Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Okay making mac and cheese in the instant pot is super easy.  Now you might say box mac and cheese is super easy too.  But box mac and cheese has nothing on this.  

This mac n cheese is not only easy to make but super yummy.  

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 12 oz pasta
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth 
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Add pasta, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder to a 6 qt Instant Pot.  Stir  in 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth.  
2. Use manual setting, pressure to high, and set time to 6 minutes.  When finished cooking, quick release pressure.  
3. Select warm setting.  Stir in heavy cream and Dijon and combine.  Gradually whisk in cheese until melted.  
4. Serve immediately.  

Maple Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

My friends who know me know I have been trying to find a biscuit recipe.  That and that I have a thing for biscuits.  There is just something about a warm biscuit in the morning.  

All the biscuit recipes I have come across call for a food processor.  If you know me and my husband you know he rolls his eyes at another kitchen gadget ... that according to him I will not use after one use.  

But I think I have figured out the secret to biscuits without a food processor.  FREEZE THE BUTTER and then GRATE THE FROZEN BUTTER.  Sounds a little crazy.  BUT if you don't have a food processor this totally does the trick.  The secret to fluffy light biscuits is cold butter.  If you have warm hands you want to touch the dough as little as possible.  

Maple Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 8 slices bacon, diced
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter, unsalted frozen (stick 1.5 sticks of butter in the freezer)
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  
2. In a large bowl, combine bacon, flour cheese baking powder, salt and baking soda.  
3. Grate butter using the large holes of a box grater.  Stir into flour mixture.  
4. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and maple syrup.  Add slowly to flour mixture while folding with a spatula until a soft dough forms.  
5. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1 1/4 inch thick rectangle.  Cut out using a biscuit or cookie cutter.  Or with a knife.  Place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  
6. Remove the biscuits from freezer.  Place into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  

My biscuits probably could have come out the oven a minute earlier.  Next time.  Next time.  These biscuits came out so yummy.  If you have extra bacon laying around throw some butter in the freezer and make these biscuits.  Now I need to figure out how I can freeze the dough so that I can biscuits all the time.  

Keep cooking Friends!

XOXO

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Roll up

El Husbee is in charge of Saturday breakfast and I am usually in charge of Sunday breakfast.  Coming up with different things to eat for breakfast is not as easy as you would image.  On Sunday I decided to make these sausage, egg and cheese breakfast roll ups.  Because we like hot breakfast at this house. 

These roll ups were super easy and I made them while El Husbee and Baby Girl watched Elena for Alvalor. 

This breakfast was approved by El Husbee and  Baby Girl. 

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Roll Up

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

8 fully cooked breakfast sausage links

4 slices cheddar cheese

sale and pepper to taste

Directions:

1)  Heat oven to 350F.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2)  Beat eggs.  Reserve 1 tablespoon beaten eggs to brushing on tops of crescent rolls.  Scramble remaining eggs.  Salt and pepper eggs to taste. 

3)  Cook/heat sausage as directed on package. 

4)  Unroll dough and separate into 8 triangles.  Cut cheese slices in half and place half on each triangle.  Top each with a spoonful of scrambled eggs and 1 sausage link.  Loosely roll up triangles as directed on can.  Place on baking sheet.

5)  Brush reserved beaten egg on top of each crescent. 

6)  Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

These were a hit on Sunday.  Baby Girl ate his and kept saying yummy.  Well except for the sausage part.  I think she is a bacon kind of girl.  El Husbee ate 2.  I think next time I will make some with bacon to make Baby Girl happy.  I packed the leftovers for breakfast for the weekday. 

Keep cooking good food!

XOXO

Cream Cheese Nacho Dip

Sometimes you just want a snack.  We are kinda a big sports family and watch a lot of it on tv.  This also means I am always looking for snack ideas.  I L-O-V-E chips and dip.  Chips are my kryptonite and paired with dip I am in heaven.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and had to try it.  I made a few substitutions by changing out the sour cream with Greek yogurt and adding olives.  Not big changes but more to the taste of my family.

