Broccoli Mac n Cheese

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I knew I wanted a really simple and quick, yet satisfying side dish to accompany my Oven BBQ Chicken from yesterday. I came across this particular mac n cheese from Stephanie Cooks, and really liked that it was similar to other Mac n Cheese recipes I've used before and have enjoyed. I have always thought that adding broccoli to mac n cheese would be good, but I just never tried it. I decided to do so on Oven BBQ Chicken night! ComputerMan was less than thrilled that there were vegetables in his mac n cheese; I, however, thoroughly enjoyed it. He always tells me he doesn't like his broccoli cooked. Somehow I always "forget." Oops. One thing I will say about the broccoli, though: don't be a cheapskate like me and get the frozen bag of broccoli "cuts" which has the tops as well as the stem parts. Some of the pieces were just too tough. I'll splurge next time and spend the extra 50 cents to get just the broccoli tops! 

Broccoli Mac n Cheese

Source: Stephanie Cooks

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 T butter

2 T flour

2 cups milk

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I like medium sharpness)

salt and pepper to taste

10 oz frozen broccoli, defrosted and roughly chopped

8 oz pasta shapes (I used shells, but any short shape would work)

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stovetop. Cook pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is almost done, throw in the broccoli and allow the water to come back up to a boil. Boil the broccoli and pasta together until the pasta is done and the broccoli is just starting to become tender--you just want to take a bit of the bite off. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook together for a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil for 5 minutes until it starts to thicken up. Add in the shredded cheese and melt it, stirring in a figure-8 motion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat. Add in the broccoli and pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to an 11x7 greased baking dish. Top with the grated parmesan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until it's bubbly and heated through! Enjoy!

Hearty Vegetable Spaghetti

No, this is NOT a vegetarian dish! I rarely get away with that! This was another one of those "use what you have" meals. I had planned to make spaghetti with meat sauce one evening, but when I started thinking about it more--and looking in my fridge to see what else I had available--I decided to make it a meat and vegetable sauce. I really didn't feel guilty about having a big plate of this since I topped my pasta with all those veggies and protein! This is such an adaptable meal--add in whichever veggies you like to make it suit your tastes. For example, instead of squash and zucchini (leftover from the Italian Stew night), you could add in bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, or sugar snap peas. You could also use whole wheat pasta to add another layer of healthiness to the dish! Let me know what you come up with! Enjoy!

Hearty Vegetable Spaghetti
Source: Me
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti
1/2 lb ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms
2 tsp each onion powder, oregano, thyme
28 oz can whole tomatoes OR 1 jar marinara sauce (if you're using the marinara sauce, just use 1 teaspoon each of the onion powder, oregano, and thyme)
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown beef 3-4 minutes. Add the squash, zucchini, garlic, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and the onion powder, oregano, and thyme. Cook together until the veggies are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add in the can of tomatoes (or marinara sauce) and break up the tomatoes into smaller chunks. Simmer together about 5-7 minutes, or until sauce thickens a bit. Toss the sauce with the cooked spaghetti and garnish with the grated Parmesan.

Creamy Not-sagna

I have to give Rachael Ray the credit for the whole "not-sagna" thing. I recently found a new show she has on Cooking Channel called Week in a Day. The premise is that she makes a week's worth of food one day and then has it all on hand to use throughout the week. She'll use the roasted chicken from Monday again in a dish on Thursday night. Obviously, this isn't a novel concept, but I really enjoy watching her so somehow it seems new and fresh. This dish was inspired by one she had made on an episode, but I definitely changed it up to match the ingredients I had and to suit our tastes. Mario really enjoyed this and took for lunch for a few days. I, of course, made enough to feed a small village, but it was so cheap and really delicious on day 2, 3, and 4! Enjoy!

Creamy Not-sagna
Source: Me and Rachael Ray, kinda
Yields: 6 servings


Ingredients:

1 lb lasagna noodles broken

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

3 oz cream cheese

1 sm or ½ medium onion diced

3 cloves garlic minced

Salt and pepper

1 T Italian seasoning (or ½ T each dried basil and oregano)

1 tsp dried parsely

1 T olive oil

½ lb ground beef or turkey (I used beef, but I wish I would've used turkey)

1-1 ½  cups mozzarella depending on how cheesy you want it

Freshly grated parmigiana cheese 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Cook broken lasagna noodles according to package directions. Heat olive oil in a skillet with high sides. Add ground beef (or turkey), onion, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook beef until no longer pink. Add can of crushed tomatoes to beef, season with Italian seasoning. Simmer on stove top for 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and adjust seasonings to taste. Drain pasta and return it to the pasta pot. Pour the meat sauce over the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake until bubbly and lightly browned. Garnish with freshly grated parmigiana cheese. I would have liked to have added a couple of diced carrots and a green bell pepper in with the onion and beef, but I knew that wouldn’t have gone over well with Mario!

