Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake!

  

 

If you are like me and love hot wings or anything with buffalo sauce on it, you are going to love this pasta.  It's easy to put together and you could even use some leftover chicken breasts.  It bakes up in no time and it makes enough to feed a good sized family.  Here is what you will need:

3 cups diced chicken breast
1/2 -3/4 cups hot wing sauce, depending on your tastes
1 lb. box of penne pasta (can use rotini or any other type you might have on hand)
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1 can evaporated milk  (12 oz,)
2 cups milk
2 Tbs. butter
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles (optional)
2 Tbs. Ranch dressing mix
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. celery salt


Cook the pasta in salted water as directed on the package.  Under cook by about 1 minute or 2 to get al dente pasta.  Drain well, but do not rinse.  

Chop the chicken in to bite size pieces and then toss with 1/2 cup buffalo sauce.  Use more buffalo sauce if you like more spice. I used some chicken breasts I had baked the day before. You could also use a rotisserie chicken for convenience.

Place the cream cheese, cubed in the warm pan you cooked the pasta in.  Add the canned milk, the 2 cups milk, the butter and the seasonings, including the ranch dressing mix.  Whisk together over low heat. Stir often because this will stick.  Bring it up to almost a boil, but don't let it boil.  Turn the heat down and whisk in 2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Blend until it melts.  Also stir in 2 Tbs. of additional buffalo sauce.  At the very end add in the bleu cheese if you using it.  The bleu cheese is optional, because so many people do not care for it. Once this all bakes, you don't really taste it that much though. Fold in your pasta and the buffalo chicken and toss until it is all well coated. 

                                                

Pour the mixture into a large baking dish or casserole that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  A 9"x13" works well for this.  Sprinkle the top with the 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese you have left.   Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes until hot and bubbly and starting to brown.   Garnish the top with sliced green onions or chives.

 



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)

Chicken Fajita Pasta Skillet!

 

I love fajitas!  Anytime we eat out and they are on the menu, that is usually what I order.  I also love pasta so I decided to combine the two in a one skillet meal and the results were delicious!  I would say this is a definite winner!   This is a great way to use leftover chicken and pasta when cook more than you need or cook extra knowing you will make this in the next day or so!  That's what I do a lot!

This recipe can be adjusted to the level of heat you like.  I like spicy myself, but when cooking for other people I tone it down some!   

Here is what you will need:

2 Tbs. olive oil or vegetable oil
2 Tbs. butter
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

3 cups diced chicken breast (you can use leftover chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 (1 oz.) pkg. fajita seasoning mix (I used Old El Paso)

1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes

dash of hot sauce to taste (I used Tabasco)

8 oz. penne pasta, cooked al dente

3 cups half and half cream or whole milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3 cups Monterrey Jack/Cheddar blend cheese, shredded and divided

Garnishes  (all optional)

jalapeno slices

fresh cilantro

Mexican Crema

Roasted Poblana Salsa Cremosa

pico de gallo

In a a large skillet with a lid, melt the butter in the oil over medium heat.    Add the onion, green and red bell peppers and jalapeno and saute until the begin to soften.   Add the diced, cooked chicken. 

 Sprinkle with the seasonings and the package of fajita mix.  Add the can of Rotel, undrained and the dash of hot sauce which is optional.   Add the cooked pasta and toss together!  

Add the half and half and sour cream and toss together! 

Add in half of the shredded cheese and mix!   Turn the heat to medium low.  Cover with the lid and allow to just simmer on low for about 10 - 15 minutes.  Stir halfway through or it can stick.  This allows the cream to come up to temperature and warm and the cheese to melt. 

Sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese and cover with the lid.  Cook on low heat for about 10 more minutes or until the cheese has melted!

When the cheese is nice and melted, it's ready to serve!  Garnish the top with jalapeno slices, some fresh cilantro, or sprinkle with a little chili powder like it did here!

I like to drizzle the top of my serving with Mexican Crema or some Roasted Poblana Salsa Cremosa, which is sort of spicy!   If you don't have Mexican Crema, you can add some lime juice to sour cream to thin it out and use that!  

 This is one of the best pasta dishes I have made recently!  It's so tasty!

I't's also quick and easy and the leftovers are just as good as the first time you served it! 

Hope you enjoy!!! 

 

Mama's Macaroni and Tomatoes...My Comfort Food!

"Macaroni and Tomatoes" is a dish that my mother has been making all of my life.  It just says comfort food to me!  Every year, when my mother asks what I want her to cook for my birthday dinner, I always say macaroni and tomatoes or breaded tomatoes, which I also love. 

 Nobody makes either dish that tastes exactly like Mama's does.  You know those recipes that only your mother or grandmother make to taste just that certain way and even though they might be good, they are just not the same as theirs.  This is one of those dishes for me.

