Comfort Football Food ~ No Boil Mac and Cheese

Oh boy this weekend is a biggy in my house....the Forty Niners are in a playoff game against the Packers tomorrow night!  We ARE going to the game but if we weren't, THIS is the comfort food I would serving to watch the 5:00 p.m. game.  Oh Yeah....No Boil Mac and Cheese by Bon Appetite is my pick this week for "Best of the Web". YumYum.  Goes great with a dark porter!

GO NINERS!  

Photo and recipe cOURTESY bON aPPETITE

No Boil Mac and Cheese

INGREDIENTS

·         1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

·         1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         3 cups whole milk

·         1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more

·         1 pound elbow macaroni

·         2 cups shredded cheddar, divided

·         2 garlic cloves, chopped

·         1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

·         2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

PREPARATION

·         Preheat oven to 400°. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, whisking often, until a very thin, glossy sauce forms, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Remove sauce from heat.

·         Toss pasta and 1 1/2 cups cheese in a 13x9x2-inch or other shallow 3-quart baking dish. Pour sauce over (pasta should be submerged; do not stir) and cover with foil. Bake until pasta is almost tender, about 20 minutes.

·         Meanwhile, melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, panko, and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

·         Remove foil from dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, then panko mixture. Bake until pasta is tender, edges are bubbling, and top is golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

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Raspberry Strippers

If you know me, you probably think I came up with the title of this post all on my own.....but I didn't!  Nope, I can't take credit for it.  It's all by Cooking Light this week for my 'Best of the Web'.  And the best part.....not a whole lotta guilt with these.

These Raspberry Strippers look irresistible, don't they?!!  I could do these for breakfast, for sure.

photo and recipe by Cooking Light

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'BOTW' Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats

Thanksgiving is just six days away......my favorite holiday of the year, by far, because all that's involved with it is eating, drinking, spending time with friends and family and reflecting and giving thanks for all the blessings we have in our lives.

My 'Best of the Web' for this week are these adorable marshmallow hats created with chocolate covered marshmallows, striped shortbread cookies, melted chocolate chips and some frosting.  Something to keep the kids busy while you're cooking the stuffing.

Picture and directions courtesy Spoonful.com

What you'll need

·         24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies

·         12-ounce package of chocolate chips

·         24 marshmallows

·         tube of yellow decorators' frosting

How to make it

1.     Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax-paper-covered tray, spacing them well apart.

2.     Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.

3.     One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly center it atop a cookie.

4.     Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.

5.     Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorators' frosting buckle on the front of each hat.

Evergreen Enterprises 3FP40023 Handpainted Turkey Plate (Google Affiliate Ad)

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Personalized Pumpkin Pie ~ "BOTW"

My "Best of the Web" this Friday is this personalized pumpkin pie.  Your kids will totally get into this and they may even eat some of it because it also involves chocolate chips!

photo and recipe courtesy Family Fun Disney

Ingredients

• 1 15-oz. pkg. refrigerated piecrust
• 1 16-oz. can packed pumpkin
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. apple pie spice
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips {optional}

Directions

1.     Heat the oven to 375 degrees, then begin making the turkey handprint for the pie. Trace your child's handprint on a piece of lightweight cardboard, then cut it out to create a stencil. Place the stencil over one of the circles of pie dough and cut around it, adding turkey feet to the bottom of the hand.

2.     Place the cutout on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush with water and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

3.     Next, place the remaining circle of pie dough in a 9-inch glass pie pan. Press the crust firmly against the sides and bottom of the pan. Crimp the edges.

4.     In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and apple pie spice. Mix until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, if desired.

5.     Pour the mixture into the piecrust and bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean (except for melted chocolate).

6.     Place the baked turkey cutout in the center of the pie and allow the pie to cool before serving. Makes one 9-inch pie.

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'BOTW' Roasted Garlic Bacon Dip

Every weekend it's game day in our house.  Football on Sundays, baseball is still going on, so for game day gatherings the dip is it.  And if there's bacon in the recipe....it makes it that much better.

Best of the Web......Roasted Garlic Bacon Dip courtesy Food Network.  This is Super easy to make, hope you enjoy it!

Go Niners!

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"BOTW" Lima Bean Layered Dip

Happy Labor Day weekend!  I know many of you are attending parties this weekend where you may need to bring a dish to share.  My 'Best of the Web' for this week is this delicious looking Lima Bean Layered Dip by Southern Living.  It contains bacon, my fave!  Let me know if and when you try it!

photo and  modified recipe by Southern Living

Lima Bean Layered Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

Olive oil cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 small cucumber, seeded and diced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Lima Bean Mash: one can of Lima beans, mash it up and add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp onion powder.

1/4 cup  grated reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

1 medium tomato, seeded and diced (about 1/2 cup) 

3 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Assorted vegetable slices or pita chips

 

Preparation:

1. Place strainer over a bowl; spoon yogurt into strainer. Cover yogurt with plastic wrap, and chill 2 hours.

2. Spoon yogurt into a bowl, discarding strained liquid. (Yogurt will be thick.) Stir in cucumber and salt.

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'BOTW' Martha Stewart's Skirt Steak and Bok Choy Stir Fry

On my recent trip to NYC while attending the BlogHer conference we had the chance to hear Martha Stewart speak as one of the Keynotes.