Creamy Taco Mac

One of my nearest and dearest friends (K) and I have grown up together since we were in the 7th grade. Our dads met at work and found out that they each had daughters the same age, at the same school, and in the same grade. Our families had moved to the area at about the same time and our dads were working in the same department. We were destined to be friends. I don't get to see her very often (although she did come stay with us at the end of September for a few days--it was glorious!), but I always think of her whenever I eat Hamburger Helper. To begin, I'm definitely not "above" having Hamburger Helper and I think it's quite convenient in a pinch. Regularly they are on sale for $1 at the grocery store so I can feed us for under $5 if I have to. Growing up, we ate a lot of Hamburger Helper since we were on a fixed budget. That being said, as K and I became closer and closer, she was always at our house. If she was there during dinnertime, it seemed like we were having was Hamburger Helper! Again, the $1 price tag is quite intriguing! Serve with a salad and a can of corn or green beans and you've really got a good meal to serve a family! When my mom found out that K was coming to stay with us for a few days, she sent me a box of Hamburger Helper as a joke and I told K that that was what I was making for dinner to welcome her! She died laughing because she really can only remember eating it at our house! Good times! When I stumbled on this recipe at Annie's Eats, I knew I wanted to try it to see if it lived up to the ease of the boxed meal. It really did, and it was much healthier, too! Maybe I'll make this for K next time she comes!

Creamy Taco Mac
Source: adapted from Annie's Eats
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
8 oz. dry pasta (like tubes, bowties, shells, elbows, or curls)
1 small or 1/2 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14 oz) can Rotel's (or Mexican style diced tomatoes)
1 packet Lawry's taco seasoning
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions, diced

Directions:
-Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water; set the water aside. Return pasta to large pot.
-In a large skillet, cook the onion and ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Once the turkey is cooked, add in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
-Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
-Transfer the turkey-tomato mixture to the pasta pot. Add in the cream cheese, sour cream, and reserved pasta water. Stir until the cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheese and green onions!

The Wheelsagna Bus Go 'Round and 'Round

I love being a teacher and I love it even more when I actually have a classroom and job to go to everyday! It's been tough for teachers this year in California. Almost 30,000 teachers were given pink slips this past school year and very few jobs were ever posted to which we could apply. Any jobs that were posted received anywhere from 200-400 applicants. Needless to say, I was not one of the lucky applicants to receive a job this school year. This only would have been my 6th year teaching so I know that teachers with double or triple the experience deserved the jobs before me, but it's just a tough pill to swallow! At any rate, to commemorate the beginning of my first school year not in school, I thought I'd get a little cheesy and try to name a dish after something school-related. This fakeout lasagna was the perfect choice. Remember that song, "The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round,..."? I loved getting to do all the fun motions like the windshield wipers, the horn, etc. Such fun times! I'm a nerd, I know. I love school and everything school-related! This is the perfect dish to make after a long day at work and school! Enjoy and best of luck to all you teachers and students out there!

Wheelsagna
Source: adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
1/2 lb mini wagon wheel pasta (or any fun shape like bowties, tubes, or curly pasta)
1/2 lb ground beef or turkey (the original recipe called for 1 pound but I thought it was too "meaty")
3 cups marinara sauce
1 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cups sour cream

Directions:
-Boil pasta. Meanwhile, brown the meat in small pan. After noodles are cooked, drain, return them to the pot, and drizzle with the olive oil. Mix in the marinara sauce. Add in the fried meat, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together over low heat for about 5 minutes. Serve with a simple green salad! So quick and easy!

Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

I love the simplicity of this dish. It's simple on so many layers, which made it a perfect candidate for a 4th of July meal. It's simple in preparation and in thought, but the flavor combination is stunning. My husband and I decided to stay close to home for this 4th of July; why go anywhere when we could see the fireworks from our front porch?! Before the show started, we whipped up this dish and even had time for dessert! Clean-up was so simple, too! I love it! Hope you enjoyed your 4th of July!

Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

Source: Me and Mario

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus (tough ends trimmed)

1 handful spaghetti

5 chicken tenderloins

olive oil

2 T butter

salt and pepper

mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese

Directions:

-Heat a grill to medium high. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil over high.

-Once your grill is hot, season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and put on the grill.