Several of you have written and asked me about a recipe for Macaroni and Tomatoes and sort of like the Southern Goulash, I used to think we were the only family that ate it, but I have learned a lot of you grew up with it also.  It seems like such a simple thing to prepare, but to get it right, there are a few key ingredients.

 It also might seem like a dish, kids wouldn't eat, but we have some children in our family that will eat all of this you can make and set in front of them, and it's not nearly as fattening as macaroni and cheese! Mama usually served it with pinto beans and cornbread, which was really good! 

 Here is what you need for this old fashioned recipe:

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

2 cups water

1 tsp. salt

1  (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups V-8 juice

1 tsp. bacon drippings

1 Tbs. butter

2 tsp. sugar

black pepper to taste

Place the macaroni in 2 cups salted boiling water and cook until the pasta is  just starting to soften.  Add the tomatoes,  V-8 juice, bacon drippings, butter, sugar and black pepper to taste.  Cook just until the pasta is done and has absorbed some of the juices.  Don't leave the bacon drippings out, that is one of the keys to the flavor! 

You can add cheese to this or sprinkle with Parmesan, but this is one dish I don't like to add cheese to!  I know it's hard to believe, but it's true!



BLT Pasta Salad!

This is one of my favorite pasta salad recipes and it's always a hit whenever I take it to something.  Pasta salad is one of those things that can be really good or really blah.  This one is never blah.  I sort of just made this recipe up one day so I can't credit it to anyone really. 

Here is what you will need:

Penne pasta or you can use bow tie, ranch salad dressing mix, butter milk, mayonnaise, sour cream, roasted red peppers, green onions, bacon, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, Nature's Seasoning, Tabasco, taco seasoning (like El Paso), cheddar cheese. Notice that I used Barilla pasta.  I prefer Barilla pasta most of the time.  On many things, I just buy whatever is on sale or the store brands because I can't tell much difference, but I do think Barilla is the best dry pasta and it costs only pennies more and at times it's the same price as the store brands.

Chop the green onions including some of the green blades, the red pepper and the tomatoes.  Fry the bacon until crisp and drain on a paper towel.

Boil the pasta until it is al dente and then drain well.  Do not rinse it with cold water like so many recipes call for.  It mixes better if it's a little warm.  I just put it back in pot I boiled it in after I made sure it was dry, to mix all of the salad ingredients together.  Add the chopped vegetables, Parmesan cheese, Nature's Seasoning and the dressing which we will make next.

Mix the ranch dressing mix with mayonnaise, buttermilk and sour cream.  Add 1 Tbs. taco seasoning and a dash of Tabasco sauce to taste.  I usually add about 5 drops or so.   Pour over salad ingredients and mix lightly.

Chop the bacon and add it at the end.  Mix lightly again and put in a glass salad bowl.  You can chill it before serving or serve just as it is.  It's equally good either way. 

This is great to take to potlucks or to serve at cookouts! 

Ingredients:

1 lb. penne pasta

6 slices bacon

1/2 cup sliced green onions or you can use Vidalia onion

1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers

1 cup chopped tomatoes  Roma or cherry tomatoes halved works best)

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 pkg Ranch salad dressing mix*

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tbs. Taco seasoning mix

dash of Tabasco sauce

1 tsp Nature's Seasoning or 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese sprinkles on top (optional)

*You can use a good bottled Ranch dressing instead of making your own.  Just add 1/2 cup sour cream, the taco seasoning and Tabasco to about 2 cups of it and mix.

Beef Stroganoff!

Beef Stroganoff is definitely one of our family favorites.  It's not exactly a southern dish per se, but it is a dish we have been making and enjoying in our southern family for a long time.  It's not a difficult recipe to prepare, but it does take time.  However, it is well worth it.  

A lot of recipes call for round steak and I have used round steak, but I prefer to use sirloin due to the reduced time it takes for the meat to get tender.  

If you do use round steak, use the top round and plan on simmering the meat for at least 45 minutes to an hour.  I also usually use canned cream of mushroom soup and a can of beef consomme in this, because it gives the best overall results.  I have made it without and I always go right back to using it...because it's better.

I find it funny when I get comments about using canned soups or mixes...usually from people who probably don't do a lot of cooking in the real world by the way...lol.   I am here to tell you that I do use canned soups and mixes of all kinds at one time or another, if they make something taste good.  I do not use convenience items when they compromise the taste of a recipe or the real, from scratch, is easy to make and much better.  I am not an ingredients snob, however.  

I am from the south, where we eat meat from cans and 'cheese' that is so processed it is shelf stable and will probably be good that way for years...lol.  And in some recipes there is just no substitute for Velveeta.   I buy a big ole 2lb. hunk of it about once a month.  I knew a southern family that loved it so much they named one of their kids Velveeta! 