Cream Cheese Nacho Dip
Adapted from A Little North of Crazy

Ingredients:
1 pkg of cream cheese
1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
1 can olives

Directions:
1.  Use a mixer to cream the cream cheese until smooth
2.  Add greek yogurt and taco seasoning and mix well
3.  Spread cream cheese mixture into the bottom of a dish
4.  Top with salsa and then with shredded cheese
5.  Refrigerate for about 30 minutes
6.  Enjoy!

This was super easy to make and the ingredients are normal ingredients that can be found in your pantry or refrigerator.  I am a big fan of homemade food so this is something fast to whip up for any occasion with any additional toppings.  I am thinking next time I will try some fresh jalapeños and tomatoes.

El Husbee and I gobbled this up while watching some Keeping up with the Kardashians.  Don't judge us.

Keep trying new recipes!

XOXO

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

One of my favorite appetizers to get at a restaurant is spinach artichoke dip.  I know it goes straight to my thighs but oh it is so yummy.  So worth running a extra 2, 3, 4 ... 5 miles on the treadmill.  Okay wait!  Maybe not 5 miles!

So what could possibly be as good?  Spinach artichoke dip in pasta form.  O-M-G!  This is amazing.  I have made this 3 times before I could blog about it.  It is drool worthy and worth all the time it takes to make it. 

Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 bags baby spinach
2 can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
2 bottle Alfredo sauce
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese grated
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
Pasta
1/2 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs

Directions:
1.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot or skillet.
2.  Add garlic and throw in the spinach.  Stir it around until it's wilted, about 1 minute.  Remove spinach from heat and set aside.
3.  Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same pot and raise the heat to high.  Throw in the halved artichokes and stir it around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.
4.  Reduce the heat to low.  Add the 2 bottles of Alfredo sauce.  Add Parmesan, mozzarella, salt and pepper.  Stir to melt and add chicken broth until desired consistency.
5.  Add artichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine.
6.  Gently fold in spinach.
7.  Pour the pasta into a serving dish.  Sprinkle the top with crushed red pepper flakes and plenty of Panko breadcrumbs for crunch.

I made this as a test run before Thanksgiving and then made it for the vegetarians in the family for Thanksgiving.  It was a hit among the vegetarians and carnivores.  More and more of my family is turning vegetarian so gatherings are becoming a little tricky.  

Then for Tzu Chi's gingerbread house building party I made this pasta again and one of the little girls ate 3 plate fulls.  I would call this a successful recipe.  That pioneer woman knows what she is doing.

Khloe the pup is as spoiled as ever.  The holidays are her favorite time of the year because she loves to snuggle and in the cold weather everyone welcomes a good snuggle.  Also, my family tends to give her a lot of seafood during this time of the year.  Just over the weekend I think Khloe the pup had over 6 shrimpies during dinner on Sunday.  Granted they were small.  But still spoiled.

Enjoy the holidays friends!

XOXO

Crab and Brie Stuffed Mushrooms

I love when a recipe turns out well and you end up making it again ... and again!  Successful recipes are always something to celebrate about. 

This crab and brie stuffed mushrooms is one of those recipes.  I hate ordering stuffed mushrooms at restaurants because they usually don't give you enough ... especially when you have more than 2 people.  So making this recipe at home is fantastic.  You can stuff as many mushrooms as you can with the filling and put as much filling as you want.  Costco here we come!

Crab & Brie Stuffed Mushrooms
Adapted from Pink Parsley 

Ingredients:
button mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup brie, cubed rind removed
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup lump crab meat

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Remove the stems from mushrooms, chop them finely, and set aside
3.  In a medium bowl, toss the mushroom caps with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then salt and pepper.  Arrange in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet, open side up.  Set bowl aside to use for the filling.
4.  In a medium skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the onions and reserved mushroom stems until softened (about 3-4 minutes).  Remove from heat, stir in the cream cheese and transfer the mixture to the bowl.
5.  Mix in the parmesan cheese, brie, and panko bread crumbs.
6.  Lightly fold in the crab meat.
7.  Season with salt and pepper to taste
8.  Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned and the filling is hot and bubbly.