-Once the water is boiling, season the water with some salt and stir to dissolve. Put your pasta in the boiling water and stir. Cook the pasta to al dente. Make sure you also flip your chicken during this time. Overall, the pasta and chicken should be done at about the same time. If the pasta finishes first, just leave it in the hot water but turn the flame off. Make sure your chicken is cooked!!

-Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it off the grill to rest. Put your asparagus spears in a large bowl and season with lots of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Grill to your desired doneness; I prefer mine to have a slight bite but definitely have some charred tips. Remove the asparagus and cut the stalks into 3 sections.

-Drain the pasta, transfer it to a large serving bowl, and add the 2 T butter; toss to melt the butter. Sprinkle the pasta with the parmesan cheese.

-Slice the chicken into bites as big as the asparagus bites. Add the chicken and asparagus to the pasta bowl and toss to mix together. Sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese on top.

-ENJOY!

Mmmmm...grilled asparagus...

Delish!

Quick Pasta Salad

We were invited to some friends' house that we hadn't been to in a while and I wanted to make sure we brought something to contribute to the ribs and beans that were being cooked up for us. I bought tri-colored pasta several weeks back knowing that I would make a pasta salad out of it, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I just kind of used what I had knowing that the salad had to be quick and easy to refrigerate--and delicious for leftovers! This pasta was a great success, although I would have added more dressing to amp up the Italian flavor; I've added that modification in the recipe below. Make this when you're in a time crunch! Enjoy!

Quick Pasta Salad
Source: Me
Yields: 8-10 servings

1-16 oz. bag tri-colored curly pasta (or your favorite short pasta)
1 cup Zesty Italian dressing
1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese
1 small can sliced ripe black olives
1 avocado, cubed
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Bring a large stock pot full of water to a boil. Add in a tablespoon of salt and allow to dissolve. Add in the curly pasta and cook according to package directions. Once the pasta is done, drain it and run cold water over it for a few minutes.


Transfer to a large serving bowl. Drain olives and add to pasta. Cut up the avocado and put it in a separate bowl; pour the lemon juice over the top of it and stir to combine. Allow to sit while you finish up--add it at the end. Add in the cheeses, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour the salad dressing over the top and add the avocado and any extra lemon juice in the bowl. Toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to refrigerate for at least an hour. Before you serve it, taste it to make sure you have enough salt, pepper, etc. Add in extra as you see fit. Enjoy!

Cheesy Ravioli with Veggies

Having been on a pasta kick, I thought I'd continue the pattern and add another simple, yet delicious pasta recipe to my repertoire. "Repertoire" sounds like too fancy a word, though, to use with this dish. It was so simple and so inexpensive! Being married just four years and living on a teacher's salary means meager meals every once in a while. But, both of our parents taught us that there are times when you have to pinch pennies so that things are a little easier later on. This sort of dish is perfect for those penny-pinching seasons. This meal came in just under $10 and was a hit on a late night after work. Thanks, Parents, for the good lessons!

Cheesy Ravioli with Veggies
Source: Taste of Home Pasta
Yields: 6 servings

6 quarts water
1 package (16 oz, or so) frozen California-blend veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
1 package (25 oz, or so) frozen cheese ravioli
1/4 cup butter (the real kind), melted
1/4 tsp seasoning blend like garlic salt, Mrs. Dash, or Italian seasoning
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese--the real kind

In a stockpot, bring water to a boil. Add the vegetables; cook for 5 minutes. Add the ravioli. Cook 5 minutes longer or until both are tender. Drain and transfer to a large, flat serving bowl.

Gently stir in the butter. Sprinkle with the seasoning blend and cheese. Serve with a crisp salad.

Wheely Good Pepperoni Pasta

Something about wagon wheel pasta makes me feel like I'm a kid again. Or, maybe it's the fact that the wagon wheels remind me of my 4th grade Oregon Trail project I did with my dad out in the garage. We--well, he--traced and cut little sideboards, a hitch for a yoke, and wagon wheels out of pieces of wood. Then, we fashioned a canvas roof for the wagon, got some plastic oxen, and my mom made little flour and sugar sacks out of scrap fabric. I remember sitting in the garage with my dad trying to put that wagon together, not doing a very good job but knowing that Dad'll fix it. I was either busy daydreaming about creating my next big rollerskating routine I would do in the garage to the Lion King soundtrack, or I was spinning around aimlessly on the bar stool while he put my school project together. And I'll bet I waited until just days--or even the night--before to tell him I needed help on this project. Gotta love childhood...right, Dad?! Anyways, back to the pasta. I threw this dish together quick one weeknight and found it to be satisfying. There are a few changes I will make next time and I've made sure to adjust the recipe below to match those changes. I also halved the recipe when I made it, but I did not note those changes below. Enjoy this hearty, yet simple, pasta dish!