Smart lady, good business sense, great sense of style and I really enjoyed hearing her story.  She doesn't let anything get her down.  She just keeps going onward and upward in her career.  Very inspiring.  And she's TOTALLY into social media....Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, you name it, she's there.

Her company created ipad and mobile phone apps that include four of her magazines, which you can get for free.  I downloaded mine to my ipad and use them for recipes and party ideas, I just love them.

Check out her orange platform shoes....I loved them!

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"BOTW" Pillsbury Chocolate Chip S'more Pizza

When I saw this recipe, a few things came to mind right away....summer, kid's dessert, campfire, okay okay....grown-up dessert and super easy dessert.

Best of the Web.....I think it's a winner, I hope you do too!

Photo and recipe courtesy Pillsbury

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'BOTW' Summer Fresh Orzo Salad with Pesto Dill

I end up finding the best fresh summer recipes in Bon Appetite.  I tend to be drawn to recipes that use fresh veggies that are in season and recipes that are simple to throw together.  Great taste and easy assembly.  So when I saw this Orzo, green bean and fennel salad with dill pesto, I knew it would be my 'Best of the Web' feature of the week and  it won't be long before I make a batch of it myself.  I love orzo.

Photo and recipe courtesy Bon Appetite

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'BOTW': EASY Oreo Cheesecake for June Dairy Month

June is celebrated as national 'Dairy Month' and to kick off the month right, why not try this EASY Oreo Cheesecake recipe?!  

Oreos ARE milk's favorite cookie, right?

My 'Best of the Web' for this week features this easy to put together cheesecake, courtesy of Kraft!

Photo and recipe courtesy Kraft

1 pkg. (16.6 oz.) OREO Cookies, divided

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup Sour Cream

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Place 30 of the cookies in resealable plastic bag. Flatten bag to remove excess air, then seal bag. Finely crush cookies by rolling a rolling pin across the bag. Place in bowl. Add butter; mix well. Press firmly onto bottom of pan.


Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Chop or crush remaining cookies. Gently stir 1-1/2 cups of the chopped cookies into cream cheese batter. Pour over crust; sprinkle with the remaining chopped cookies.


Bake 1 hour and 10 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Cut into 16 pieces. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.  

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment. I love to hear from you! Have a fantastic day!
 
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'BOTW' Rhubarb Coffee Cake from Iowa

My 'Best of the Web' for this week is coming directly from Iowa!  Teresa, author of Homemade Iowa Life, submitted this fantastic looking recipe for Rhubarb Coffee Cake.  And to answer your question, Teresa, being a born and raised Californian, I have yet to try cooking/baking with Rhubarb.  But after looking at your delicious photo and recipe, I'm planning on it.....I even went out and bought some to try out.  Thank you!

Teresa says, "I found this recipe in an Iowa farm newspaper. Not sure if rhubarb is as popular in California, but Iowans love our backyard rhubarb.  Seriously, I bought our house just because it had four rhubarb plants growing in the yard!" 

Rhubarb Coffee Cake


        3 C. finely cut rhubarb
        2 C. sugar
        3/4 C. margarine
        1 egg
        1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
        2½ C. flour
        1 tsp. baking soda
        ½ tsp. salt
        1 C. buttermilk
        ¾ C. brown sugar
        ½ C. nuts
        ½ C. evaporated milk

Photo by Teresa at Homemade Iowa Life

Combine rhubarb and 1/2 C. sugar, and let stand. Cream
margarine and 1 C. sugar. Add egg and 1 tsp. vanilla to margarine-sugar
mixture. Add alternately to that: flour, baking soda, salt and
buttermilk. Blend in rhubarb-sugar mixture. Put into greased 9x13-inch
pan and top evenly with brown sugar and nuts.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees. While the cake is
baking, combine: ¼ C. margarine, ½ C. sugar and evaporated milk. Boil
exactly 3½ minutes. Remove from stove and add ½ tsp. vanilla and mix
well. When cake is baked, spoon the margarine-sugar-milk mixture over
the hot cake.

If you have a recipe you would like to feature here for my 'Best of the Web' series, email it to me with a photo and if it's featured, I'll link back to your blog.  If you don't have a blog, I'll let everyone know who and where it's from!

TheWifeOfADairyman {at} gmail {dot} com

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment. I love to hear from you! Have a fantastic day!
 
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I warned you yesterday.....lots of Mexican recipes.  These Chicken Ranch Tacos by Betty Crocker are Da Bomb!  You make them with rotisserie chicken, how easy is that?!  Perfect for a quick dinner after your child's baseball game.

Recipe and Photo courtesy Betty Crocker

1 box  taco shells (10 shells)

3

cups cut-up deli rotisserie chicken (from 2- to 2 1/2-lb chicken)

1

package (1 oz)  taco seasoning mix

1/2

cup ranch dressing

1 1/2

cups shredded lettuce

1

medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)

1

cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

1/4

cup sliced green onions (4 medium), if desired

Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired

Additional ranch dressing, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 325°F. Heat taco shells in oven as directed on box.

Meanwhile, in medium microwavable bowl, place chicken. Sprinkle with taco seasoning mix; toss gently to coat. Microwave uncovered on High 2 to 3 minutes or until hot. Stir in 1/2 cup dressing.

Spoon warm chicken mixture into heated taco shells. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and onions. Drizzle with salsa and additional dressing.

Offer additional taco toppings such as olives, sour cream, etc.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment. I love to hear from you! Have a fantastic day!
 
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