#39 Macaroni and Cheese

I have only made mac and cheese homemade a couple times, so I was excited to try the recipe in The Homemade Pantry.

Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 6-8

Salt
1 pound penne, macaroni, or shells
Optional: 1 medium head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), plus additional for pan
4 cups whole milk
6 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dry mustard
Ground pepper to taste
1 pound grated Cheddar or a mix of Cheddar and Gruyere
2 cups plain or garlic bread crumbs over high heat.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook for half the time specified on the package. Add broccoli, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes and drain and rince in cold water. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with butter.

3. Bring milk just to a boil in a medium saucepan and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another medium saucepan. Add the flour and whisk over low heat just until the mixture turns a golden and fragnant, about 2 minutes.

Add the hot milk to the flour mixture and whisk well. Add paprika and dry mustard and continue to whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pour the penne and broccoli (I did not use the broccoli) into the baking dish. Pour the cream sauce over the pasta and toss to coat.

Sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese on top, then all of the bread crumbs, then the remaining cheese. Finish with a sprinkling of paprika and some salt and pepper.

 

I forgot the paprika....bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and starting to bubble. Then put it under the broiler for a few more minutes, until it puffs up and turns an even darker golden. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 

This recipe was really good. I forgot the paprika entirely, so I'm not sure what that would have offered to the taste. I also did not include the broccoli, but I think that would be yummy too. My family liked it, for the most part. I paired this dish with a nice garden salad...it was perfect for that vegetarian night we have from time to time.

#38 Freezer Jam

I know way back when I made homemade peanut butter, I also promised to share my homemade strawberry freezer jam as well. It turns out, the pectin I use was really hard to find "out-of-season" so I'm finally getting to it now. I had to ask my mom for some frozen strawberries from her stash. I can't wait till strawberry season to make a lot more, cause we go through jam super fast in my house. I really like freezer jam because it is so easy to make and does not require a ton of sugar and the whole canning process. It tastes more like a fresh strawberry spread instead of sugary jam.

Strawberry Freezer Jam
Makes 2 (8oz.) half pints

1 2/3 cups prepared fruit
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. Ball Real Fruit instant pectin

Do the math to make larger batches but do not exceed 6 jars per batch.

1. Crush strawberries using a potato masher or food processor. Follow directions on the package if you are using a different fruit.

2. Stir together sugar and pectin in a bowl. Add to fruit and stir 3 minutes.

3. Ladle jam into clean freezer jars and let stand 30 minutes.

 

Enjoy! It is that simple. Be prepared, this jam is a much softer set, then you may be used to, but it is soooo yummy. It will keep in the freezer for up to one year. In the fridge it will keep for 3 weeks.

Tip: I use the plastic freezer jars pictured above. You can also use glass jars with straight sides. When filling the jars, leave 1/2 inch headspace to allow for expansion during freezing. I've had a jar containing applesauce crack in the freezer due to filling it too much. I was not happy and I learned my lesson, so for this jam, I find the plastic jars especially made for freezer jam really easy to use.

#37 Potato Chips

So have you ever wondered if I tried one of the Homemade Pantry recipes that absolutely failed???.....well keep reading cause you are about to find out:)

Potato Chips

3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for baking sheets
1 rsp. salt, plus additional for sprinkling
1 1/2 lb. potatoes (any variety), scrubbed, peels on

 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets with olive oil. Fill a large mixing bowl with water and add 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to dissolve.

2. Using a mandoline or food processor with the slicing blade attached, cut potatoes into 1/16 inch slices. As you slice the potatoes, submerge them in the salted water and let sit for 5 minutes.

This is my first time using my new food processors' adjustable slicing blade. I wasn't sure which setting would give me the right thickness, which ended up being my #1 mistake.

3. Remove the potatoes from the water and press in a clean dish towel to dry. Pour water out of bowl, dry it, and return potatoes to the bowl. Toss them with the olive oil and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt.

 

 

4. Spread the potatoes on the prepared baking sheets in as close to a single layer as you can achieve. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees. Rotate the sheets and bake for another 15 minutes. Switch baking sheets and bake again for another 15 mniutes for a total of 45 minutes.The chips are done when they are golden and dry and start to peel off the sheet. Remove the potatoes from the oven to take the chips that are already finished off the sheet. Continue baking until the rest of the chips are done.

 



 

5. When all the chips are done, spread them on paper towels and sprinkle with salt, if desired.

Here are the chips and they were pretty good........but this is only the very few that worked....here are the rest....

Black, gross, nasty, burned chips. I think a couple of things went wrong here.

1. They were not uniform thickness, because of my experimentation with the slicing blade.

2. My oven is not convection. So placing two baking sheets in my oven is always a disaster. I know because I have burned cupcakes trying to do the same thing. I can only put one baking sheet in at a time. I have a gas oven, so I'm not sure if this would be the case with electric.

3. So the end result is that I will never make chips homemade again. We try not to eat chips very often in our house anyway, so when we do, it is totally worth the price and convienence to buy them....especially salt and pepper kettle chips, which are my fave!