Wheely Good Pepperoni Pasta
Source: Taste of Home Pasta
Yields: 6-8 servings

1 pound ground beef (I was even considering substituting hot dogs instead, maybe 5 hot dogs?)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced or one tablespoon garlic from the jar
1-28 oz jar. spaghetti sauce
1-4oz can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1-3 1/2 ounce package sliced pepperoni
8 oz. uncooked wagon wheel pasta
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded provolone cheese (I used shredded asiago instead because I couldn't find shredded provolone)
grated parmesan...the real stuff!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Boil the pasta only part of the way for just a few minutes so that there is still a bite to it; it shouldn't be mushy but it shouldn't be straight out of the box. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the beef, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, and pepperoni.

In a greased 9x13 baking dish, layer the ingredients as follows, and then repeat:
-half the meat mixture
-half the pasta
-half of the shredded mozz. and provolone or asiago
Sprinkle with the grated parmesan.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 30-35 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is bubbly and golden. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Prosciutto Tortellini

I love standing in line at the grocery store thumbing through magazines; sometimes the magazines are about home decorating, sometimes they're trashy, but most of the time they're food-related. I also love the mini food magazines that are chock-full of recipe cards. I scored big time recently when I picked up a copy of Taste of Home's Pasta Recipe Cards magazine. I have already marked about 80% of the recipes to try! The next day we went to get the ingredients for a few of the dishes. It was a great success. Computer Man ran to the store to grab one of those uber-convenient rotisserie chickens while I whipped this dish up. The timing was perfect, the flavors simple yet delicious, and the meal totally satisfying!

Prosciutto Tortellini
Source: TOH Pasta

1-19 oz pkg frozen cheese tortellini
1 T flour
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan (the good stuff; not the shakeable junk)
10 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
1-10 oz pkg frozen peas
salt and pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions; cook the peas with the tortellini to take some of the bite off. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine flour and cream until smooth; stir in the cheeses. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Drain tortellini and peas. Add to the cheese sauce. Stir in prosciutto and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a rotisserie chicken or just by itself!

Herbed Chicken and Creamy Orzo

WOW! WOW! WOW! What an easy, delicious, and satisfying dinner this was! I've been busy helping Computer Man get his new business up and running so making an intricate dinner just wasn't in the cards. I knew I had to get something hot on our plates, and quickly too! Well, this dish certainly took center stage. I hadn't even defrosted the chicken and this dinner still came together in about 30-40 minutes. You won't be disappointed by the subtle, yet distinct, flavors this dish has to offer. The chicken remains moist and succulent while the orzo and vegetables act as the perfect accompaniment. All in all, the flavors blend together perfectly and you feel like you're getting a very healthy and appetizing meal at the same time. I wish we would've had a nice cucumber and lettuce salad to go with this to round out the vegetable servings, but, alas, I just didn't follow through! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Herbed Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Source: Annie's Eats

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half like you'd cut a bagel so you have a top half and bottom half [basically, the chicken is getting butterflied but then cut in half totally]
8 ounces orzo pasta
salt and pepper
2 tsp. Herbes de Provence (or do a Google search to find a substitute; garlic salt with parsely would be just fine, too)
3 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 whole shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes UNDRAINED
10 oz. bag of frozen broccoli florets
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese (don't use that junk that you shake onto pizza; get the real stuff)

Boil the orzo according to package directions; make sure you salt the water. Defrost (if you haven't already) the chicken in the microwave while the orzo cooks. Once the orzo is done, drain it and return it to the hot pan; put 1 T of the olive oil on the pasta, mix together, put the lid on and leave it set--you'll come back for it in a bit.

In a large 12- or 14-inch skillet, heat the remaining 2 T of olive oil over medium or medium-high heat. Season the face up side of the chicken with salt and pepper and some of the Herbes de Provence. Transfer the chicken--seasoned-side down--to the hot oil and then season the other side. Saute each side for about 3 minutes. Then, add in the minced shallot and the 1 T of butter; saute the shallot for about 2 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juice and the broccoli florets. Turn the heat up to high so as to bring the tomato juices to a boil. Scrape the pan so that you get all the browned bits of shallot and garlic that may have stuck to the bottom. Cover and let cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked orzo, the cream, and the parmesan cheese. Mix well so the cheese can melt. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately with a crisp green salad and your favorite white wine!