So, if you are put off by a can of cream of mushroom soup in a recipe or a taco mix, you might be in the wrong place or you can leave it out if you want.  Whatever floats your boat.  I won't judge you for not using it, don't judge me for using it.  

 I rarely get these comments, because 99.9% of the folks who read my blog are reading it because they eat and cook a whole lot like me and my family or they are here to learn some new recipes or cooking tips and not to be a fake food critic.  

Now that we got that out of the way, here is what you will need to make this luscious beef stroganoff:

2-3 lbs. of sirloin steak or top round

1 cup flour seasoned with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 Tbs. minced garlic

3 Tbs. oil (I use Canola)

2 Tbs. butter

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can beef consomme or beef broth ( I prefer the consomme)

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup water

2 cups sour cream

parsley for garnishing

wide egg noodles or rice

Cut the beef in strips about 2 1/2 inches long.  Dredge in the seasoned flour.

Brown the beef in the butter and oil combination. Remove to a plate and saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms.  Add the beef back to skillet. Add the mushroom soup, beef consomme, water and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to almost a boil, just to bubbling and then turn down to simmer and cover.  Simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring often to be sure it doesn't stick.  Using a nonstick skillet is best for this because it does have  a tendency to stick if you don't stir it every now and then. 

Add the sour cream to the sauce at the very end.  You need to temper the sour cream before adding it by adding a little of the hot mixture to it and mixing it in to bring the temperature up.  If you don't temper it and add it cold to the hot mixture the sour cream will 'break' and will not mix in smoothly.  Warm it back up, but do not let it boil or get too hot. It should be nice and smooth and creamy. 

Serve over wide egg noodles or rice and garnish with chopped parsley. Served with a salad, bread and of course, sweet tea...you have an amazing dinner that will become a family favorite!







Four Cheese Barbecued Chicken Pasta!

I really love barbecue and the taste of barbecue sauce.  I have rarely met a barbecued 'anything' I didn't like.  Of course, some barbecue is far superior to others and I do prefer my homemade barbecue sauce to the store bought, but I use the store bought sometimes also.

 I had some chicken breasts and I had some barbecue sauce and a taste for pasta of some kind, so I decided to try a barbecue chicken pasta dish.

 The results turned out better than I expected and even the pickiest of eaters loved it.  My husband, who doesn't care for a lot of barbecue sauce flavor even loved it and I ate some leftover for lunch today and it was even tastier.

 Here is what you will need:


3-4 boneless chicken breasts

1 bottle barbecue sauce of your choice

1/2 can or about 1 1/2 cups Coke

10 oz. pasta (bowtie, penne, rotinni)

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk

1 cup Parmesan Cheese

2 cups cheddar cheese  ( 1 for cheese sauce and 1 for topping)

8 oz cream cheese

6 slices Swiss cheese

8-9 slices bacon

salt

pepper

blackened seasoning

garlic powder

Sprinkle some chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and just a little blackened seasoning (optional).  You only need about three chicken breasts.  I cooked a whole package and will use the rest for another meal.  I am thinking about a barbecue chicken salad...yum! 

Pour 1/2 can of Coke over the chicken.  You can use Diet Coke.  Cover with any kind of barbecue sauce you like.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour.  These were large so I cooked them for an hour.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Once cool chop about three of them into bite size pieces.

Cook about 8 or 9 strips of bacon until crisp. 

Make a cheese sauce.  I do this in the microwave.  Melt 1/2 stick butter, add 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, microwave for 30 seconds.  Whisk in 3 cups milk and microwave 3 minutes.  Whisk again removing any lumps.  Add cream cheese (softened and cubed), Parmesan cheese, and cheddar cheese.  Microwave 3-4 more minutes and whisk again to remove any lumps.  It should be thickened somewhat at this point and the cheeses melted.

Add 2 Tbs. of barbecue sauce to the cheese sauce and whisk well.  If you like the taste of barbecue a lot, like I do, you could add 3 Tbs. to the sauce at this point.

Boil 10 ounces of pasta just until it is al dente. I use bowtie, but penne or rotinni would work well also.  This will be a little more than 1/2  of a 1 lb. box.  Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and mix together.  Pour half of it into a 9"x13" baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Layer about 1/2 of the chicken over this.

Layer the rest of pasta/cheese sauce next with the rest of chicken over this. Drizzle this layer with more barbecue sauce. I just used about a 1/4 of a cup.

Layer Swiss cheese slices over the last chicken layer.

Finish with the chopped bacon and the rest of the cheddar cheese.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until bubbly and the cheese is starting to brown...about 30-40 minutes.

So delicious!!!