My family gobbled this appetizer up at Thanksgiving.  I ended up making a huge tray of these and they were gone ... FAST!  Make these.  You will not regret it!

Keep the holiday spirit alive!

XOXO

Bacon Cheese Beer Bread

Ever since my friend Leslie introduced me to beer bread I have been in love.  There is just something about it that makes you want to keep eating.  Oh and beer bread is always so simple to make.

This bread is savory and great with chili, soup or pasta.  I served this bacon cheese beer bread with meatloaf and it was a big hit with El Hubby.

Bacon Cheese Beer Bread
Adapted from:  The Slow Roasted Italian

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup shredded cheese
1 12 ounce bottle of beer
4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray bread pan with cooking spray and set aside
2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar with a whisk.  Make a well in the center.  Add bacon, about 3/4 of cheese and full beer into the well
3.  Stir mixture with a spoon until combined
4.  Pour mixture into prepared bread pan.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.  Bake for 30 minutes
5.  Remove from oven and drizzle remaining melted butter over the top
6.  Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until browned on top and loaf thumps when you tap the top
7.  Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. 

This bread was super yummy.  The cheese I used was a mixture of colby and cheddar and the beer I used was MGD.  Nothing too fancy but the bread turned out well.  El Hubby and I enjoyed the bread with some meatloaf.  This bread was also very good by itself.  We toasted it for breakfast and it was just as yummy.

I am starting to feel that my fur baby is quite spoiled. 

Maybe even spoiled rotten sometimes. 

Lately she has started this thing where she wakes me up in the middle of the night to pet her.  The pup will jump on the bed and repeatedly stick her head under my hand until I wake up.  Then she turns on her back and wiggles until I start to pet her.  El Hubby says I have spoiled her rotten.  Sad!

Continue to eat good food and play with your fur babies.

XOXO

Loaded Beer Bread

What do you do when you have beer left over from tailgating?  You make beer bread!  If you have never had beer bread then you are missing out.   It is quick, easy, and yummy when made correctly.  I have been wanting to try this beer bread on steroids for a while but haven't had the chance.  Since I decided to make pasta I figured there is no better time.

Loaded Beer Bread
Adapted from JavaCupcake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon basil
2 cups cheddar cheese
12 oz beer
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
2.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and herbs.
3.  Add the cheese and mix until incorporated.
4.  Pour 12 oz of beer into the flour mixture and with a wooden spoon mix it until all the ingredients are wet and incorporated.  Do not over mix!
5.  Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
6.  Bake for about 50 minutes, rotating pan after 30 minutes.
7.  About 2 minutes before it is done pour the melted butter over the top of the bread and put back in the oven for the last 2 minutes.
8.  Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing the bread to cool completely. 

This bread came out pretty dee-lish.  A little on the salty side but with pasta it was good.  I will be sticking this recipe in my recipe book.

It's been super cold here in the morning.  I swear it went from 100 degrees to 60 degrees over night.  Not cool!  All this cold weather makes it super hard to get out of bed in the morning.  I mean, who wants to leave a toasty bed for a freezing cold bathroom?  Oh and to make the decision harder is a snuggling pup.  I mean who wants to leave a heat warmer like a pup for a cold bathroom?  No me. 

Keep on cooking my friends and stay warm.  Winter is coming.

XOXO

Turkey Burger

 

What is for dinner on a hot summer day?  Turkey burgers of course.  This is the best burger recipe after a long day at work.  It's simple and fast. 

Ingredients:

1 package of ground turkey

1 package of onion soup mix

lettuce

tomato

Colby cheese

sliced wheat bread

ketchup

Directions:

1.  Mix ground turkey with onion soup mix.  Shape into patties and cook on a griddle.

2.  Clean lettuce and slice tomato

3.  Assembly burgers once patties are cooked.

My worst nightmare is when the husband send me a text asking "what's for dinner?"  Why is it the woman's job to come up with what to eat for dinner?  I work just as long as he does.  Blah!  No fair!  This burger recipe is the perfect solution to dinner making.  The best part is when he asks what's for dinner the next day I reply "leftover burgers?"  Muahahahahah! 

