The Most Decadent Mac & Cheese

The Most Decadent Mac & Cheese

This Delicious Recipe Is Not For The Faint Of Heart, This Is A Staple For Any Holiday Meal Or Even A BBQ!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 box macaroni 

3 cups heavy cream

1 stick cold butter, small cubes + 1 tbsp melt butter

1 cup shredded Gouda cheese

1 cup shredded Gruyere or Emmental cheese

1 cup shredded Fontina

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheeses

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup of Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 level Tbsp garlic powder

1 level Tbsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 egg yolks (optional)

 

Topping 

1 Tbsp melted butter

1 cup Honey Panko bread crumbs

Cooking Tools

8 Terra Cotta Baking Dish or Baking Dish

Mixing bowl

All Clad large pot

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Cook macaroni according to directions on box.  Drain pasta and quick rinse with cold water.  Drain and dry completely your pasta and let it come to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, add in; pasta, the cubed butter, cream, egg yolks and seasonings & mix, add cups of cheese one by one, folding it in as you put in each shredded cheese and Velvetta.  Grease bake dish or dishes with a little melted butter and place the macaroni in the dishes. Melt some butter and add to bread crumbs and toss, sprinkle on top of the macaroni .  Bake in oven for about 40 minutes until hot and bubbly and has a golden crust.

Serves 8-10

Christmas Brunch!

 Christmas Brunch is a tradition in our household, Our family and guest arrive to our home anticipating what I have made before the morning festivities of opening the presents under the Christmas tree! I try to add something different every year but stick with some of the tried and true dishes that they expect every Christmas!

 

Waffles

Waffles

Build Your Own Waffle Station!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 minutes (cooked in batches)

Ingredients

4 cups Bisquick Baking Mix 

2 2/3 cups whole milk

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp Madagascar vanilla bean

 

Cooking Tools

Calphalon Waffle Maker

Mixing Bowl

Sheet tray

Directions

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir until ingredients are blended.  Cover and wait 15-30 minutes to allow the batter to rise and thicken. Turn waffle maker on and either use a cooking spray or a pat of butter in each waffle slot and add about a 1/2 cup of batter to each slot and close lid. Set to medium, The waffle iron will chime when it is cooked.  Cook waffle in batches and serve it however you like.

Yields 10-12

Christmas Bark

Christmas Bark

Might Not Be The Prettiest Chocolate Candy, But It Sure Is Addicting!

Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

4-6 Ghiradelli Chocolate bars

1 cup mini marshmallows 

1 cup roasted pecans

6 Chocolate covered pretzel rods with candy cane

2 cups mini pretzels 

1 cup broken Honey Graham Crackers 

12 mini candy canes

Cooking Tools

Sheet pan

Parchment paper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Line sheet pan with parchment paper including the sides.  Place chocolate bars side by side on sheet pan and place in the oven for about 15 minutes or until melted. Remove chocolate from oven and swirl with a spoon or a wooden skewer  to remove the lines and incorporate each bar to one another. Start adding all your other ingredients by layering into the chocolate. Make sure your ingredients touch the chocolate so as the chocolate cools and hardens the ingredients don't fall off.  Set aside to cool and firm up. Break apart into barks and serve!

Yields 1 sheet pan

The Local Favorite Dishes

The Local Favorite Dishes 

Seared Scallops

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A Hearty Bowl Of Soup On A Cold Day!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

2 heads broccoli, florets

2  32 oz. carton  College Inn Chicken Broth

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups whole milk or half & half

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup white cheddar cheese

3 tbsp flour Arthur Mills flour

1 stick Kerrygold Butter

Minced parsley for garnish

salt

pepper

Serve Soup With A Crusty Baguette!

Cooking Tool

 Ninja Blender

All Clad 4 qt pot

Directions

In a stock pot on medium heat, add; chicken broth, onions, garlic & broccoli florets and cook until broccoli is tender.  Ladle cooked all liquid and ingredients into Ninja blender, Cook' Notes: Blend in batches, open the vent and make sure you have a napkin over the vent opening, just in case of hot liquid splashing.  Once all blended, pour back in pot on a simmer, then add milk, season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small pan, melt butter then whisk in flour to create a blond rue, cook for a minute or two. Add rue to the soup to thicken, cook on simmer until it starts to thicken the soup ( DO NOT BOIL) Remove from heat and add the cheese and whisk until incorporated. Garnish with minced parsley and shredded cheese.

