Macaroni and Cheese With Basil and Bread Crumb Topping

Ingredients:
8 oz. whole wheat pasta
1/3 c. fresh bread crumbs
1/2 t. pepper
1 c. 2% cottage cheese
2 t. prepared yellow mustard
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
2 c. skim milk, divided
1/4 c. onion, diced
1 t. garlic, minced
pinch of ground nutmeg
3 T. flour
2 c. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (8oz)
1 T. fresh basil, minced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450.
Coat a 2-qt. oven proof baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Toss together bread crumbs and black pepper in a small bowl; set mixture aside.
Process cottage cheese, mustard, salt and cayenne in a food processor until smooth; set aside.
Heat 1 1/2 c. milk, onion, garlic, and nutmeg in a saucepan over med. heat until milk steams. Whisk flour into remaining 1/2 c. milk in a small bowl. Stir into warm milk; cook until mixture thickens, 5-8 minutes. Whisk in cottage cheese mixture until smooth.
Stir in Cheddar by the handful, adding more only after the previous addition has melted. Once all cheese is melted, stir in pasta and 1 T. basil. Transfer pasta to the prepared baking dish; top with bread crumb mixture.
Bake mac and cheese until bread crumbs are golden, 20-25 minutes. Remove pasta from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 cups. Total time 55 minutes.

Verdict:
I am on the hunt for the best mac and cheese. After the last one that I made, I was even more determined. This one might be my favorite so far. It wasn't grainy at all and had a good flavor. The sauce prior to adding it to the noodles seemed a little thin but don't fret it all works out. Oh, and just in case you are interested...this one is low cal. Only 354 calories per cup. Nice.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
3 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c. provolone, shredded (or chunks if that is easier)
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. dry mustard
2 c. elbow macaroni
8 oz. sour cream

Directions:
Combine cheddar, provolone, milk, cream, salt, pepper, and mustard in a 4 to 6 qt. slow cooker.
Cover; cook on low heat setting for 1 hour.
Stir in macaroni and sour cream. Cover; cook on low heat setting for an additional 1 hour.

Makes 6 cups. Total time 2 hours.

Verdict:
DO NOT USE THAT MUCH SALT. It has a really good flavor but the saltiness of it really overshadows this dish. I would make this again but probably only use 1/2 t. at the most if any. I cooked mine on high the whole time and it turned out perfect except for the salt debacle.

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

3 T. butter

1/4 c. onion, finely chopped

1/3 c. flour

salt

4 c. whole milk

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

3/4 lb. small shell pasta or elbow macaroni
4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 t. Dijon mustard

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add flour and 1/2 t. salt; cook, stirring frequently until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.

Whisking constantly, pour in 2 c. milk; add 2 more cups milk and cayenne and whisk until smooth.

Cook mixture, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until boiling, 6-7 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water cook paste until al dente. Drain thoroughly and return to pot.

Remove sauce from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Quickly whisk in cheese, mustard and Worcestershire. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to coat.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 55 minutes.

Verdict:

I followed this recipe exactly as it said and my mac and cheese still turned out slightly grainy. The flavor was good I just didn't care for the texture.

Baked Tortellini With Boursin

For the topping:
Drizzle with 1 T. olive oil; Chop:
1/4 c. pine nuts
Toss nuts with:
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

For the boursin cream sauce:
Simmer; Season with:
1 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. whole milk
1 pkg. boursin cheese (5.2 oz)
3 oz. cream cheese
pinch of ground nutmeg and cayenne

For the tortellini:
Cook; Top with:
1 lb. fresh cheese filled tortellini
1/2 lb. frozen leaf spinach

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Drizzle pine nuts with oil, chop coarsely and transfer to a bowl.
Toss the nuts with the crumbs and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Simmer ingredients for sauce in a small saucepan until smooth.
Cook tortellini and spinach 2-3 minutes; Drain.
Place tortellini mixture in a shallow 2 qt. baking dish and place on a baking sheet.
Pour sauce over tortellini mixture and top with bread crumbs.
Bake 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 45 min.

Verdict:
Have you ever tried Boursin cheese? If you haven't you are missing out. It is creamy, cheesy, garlicy goodness. I could eat a whole package with some crackers all by myself. You can find it at Costco in a three pack for cheaper than you would at the store. This dish was kind of a fancy take on the classic macaroni and cheese. It was good and we will be having it again. Any reason that I can find to buy some boursin is a good reason. Oh, I didn't use the pine nuts and it still tasted good. I think you would be fine to add/omit to your hearts content.

Creamy White Mac & Cheese With Apples and Kielbasa

For the topping:
Melt;Add:
1/2 stick butter
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

For the macaroni and cheese:
Cook; Reserve:
1/2 lb. dry elbow macaroni
1 c. pasta water
Melt; Whisk In; Stir In:
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
3/4 c. whole milk
3/4 c. heavy cream
pinch of nutmeg
2 c. white cheddar, shredded
4 oz. cream cheese

For sauteed kielbasa and apples:
Brown in 1 T. olive oil:
1 lb. kielbasa, cut into 1" pieces
Saute in 2 T. butter; Add:
2 c. granny smith apples, cored and sliced
2 T. sugar
1 T. lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Rub inside of 2 qt. baking dish with softened butter. Bring large pot of salted water to boil for macaroni.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 c. pasta water.
Melt 1/2 stick butter for the topping in a non stick skillet. Add crackers and cook until lightly browned.
Melt 2 T. butter in a small saucepan.
Whisk in flour, cook 1 min. then gradually whisk in milk, cream and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then add cheeses, stirring until melted. If sauce seems to thick, add reserved pasta water to thin sauce.
Toss sauce with macaroni.
Coat buttered baking dish with a dusting of crumb topping. Top macaroni mixture with remaining crumbs and bake 20 min.

For the kielbasa:
Brown kielbasa in oil in nonstick skillet about 5 min. Transfer to a plate. Return pan to burner.
Saute apple slices in butter in the same pan until softened, 2-3 min. Add remaining ingredients and cook just until sugar dissolves, 1-2 minutes. Return sausage to skillet and toss to combine.

Makes 4-6 servings. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:
First off when I made this I couldn't find white cheddar so I just used extra sharp cheddar. It worked good. This is yummy. Salty cracker goodness with noodles and cheese underneath. It is a yummy combo. When you add the kielbasa and apples to the mix it is like a little slice of heaven.