Chicken with Broccoli in White Cheddar Sauce

Okay...I think the rain is getting to me...I had a TERRIBLE night in the kitchen! I guess it happens to the best of us--although I don't consider myself "one of the best." I had a gut feeling something was going to go wrong, but I stayed in the kitchen! I didn't have all the ingredients necessary and my butter kept burning the pan! Argh! Okay, I think I'm over it. Anyways, I love the idea of this, especially because it's from Annie's Eats. But, I just wasn't prepared. I think it had to do with a long day of work, tutoring after work, and trying to do two things at once in the kitchen. I'll put the recipe that I used below, but here's the link to Annie's dish. Good luck--I hope you have more success than I did!

Chicken with Broccoli in White Cheddar Sauce
1 chicken breast, grilled (I used the George Foreman)
8 oz. tube pasta
1 c whole milk
2 c. broccoli florets
6 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Sharp Cheddar: Vermont White)
2 T. butter
1 1/2 T. flour
1-1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 c. of the water the pasta was boiled in

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to the package directions. The last couple of minutes of boiling the pasta, add in the broccoli and let the water come back to a boil for a few minutes. Turn the water off, but don't drain it until the end.

For the cheese sauce, begin by melting 2 T. of butter in a skillet. Add in the minced garlic and move around the pan quickly. Add in the 1 1/2 T. of flour and move around the pan quickly. Don't let any of this burn because you have to start over and it stinks! Add in the milk and let it thicken and begin to bubble. Add in the cheese and stir using a figure eight motion. By this time the pasta/broccoli should be done. Go ahead and drain it, reserving just 1/4 c. of the pasta water. Add that into the cheese sauce to thin it out a bit. Season the cheese sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Return the pasta/broccoli to the pot and pour the cheese sauce on top. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

Mmmmmmmmac n' Cheese n' Dogs!

I grew up with the kind of mother who made sure dinner was homemade and delicious every night and the kind of father who worked hard to make sure there was sufficient funds for food. My sister and I never worried about if there would be enough of the traditional comforts at home, and were grateful that we were occasionally afforded a few luxuries. As a middle school teacher and student myself, I don't have an abundance of time, but I do enjoy making a some favorite comfort foods when the opportunity arises. Enter, Pioneer Woman's Baked Mac and Cheese, the kind of dish that would please my parents: homemade, delicious, cost-effective, and comforting.

I was sifting through the recipes over at Annie's Eats when I stumbled across this fantastic recipe. Now, I love Pioneer Woman immensely, but I've never tried any of her recipes! There's a first time for everything, right?! So, with the husband in class, an empty house, and a grocery cart full of the necessary ingredients, I set off on this cheesy adventure. I loved making this dish; it was relatively simple but did require my full attention. For me, too, it was educational: I have NEVER tempered an egg--EVER! And this recipe required that successfully temper one! It also asked me to use whole milk and lots of it too boot...I hate whole milk...but it was delicious, though not the kind of dish I can make every night seeing as though my ever-expanding waistline cannot afford much more! Finally, it allowed me to make some adaptions to my own tastes, which I think is the mark of any good recipe. Here's the recipe below--with my own addition: 5 sliced hot dogs!

Pioneer Woman’s Baked Mac and Cheese with Hot Dogs!
Ingredients:

5 hot dogs, sliced
4 cups uncooked macaroni (I like small elbow macaroni, but curly pasta or bow ties would be fun!)
4 tbsp. butter--not margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. cheese, grated (I used all cheddar, but I’m sure a combination would be great too)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2-1 tsp. ground black pepper
Dashes of cayenne, paprika, and/or thyme (optional) – (I only used cayenne!)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice hot dogs and boil them and the macaroni according to package directions until slightly firm. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot (perhaps the same pot in which you boiled the pasta so as to save time on dishes later?!), melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly and being careful not to burn. Add the milk to the pot, stir in the dry mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook the mixture for five minutes until very thick. Reduce the heat to low.

Add the beaten egg to a small bowl. Take 1/4 cup of the warm sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the egg. Whisk until smooth. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Mix in the cheese, reserving a handful for topping, and stir until completely melted. Add in salt and other seasonings. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Add the drained cooked macaroni to the pot and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish, top with reserved cheese, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly on top.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats and The Pioneer Woman.

Mmmmm...shredded cheese...

Macaroni and hot dogs getting delicious and creamy!

Voila! A perfectly scrumdidlyumptious bowl of mac n' cheese n' dogs!