Enjoy!

XOXO

Turkey & Spinach Stuffed Shells

I have never cooked stuffed shells and have always wanted to try.  So here is my attempt at making stuffed shells.

Ingredients:
1 package jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, diced
1 (15oz) container Ricotta Cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tablespoon oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 (10oz) package frozen spinach
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
1.  Cook Shells according to directions.
2.  Drain and squeeze out excess moisture from spinach.
3.  Brown turkey and onions in 2 tablespoon olive oil.
4.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Grease a large baking dish.  Spread 1 cup sauce on bottom of baking dish.
5.  Cream together eggs and ricotta cheese.  Add breadcrumbs, garlic, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt & pepper and mix well.  Then gently fold in the spinach and turkey mixture.  Fill shells with this mixture.
6.  Add shells and cover with remaining sauce.  Top with Mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil.  Bake 30-35 minutes until warmed through and bubbly.

Sometimes I feel that Italian cooks are like Chinese cooks in the way that both slave away all day to make a meal sometimes.  After my first attempt at stuffed shells I have decided this is a lot of work and to think it all gets gobbled up in seconds.  There is a lot of prep work but the dish is very yummy.  This dish was husband approved.  

Enjoy!
XOXO

Crab Mac n Cheese

As a kid raised by Chinese parents I never got to eat mac n cheese.  Friends would talk about mac n cheese in a box.  I would watch the commercials on tv.  But at the grocery store my mom would laugh at me when I held up a box of mac n cheese.  Once I got older my mom did try to make me mac n cheese.  My mom used cheese whiz (yes the kind in a jar) and mixed it with noodles.  Now I am not going to say that it wasn't tasty.  But come on, that is not mac n cheese.  So now that I am older, married, and cooking meals I make mac n cheese.  Oh and know for sure my kids someday will be eating mac n cheese. 

What's more grown up than crab mac n cheese?!?  Okay I know mac n cheese is a kid item.  But with a grown up ingredient such as crab there is no need to be ashamed of eating mac n cheese no more! 

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked pasta
crab
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cups milk
3 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Cook pasta until al dente.  Drain and set aside
3.  Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
3.  Add the onion and cook until tender.
4.  Add flour, salt, dry mustard, and paprika.  Mix well.
5.  Stir in the milk and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
6.  Add 2 cups of shredded cheese and stir until melted.
7.  Toss in the pasta and crab meat.  Pour into baking dish.
8.  Sprinkle remaining cheese.  Bake for about 30 minutes.

This dish is super yummy.  The leftovers are just as yummy.  

Enjoy!
XOXO

Cheese-EE Artichoke French Bread

 For our Father's Day BBQ I knew I wanted to make something different than the over done rice pilaf or garlic bread.  What better to serve than a cheesy artichoke french bread.  I mean, what's classier than artichokes?  Okay maybe caviar.  But what am I, made of gold?

So this was kind of a bold move on my behalf because my mother in law loves bread but hates cheese.  So I was taking kind of a big risk making this bread.  But then, it Father's Day and not Mother's Day, right?  Good thing the bread was a hit otherwise I would of never heard the end of it that night.

Ingredient:
1 french bread
1/4 cup olive oil
1 can of artichokes in water, drained and chopped (14 ounce can)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Cut the french bread in half lengthwise and brush with olive oil
3.   Evenly distribute the garlic and artichoke hearts
4.  Top cheese
5.  Sprinkle bread crumbs on top
6.  Bake for 8 minutes, then heat the broiler and broil for 2 minutes

This bread is so yummy.  It can even be served as a appetizer.  Even the leftovers are yummy.  Now that says a lot.  Also for something that taste so yummy this bread is very easy to make.

Enjoy!

XOXO