Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken

I love Baylee's posts! She has done a great job and I hope she will add future posts! PLEASE ENCOURAGE HER!!!  She is also on me to take more pictures as I cook.  I get into cooking and completely forget about the camera. Also I can be accident prone, like last night, I dropped the camera into a bowl of chicken and noodles!! Baylee helped make the noodles so she did take lots of pictures. That recipe will be coming soon!

To honor Baylee, I am doing today's post on one of Baylee's favorite macaroni and cheese dishes.  She is all the time asking if I posted it yet.   Here you go Baylee!!!

First off we love macaroni and cheese and as the kids got older, I was able to start to add in onion, bacon, different types of cheeses, or even vegetables, but I have always been in search of super creamy with super taste.  I cannot tell you how often I made mac and cheese and it was bland, looked curded, or was dry! I came across a recipe in a magazine that was for Smoky, Creamy Mac and Cheese. It had bacon, cheddar cheese, Philadelphia Chive & Onion Cream Cheese, and Velveeta in it so I thought how can it not be creamy with all of these cheeses.  I did have to adapt the recipe since I did not have all of the ingredients and I was looking for a dish that I could use as a main entree. I replaced the bacon with chicken breast and I was incredibly pleased with the outcome.  It was super creamy and cheesy along with being addictive!!  I think we all had seconds. This original recipe was the side dish winner in a Philadelphia Cheese recipe contest.  Just based on the creamy cheesiness of the dish, I can see why it won!! 

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken
2 cups of uncooked pasta  ( I used fusilli as it holds the cheese better)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
4 oz Velveeta, cut into cubes
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1 cup of chicken, cooked and cut up (I used a large breast and season it well with chicken seasoning)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup Panko crumbs
2 tsp butter, melted

Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large saucepan melt butter and stir in flour until smooth.  Gradually add milk and bring to boil. Cook and stir for 1 -2 minutes as sauce thickens. Stir in the cream cheese, Velveeta and cheddar cheese.  Make sure the heat from stove is turned down to ensure that cheese melts well into the sauce. Add in the chicken and transfer to a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Combine the Panko crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle over top.  Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Breakfast Bake

Last month, my daughter came home for a visit and I looked on Food.com for a simple breakfast bake where I had the ingredients already on hand. This one caught my eye as it was made with Stove Top Stuffing, it did not have to sit overnight and the steps were very simple. I did change of the amount of the ingredients as I saw the concoction I was about to bake. It was so thick with meat it kind of scared me. I wanted to make sure it was not just bread and sausage so I increased the eggs.

The first time I made it (the first picture), I only added one extra egg. The second time I made it (second picture), I added two extra eggs and only about half of the sausage. The Stove Top adds a little extra flavor but it is not overpowering. I've got to tell you, I used a 13x9 pan the first time and a 11x7 pan the second time. I think I like the deeper version with more egg and less meat. I guess it depends on your preference; both tasted great and it disappeared quickly. As a side note, you can cut these into squares and freeze for a quick breakfast before work. It heats well in the microwave and it tastes like you made it fresh.

Breakfast Bake

Adapted from Easy Breakfast Casserole by Merlot on Food.com

1 box of Chicken Stove Top Stuffing

2 cups milk

1/2 pound of cooked sausage

8 eggs, beaten

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Grease a 11x7 baking dish.

3. Mix all ingredients together and pour into prepared baking dish.

4. Bake 45-50 minutes until set.

Enjoy!

Hash Brown Casserole - Light

This recipe shaves over 100 calories and 10 grams of fat from the original Cheesy Potato recipe that is a potluck staple. It also has a lower sodium content. It tastes really creamy and the kids love it.

Hash Brown Casserole - Light version

Cooking Light September 2007

3/4 c chopped onion

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1 32 oz pkg of hash brown potatoes diced

2 Tbsp butter, melted and divided

1 10 3/4 oz can of condensed reduced fat, reduced sodium cream of chicken soup

8 oz light processed cheese (Velveeta Light)

1 8 oz carton light sour cream

Cooking spray

2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine onion, paprika, pepper, potatoes and 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a large bowl.

3. Combine soup and cheese in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in sour cream. Pour cheese mixture over potatoes. Spread mixture into a 13x9 baking dish coated in cooking spray.

4. Combine cornflakes and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle evenly over top of potato mixture.

5. Bake for 1 hour.

Calories 181 (30% from fat); Fat 6g, Protein 7.1g, Carbs 25.5g, Fiber 1.5g, Chol 21mg, Iron 1.7mg, Sodium 494mg.

Enjoy!

Spinach Cheese Casserole

Everyone usually has one or two traditional food dishes that they have every Christmas. One of ours is Spinach Cheese Casserole. This dish has actually become a MUST have dish for every occassion at the request of my children!! This dish ranks up there with cheesy potatoes and Ida's Greenbean Casserole! I am sure the sky would fall if I did not make it for Christmas.

This recipe goes back about 19 years. My German babysitter always talked about making spinach pie, homemade soups, and German cookies. My sister-in-law gave me a cookbook that her kid's school put together for a fundraiser and the Spinach Pie in the cookbook looked good. I was hesitant since spinach has never thrilled me, but I saw how much cheese was in this recipe and thought, how could this taste bad? It tasted pretty good but I tweaked the original recipe a bit. Over the years, I have found that I have to double the recipe, because one pie plate was not enough! By the way, my babysitter said, This is not pie!". I kind of agreed with her and stopped calling it pie many years ago! Sorry, Carla Beatty from Lines School in Canada, we still love your dish though!!

