to mention these key ingredients that make all of the difference in the world. Anyone that knows my mother, knows that she does not make mistakes often (except that Happy Hanukkah wrapping paper she bought that was on clearance once ...we are clearly not Jewish) , but I digress. Could my dear, sweet Mother have left out a few ingredients on purpose all of this time and now because we are going public it comes out!!! We will never know I guess, but I got the complete recipe for the world to know this time. I am just sort of kidding here, but I really didn't know she put some of the things she does in the chicken salad and the pimiento cheese.

One of the secrets is this:

And the other one is this, but only in the pimento cheese:

Now Miracle Whip is a very southern thing, isn't it? However, I have never liked Miracle Whip. When I was kid, some of my cousins ate bologna and cheese sandwiches slathered with Miracle Whip. They never had mayonnaise, they all ate Miracle Whip. Not me, I only ate mayonnaise and still do. So when I made my mother's pimento cheese or tried to, I used mayonnaise. Guess what? That is why it wasn't as good. That is why I never make it anymore and just get my mother to make it for me. This is one thing you do need the Miracle Whip for instead of mayonnaise. The other secret ingredient is the Worcestershire sauce and she uses a little of that in both. Who would have thought?

Nana's Pimento Cheese

Here is what you will need:

American Cheese grated, Worcestershire sauce, Miracle Whip, pimento and sugar.

Ingredients:

5 cups grated American Cheese

1 cup Miracle Whip

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup chopped pimento

Mix the first 4 ingredients well and stir the pimento in last.

The best pimento cheese ever!

Nana's Pecan Chicken Salad

Here is what you will need:

Chicken breast (you can used canned or cook your own), celery, mayonnaise, grapes, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pecans, and sugar

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken breast chopped or 2 15oz. cans

1 1/2 cups sliced seedless grapes (red or white)

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs. lemon juice

3/4 cup pecans

1 cup mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients and stir together. This chicken salad is so good with fresh fruit or on croissants as a sandwich.

 

In the next posts, I will give you the recipes for Fabulous Fruit Dip, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, and Bacon Quiche.