Serves 4-6

Baked Cheesy Tater Tots

Baked Cheesy Tater Tots

Made With Our Homemade Tater Tots!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Homemade Tater Tots about a dozen (cooked) http://womanandthewhisk.blogspot.com/2017/07/homemade-tater-tots.html

1 can Campbell Cream Of Mushroom Soup

1 cup whole milk or Half & Half

1 cup cheddar cheese + topping

minced parsley for garnish

1/2 tsp onion powder

salt

pepper

Cooking Tools

All Clad small pot

Ceramic baking dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  In a small pot, whisk soup, milk, onion powder, salt & pepper then mix until bubbly on medium heat. take off heat a add 1 cup of cheddar cheese, whisk until blended.  Place already cooked Tater Tots in a baking dish and pour soup mix evenly over the Tater Tots and bake in oven for 30 minutes, the last 10 minutes, top with extra cheddar cheese until melted. Garnish with minced parsley

Serves 2

Pomegranate Balsamic Chicken Wings

Pomegranate Balsamic Chicken Wings

Sweet & Sour With A Bit Of Crunch!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dozen cooked plain chicken wings; store bought

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1/2 cup red /yellow pepper, diced

1/2 cup onions, diced

2 Tbsp Avocado oil

1/2 stick melted butter

1 Tbsp Alessi White Balsamic Reduction

1 cup  Mae Ploy Chili Sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds 

salt to taste
pepper to taste

 

Cooking Tools

All Clad deep pan/wok 

Directions

On medium heat, add; Avocado oil until heated.  Add in Sweet chili sauce, diced onions & peppers and cook for 1 minute, stir to prevent burning.  season with the garlic & onion powder, then add the White Balsamic Reduction.  Salt & Pepper to taste, reduce glaze until slightly thickened and sticky. Pour in butter and mix before adding the cooked chicken wings. Toss the chicken wings in the sauce and add in the pomegranate seeds and cook for a additional few minutes until the glaze thickens and the chicken is evenly heated through.  Garnish with a few pomegranate seeds.

Serves 2

Southern Fried Chicken

Southern Fried Chicken

So Many Different Ways To Make Fried Chicken, This One Is Simple And Delicious!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 4+ hours 

Cooking Time: 1

Serve it Up With Your favorite Side-dishes!

Ingredients

1 whole fryer, cut up, skin on

4 cups buttermilk

1 tbsp. hot sauce

2 tsp salt + 2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper + 1 tsp black pepper

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp onion powder + 1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder + 1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

2 quarts vegetable oil or peanut oil

Cooking Tools

Container with lid

Dutch Oven

Colander

cooling racks

Sheet tray

 

Directions

In a plastic container, add; buttermilk, hot sauce, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika. Whisk ingredients and place chicken pieces into the buttermilk, fully coat, cover and refrigerate 4+ hours. Drain chicken from buttermilk in a colander. In a large mixing bowl, mix; flour, salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.  Coat each chicken piece in the flour mixture, coating evenly. set chicken on wire rack while the oil is heating to 350 Degrees F in a large deep frying pan. Add a few chicken pieces, do not over crowd!! Fry chicken in batches, 15-20 minutes or until cooked at 165 Degrees F. Keep in mind, darker meat needs more cooking time. Cook's Note: Wait a minute for the oil to heat back up between batches, before placing another batch of chicken in the fryer.  Remove chicken to a wire rack to drain off excess oil.

Yields 1 Fryer

Cranberry Sangria

Cranberry Sangria

This Festive Cocktail Is Perfect For Your Next Holiday Party!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Cooling Time: 3+ hours

Ingredients 

1 bottle white wine https://santamargheritawines.com/wine/pinot-grigio/

1 cup Peachtree Schnapps https://www.dekuyperusa.com/flavor/dekuyper-peachtree-schnapps-liqueur/

1 cup Apricot Brandy http://www.hiramwalker.com/index.php

1 cup oranage juice

3 Mandarine oranges, sliced

10 star Anise 

1/2 cup fresh cranberries  (garnish) +1 cup Cranberry Jam (recipe below) or prepared cranberry sauce

 

Cooking Tools

All Clad sauce pan

Pitcher

Directions

In a pitcher, mix the wine, Peachtree Schnapps, Apricot Brandy, orange juice, orange slices, cranberries  and the star anise. Adjust liqueur to suit your own taste. Place in refrigerator for several hours. To serve: Place Cranberry jam on bottom of glass, add ice then pour refrigerated Sangria over ice, make sure you add the cranberries , orange slices and star anise to your drink for a dramatic effect!

Serves 4-6

Cranberry Jam

Ingredients

1 bag Ocean Spray cranberries https://www.oceanspray.com/Products/Fresh-Fruit/Fresh-Cranberries

1 cup orange juice

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup apricot jam

1 cinnamon stick

5 star anise

Directions

Place all ingredients in a pot on medium-low heat, until cranberries start popping open, still occasionally. Set aside to allow to get to room temperature .  Place in container and refrigerate until chilled and thickens.

Yummy Cocktails For That Special Occasion!!

The Notes Of Spices From The Star Anise