Spinach Cheese Casserole
CRUST
2 cups seasoned croutons, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter

FILLING
6 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, cut in 1 inch cubes
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp sour cream
1 clove garlic, crushed

Press croutons and melted butter into a 9 inch pie plate. Combine 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese with spinach, cottage cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, eggs, onion, sour cream and garlic. Spoon into prepared crust. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 35 minutes until lightly brown on top.

This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13x9 baking dish for 1 hour. Casserole will be bubbly when it comes out of oven and will setup after 5 to 10 minutes.

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Enjoy!

This recipe has been linked to

Mommy's Kitchen Potluck Sunday

Sweet Potatoes

For Thanksgiving this year, I decided to try something a little different with the sweet potatoes. I usually make them heavy with brown sugar and Cinnamon and they turn out more like a sweet potato pie. I was digging around on the Eating Well website and I found this recipe. The comments about the orange flavoring caught my eye and everyone loved the flavor. This smelled wonderful while I made it. The taste was refreshing and not really sweet. The topping mixed with the sweet potatoes was so good; I did not miss the old sweet potatoes at all.


Sweet Potato Casserole

2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (3 medium) Peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
2 large eggs
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp honey
1/2 c milk
2 tsp freshly grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Topping

1/2 c flour
1/3 c packed brown sugar
4 tsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp butter melted
1/2 c chopped pecans

Preparation
Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and return to pan. Mash with a potato masher. Measure out 3 cups. (reserve any extra for another use)

Preheat oven to 350. Coat an 8 inch square (or 2 qt) baking dish with cooking spray.

Whisk eggs, oil, and honey in a medium bowl. Add mashed sweet potato and mix well. Stir in milk, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish.

To prepare topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, oil and butter in a small bowl. Blend with a fork or your fingertips until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over casserole.

Bake the casserole until heated through and the top is lightly browned, 35 - 45 minutes.

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Enjoy!

Simple Macaroni and Cheese

If you struggle with making homemade mac n cheese, this is a simple way to make good old basic mac n cheese.



Simple Macaroni & Cheese
2 (7 1/4 ounce) boxes Kraft macaroni and cheese (Make sure to buy creamy variety)
1 cup milk (plus a little more)
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick of butter
salt and pepper
2 (8-12 ounce) packages cheddar cheese, grated


Boil macaroni until tender, then drain water completely. Put macaroni in a large bowl. While it is still hot, stir in the 2 Kraft cheese packages from the boxes, stick of butter, eggs and 1 cup of milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Macaroni mixture should be creamy and milky. If needed you can add a little more milk. I make sure my macaroni is covered in milk but not floating. This mixes with the eggs and makes a cheesy custard.

Pour half of the mixture into a large baking pan (I use my lasagna pan) and cover with 1 package of shredded cheddar. Pour remaining macaroni mixture into the pan and cover with remaining cheese.

If you like a crumble top, melt one stick of butter and crush a whole sleeve of Ritz or Saltines into the butter and top the casserole during the last 15 or 20 minutes of baking.

Cook on 375° for about 45 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Ida'a Green Bean Casserole

Many years ago I was given a school cookbook from Canada, much like the church cookbooks that everyone has in their cookbook collections. I have cooked numerous recipes from this book and I can't think of anything that has not been good. This recipe caught my eye and I have been making it for about 15 years. We have it at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Whenever I eat the traditional green bean casserole, I feel like it is missing something! This casserole has a crunch from the corn and water chestnuts and a nice flavor between the vegetables, cheese and cream sauce.

Gena's Green Bean Casserole
Adapted from Ida's Green Bean Casserole

2 cans green beans
1 can corn
1/2 can of water chestnuts, diced fine

Filling:
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
1/3 cup chopped onions
3 tbsp mayo
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Topping:
1 sleeve of Ritz Crackers, crushed
1 stick of butter

Drain and mix all of the vegetables in a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Mix the filling ingredients in a large bowl and then spread over the vegetables. Using a spoon, slightly mix the cream filling with the vegetables. Mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

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Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I love looking for new recipes in blogs, magazines, websites, and cookbooks. I usually work in 2 or 3 new recipes a week. Some bomb and some are really good so they get added to my recipe binder. It is pretty rare that I follow a recipe exactly as it is written. I usually have to tweak it to my family's taste preference. My family is not a fan of the Cream of Chicken condensed soup so when I came across the recipe below, I knew I would have to make a change. The original recipe is from Sisters' Cafe. I made a couple of changes but this was really good. This one made it to my binder and it will be made again.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake
Adapted from Sisters' Cafe

2 Packages Stove Top Stuffing mix
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1 inch squares
1 cup Jarlesburg cheese, shredded (Swiss can be used)
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Prepare stuffing mixes according to directions on box. Meanwhile in a bowl, combine soup and milk. Put chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Layer with ham, 2 cups of the cheese, soup mixture and stuffing. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese on top. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

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Enjoy!