Sausage and Macaroni Dinner

I'm never moving again. Someone please remind me I said that.

We are finally settled in our new house but the work just won't quit. Not only do the stack of boxes in the corner need some attention, but so does the over-flowing basket of laundry my family still insists on accumulating.

However, we are slowly working our way towards our new normal. School started last week too, so I hope that my 2 hours of solitude each day (while baby sleeps) will prove productive. As you can imagine, my cooking has suffered immensely during these past few weeks of unpacking. I'm anxious to get settled in my new kitchen and start trying some of the recipes that have been piling up on my Pinterest boards.

This recipe has been a staple in my meal rotation. My mom cut it out of the Chicago Tribune at least 10 years ago. I love it because 1, it's super easy. And 2, because it's just a little different in terms of flavor. But of course, not so "out there" as to repel my children. They love this dish. It also lends itself to a little sneaking-in-of-the-veggies, as some shredded zucchini would definitely go undetected. If you've never bought chili sauce, you'll find it in the general vicinity of ketchup and usually right next to the shrimp cocktail sauce at the grocery store. As a whole the dish is relatively mild, so I often use the spicier version of turkey Italian sausage. If mild is what you are after, then plain ground beef or turkey would be great too. Enjoy!

~Erin

Sausage and Macaroni Dinner

Author: Erin

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground Italian sausage


• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped


• 1/2 onion, chopped


• 2 c. dry macaroni noodles (about 8 oz.)


• 2 c. water


• 1 c. evaporated milk


• 1 c. chili sauce


• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, combine sausage, pepper, and onion. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. When meat is no longer pink drain any excess liquid.


2. Add water and macaroni noodles to meat mixture and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and cook for 14-16 minutes until pasta is tender.


3. Remove pan from heat and stir in evaporated milk and chili sauce.


4. Sprinkle with cheese and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or so until cheese has melted.

3.2.1255

Cajun Turkey Skillet

Here's my constant conundrum... how do you make dinner for a family with such different tastes? A two year old who will only eat noodles, hot dogs or peanut butter & jelly, a four year old who ALWAYS responds to "whats for dinner?" with "yuck I don't like that" and two parents who don't want to eat mac n cheese every night of the week. Well luckily I've found a few quick recipes over the past few years that seem to please everyone. This skillet is one of those!

I originally found the recipe in a Betty Crocker magazine titled "115 Super Simple Recipes". From start to finish this skillet takes about 20 minutes to make. Noodles, cheese, ground turkey (or beef)...what's not to like?? I tell myself that the red bell pepper and cajun seasoning make this a grown-up meal too. :)

Serve with a side salad or some fruit and you'll be ready to go in no time. Perfect for Moms/Dads who work all day or stay-at-home parents who don't have time to spend hours on one meal. I'm almost willing to guarantee a family favorite with this one.

~Wendy

Cajun Turkey Skillet

Recipe Type: Dinner

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground turkey (or ground beef)


• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped


• 2 tsp cajun seasoning (or chili powder)


• 2 c. hot water


• 1 c. milk


• 1 box (5.8 oz) Hamburger Helper cheeseburger macaroni


• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick skillet, cook turkey, bell pepper and cajun seasoning over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the turkey is no longer pink.


2. Stir in hot water, milk and contents of the pasta and sauce mix pouches (from Hamburger Helper box). Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 13 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

3.2.1199

 

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

Allow me to introduce you to the absolute BEST macaroni and cheese you will ever make. Its a bold statement I know, but so true! The recipe looks complicated- it's not. The recipe sounds spicy- it is. No worries though, see the notes section of the recipe for ways to lower the heat factor.

Each week I do my best to plan out dinners ahead of time for Monday-Thursday. I get bored with the same old things so I tend to make at least 2 or 3 new recipes every week. The Food Network magazine is one of my favorite sources for the new ideas. This recipe came from an issue a few years ago. My husband Jason loves buffalo wings so I thought I'd give it a try. After a few modifications I pulled a very yummy looking dish out of the oven and am happy to say we were not disappointed! It was/is awesome, awesome, awesome. I still have it on my dinner menu rotation and think it would be GREAT to take to a potluck.