#36 Tartar Sauce

This is a handy recipe to have on hand because we love tartar sauce but do not use it very often. Most of the time store-bought sits in the fridge and reaches the expiration date before it is used. Having this recipe means I can make only what we need, when fish is on the menu.

Tartar Sauce
In a small bowl combine 1 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 chopped pickle and 1 tablespoon capers. Season with salt and pepper to taste....I also added a 1/2 tablespoon of sugar to give it a little tanginess. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Makes one cup.

 I chopped the capers a bit cause I didn't think my kids would eat it with those little capers whole...I had to disquise them.

Tartar sauce was great! Kids liked it and it tasted the same as the store-bought, except the ingredients were fresh. Which means it doesn't keep for very long...only about three days. So make just enough to use up.

#35 Fish Sticks

In all my married life I think I have only purchased frozen fish sticks once. I didn't care for them, so we never ate them again. But, most of my kids really like fish, so when I saw this recipe in the Homemade Pantry, I thought they would probably really like it. We typically eat fish on Fridays during Lent, so what a great time to give it a whirl.

Fish Sticks
2 1/2 cups Breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
Ground pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound white fish cut into 1 inch strips (cod, flounder, etc.)-I used cod
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Cooking spray for rack

First cut your fish into strips.

1. Combine the breadcrumbs, salt, paprika and pepper in a shallow bowl and set aside. Pour flour into a shallow bowl, and roll each strip of fish into the flour, then set it on a baking sheet to dry for 20 minutes

2. Put your oil-sprayed rack into an empty baking sheet. Set out your work station- in a line on your counter. I used my Pampered Chef, coating trays which is perfect for this recipe. First comes the prepared floured fish, then dip into the beaten egg whites, then a full dredge into the breadcrumb mixture, and then place onto the oil-sprayed wire rack. Refill breadcrumbs as needed.

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the fish (keep it on the rack) into the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Remove from fridge and bake on the rack and baking sheet for 12-15 mniutes, or until the fish comes apart in flakes.

 

The fish sticks were a big hit.....the whole family loved them and loved the homemade tartar sauce I made to go with them. That I will post tomorrow:)

#34 Car Snack 2 (Sweet Bar)

Time for another snack recipe from the Homemade Pantry....

Car Snack 2 (The Sweet Bar)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey (or Lyle's Golden Syrup, if you can find it)
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sliced almonds ( I used pecans)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra paper for pulling the finished product  out of the pan.

2. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and syrup in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until melted, about 3 minutes.

Add oats, salt, and almonds to the mixture and coat thoroughly.

Transfer to the prepared pan and pat down with spatula.

Bake until the edges darken, about 25 minutes. The mixture will be soft when you take it out of ther oven, but allow it to cool completely before taking out of the pan and cutting into bars.

Store at room temperature in a covered pan, 10 days. Or wrap individually for convenience. Can be stored in the freezer, individually wrapped and in a freezer bag for 4 months.

After my kids tried them, they really liked them and said that they are more like dessert, then a granola bar...I guess that is why they are also called the sweet bar.

#33 Chocolate Ice Cream

As I promised in my Vanilla Ice Cream post yesterday....here is my chocolate. It is so simple and so yummy!

Chocolate Ice Cream
Makes 5 cups

3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted- find the best quality possible
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
pinch salt
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugars and salt. Add milk and using a hand mixer on slow speed or whisk, beat to combine until sugars are dissolved.

 

Stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours, or overnight.

 

 

 

Follow directions for churning your ice cream according to your machine's specifications. I have pictures of the churning process in my vanilla ice cream post. After churning I add the soft churned ice cream to a glass dish and cover with platic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals, before placing the cover on.

 

And there you have it....the best chocolate ice cream you will ever eat. You can also add yummy stuff in the last five minutes of the churning to create different flavors. Like pecans and caramel topping for turtle ice cream. Whatever suits your tastes! Sooooo yummy!

 



 



#32 Vanilla Ice Cream

I was going to wait until summer to make the ice cream, but I got a new ice cream maker and my hubby loves ice cream, so it's not just a summer treat around here. I used the recipe for simple vanilla ice cream that came with my maker.

Simple Vanilla Ice Cream
Makes Five Cups
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine milk, sugar and salt until sugar is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight. Also be sure your freezer bowl has been in the freezer for 24 hours before using it. But of course you will need to follow the directions for your specific ice cream maker.

 

2. Turn on your ice cream maker before pouring in your mixture. Let churn for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Add the 1 Tbsp. of vanilla in the last 5 minutes of churning.

The ice cream will have a soft consistency. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream into an air tight container and place in the freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer for about 10 minutes before serving.

I press plastic wrap directly over the ice cream before adding the cover to prevent freezer burn or ice crystals.

 

Yummy vanilla ice cream with very simple ingredients. It was a big hit with my family! I on the other hand love chocolate ice cream...I will post that one tomorrow:)