~Wendy

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

Recipe Type: Dinner

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 7 Tbsp Butter, more for buttering the dish


• 1 lb elbow macaroni


• 1 small onion, finely chopped


• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped


• 1 can white chicken- shredded or chopped


• 1/2 cup hot sauce


• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour


• 2 tsp dry mustard


• 1 c. milk (preferably at least 2%)


• 1 1/2 c. half and half


• 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes


• 2 c. pepper jack cheese, shredded


• 2/3 c. sour cream


• 1 c. panko (regular breadcrumbs will work too)


• 1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese


• 2 Tbsp parsley (fresh preferred but not required)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.


2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and pasta and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes


3. Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion and celery and cook until its soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add hot sauce and simmer until thickened, about another 1-2 minutes.


4. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the milk and half & half- stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. Add in the sour cream and whisk until smooth.


5. Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, top with the chicken mixture and then the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top.


6. Put the remaining 2 Tbsp butter in a medium microwavable bowl- microwave until melted. Stir in the panko (or breadcrumbs), blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbling and slightly browned on top, about 30-40 minutes.


7. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

You can add more or less hot sauce depending on your love of spicy foods. I have also substituted colby-jack or more cheddar cheese in place of the pepper jack to cut down the spice.

If your kids wont like the chicken, cut the chicken mixture part of the recipe in half. When you spread the chicken on top of the macaroni, only cover half the dish, leaving the other half plain macaroni and cheese.

3.1.09

 

Mac N Cheese Soup

If I ever have another baby I've decided that I will not give them macaroni and cheese, hot dogs or peanut butter & jelly until they're at least 5! Okay that's probably an exaggeration, but I swear those are the only three foods my kids will eat now. I could add ice cream and chocolate to that list but for the purpose of this post I'm staying focused on "main course" foods. Every day at lunch and dinner I try (hopelessly) to come up with something else to feed them. I've looked at every Pinterest post out there on "Creative Foods for Toddlers" to no avail. Although, seriously what kid will eat tofu-stuffed pita bread or salad??? One day I saw a recipe for Mac n Cheese soup on a Velveeta cheese box and it piqued my interest. I also decided that the Velveeta cheese box really shouldn't be my go-to recipe source, so I started searching the internet for a good soup recipe. I landed on the Skinnytaste blog. (One of my favorite by the way!) She has a great recipe posted for Mac n Cheese soup. I found it to be a little too skinny, with a bit too much onion so I made some adjustments and came up with this great dinner soup. My husband likes it, I like it and my kids each ate their whole bowl. Wahoo! We have a WINNER that doesn't come from a blue box! So if your family is like mine and Mac n Cheese is the holy-grail of mealtime, try this version out.
~Wendy

Mac N Cheese Soup

Recipe Type: Soup

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 carrots, diced


• 1 celery stalk, diced


• 1 Tbsp minced garlic


• 1/4 c. diced onion


• 2 Tbsp butter


• 2 Tbsp flour


• 1/4 tsp nutmeg


• 3 c. chicken broth


• 1 1/2 c. milk


• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese


• 1 c. chopped broccoli


• 1 c. chopped cauliflower


• 2 c. dry elbow macaroni

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta according to the box directions until cooked al dente. Drain and set aside.


2. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the diced carrot, celery and onion and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir until combined. Add the chicken broth, milk, and nutmeg- whisk until combined. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.


3. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and cook until softened- about 5 more minutes. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally add the cooked pasta and serve.

Notes

You can use any variation of cheese that you would like. I like a combination of cheddar and colby, or even cheddar and pepper jack. I recommend using at least 2% milk. I've used skim and it does work fine, just comes out more watery.
Finally, only add the macaroni when you're ready to serve. If you plan to save some of the soup for later, I would add the macaroni to each individual bowl instead of to the larger pot. Once the noodles are added they start to suck up the broth. If you add the noodles and refrigerate, by the time you eat the soup there will be very little liquid left.

3.1.09