All posts by dmariebates

Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Prosciutto

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, ,

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I was talking to a friend recently about cooking and he asked if I had a side dish recipe for broccoli. I just happen to have a broccoli side dish but it was still in my head and not on paper. I figured now was a good time to try it out on my taste testers then share it with my friend and others on dmariedining.com.

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Broccoli salad is one of my personal favorites and I always looked forward to eating it when a close friend would make it for parties. However, I never took the time to make this wonderful dish because I did not think my family would eat it. I didn’t want to have a boat load of broccoli salad left over for days if I made it and no one else would try it.

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Imagine my surprise when my hubby said he would be willing to taste the salad when he saw me preparing the recipe. My hubby is not a big fan of mayonnaise which is another reason I thought he might not like broccoli salad. Although broccoli is the star of the dish it all comes together with the mayo. Fortunately, the broccoli salad recipe I came up with is not too creamy and is complimented by the mayonnaise.

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I must say I held my breath while my hubby tasted the broccoli salad. Again, I was pleasantly surprised when he said he really liked it. He especially liked the taste of the prosciutto with the broccoli and the slight sweetness of the golden raisins.

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For me, the best thing about broccoli salad is that it is good no matter the season. Winter, spring, summer or fall this is a recipe that works all the time.

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Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Prosciutto

Ingredients:
1 ½ fresh broccoli florets
1 tbsp red onion diced
4 bacon slices
3 oz prosciutto
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup miracle whip
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade (Italian dressing optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Juice from 1 lemon

Prepare 4 cups of cold water with ice cubes in a large bowl and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan. Add prosciutto and lightly fry until crisp. Drain, chop and set aside.

Bacon can be oven fried, crisped in the microwave or fried on the stove. Drain, chop and set aside.

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli florets and cook for 3 minutes. Remove broccoli and immediately place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let sit for a couple of minutes then drain. Remove any stray pieces of ice.

In a large bowl add broccoli and pour salad dressing over the broccoli. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently until well blended. Chill for 30 minutes or overnight. Stir salad before serving.

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Green Bean Casserole

Vegetables, , ,

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Green bean casserole has been around for many, many years and I must admit I have never been a fan of this dish. However, when I was thinking about new side dishes for the holidays green bean casserole kept popping up in my head. Probably because it is such a traditional dish and the holidays are all about tradition and family.

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I did not want to necessarily make the “traditional” green bean casserole so I went in search of something a little different. I was inspired by a recipe I saw made by Alton Brown. Instead of using a can of mushroom soup he made a mushroom sauce to compliment the beans. He also used fresh onions as a topping rather than the traditional fried onions in a can. Nothing against canned ingredients but fresh is always better if possible to make.

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I added just a few little twists to Mr. Brown’s recipe to come up with my own version of green bean casserole. After tasting this dish I had to give myself a thumbs up. Who knew I could become a new fan of green been casserole? I sure didn’t!

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Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
2 packages mixed mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup ½ and ½
1 large onion sliced thin
1 shallot sliced thin
2 garlic cloves minced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp and ¼ cup flour
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Juice from 1 lemon
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix onions, shallots and panko bread crumbs in a bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt and olive oil. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread onion mixture on cookie sheet and place in oven. Cook for approximately 20 – 25 minutes until onions and panko bread crumbs are browned. Set aside.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms ½ tbsp salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes then add garlic and lemon juice. Cook for 1-2 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Stir in 2 tbsp of flour then add chicken broth. Mix well and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Slowly stir in half and half milk. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat to let mixture thicken.

In a large pot bring 4 cups of water and 1 tbsp salt to a boil. Add string beans and blanch for 3 minutes. Move green beans to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain water from the beans then place in a large bowl. Season beans with a ½ tbsp salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp of butter and half of the onion mixture and toss. Place beans in a greased casserole dish. Pour mushroom mixture over beans and gently stir to mix. Top with remaining onion mixture and sprinkle parmesan cheese over onions. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

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Red Beans and Sausage with Rice

Meat/ Poultry, Soups/ Salads / Stews, , ,

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I promised my friend Girlie Girl that I would come up with a red beans and rice recipe she could make. I try to keep my promises although I have broken a few in my lifetime. Most of the promises were to myself but still I try to keep promises whether to myself or someone else.

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That being said, I did come up with a red beans and sausage recipe I think she and her hubby will enjoy. Like most of my recipes this one is made to tweak however you want. This can be a strictly meatless dish but I thought I would take it to another level by adding both andouille sausage and smoked sausage. Other Louisiana style recipes I have seen also include sausage or some type of ham. Since my family likes spice and lots of heat in my dishes I added the andouille sausage.

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Girlie Girl is from the mid west but I sometimes think she has the heart of a southerner. She enjoys down home cooking and seems adventurous when it comes to trying different foods. Truth be told I think her hubby does most of the cooking but she likes to eat which I appreciate.

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Red beans and sausage with rice is a great dish that becomes a great meal when you add a little corn bread on the side. Next time your family asks you what’s for dinner tell them red beans and sausage. They won’t be disappointed.

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Red Beans with Sausage and Rice

Ingredients:
1 lb andouille sausage sliced
1 lb smoked sausage sliced
1 smoked turkey leg or 2 smoked turkey wings
2 14 oz cans pinto beans undrained
2 14 oz cans pink beans undrained
1 medium onion diced
1 small green pepper diced
2 stalks celery sliced
4 cups chicken broth

Seasonings
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp cilantro
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Adobo seasoning
1 tsp Cajun seasoning (optional)
1 tbsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 6 oz can tomato paste
4 slices of lemon (seeds removed)
½ jalapeno pepper diced

Place smoked turkey in a pressure cooker and cover with water. Add ½ of a onion sliced. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes to tenderize the turkey. If you are not comfortable using a pressure cooker, cook the smoked turkey in a large pot for 1 to ½ hours until the turkey is tender. Cool the turkey then pull the meat off the bone. Set aside and reserve broth from the turkey to add to the beans.

Add beans, veggies, seasonings, 4 cups of the smoked turkey broth, lemon slices and sausage to a crock pot. Add the turkey meat then stir to combine all of the ingredients. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hrs until the beans are tender and the sausage is cooked. Stir in tomato paste ½ way through cooking.

This dish can also be prepared in a large pot using the same steps as above. Beans and sausage will cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until tender.

Serve with brown or white rice.

 

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Chocolate Crunch Bars

Desserts, , , ,

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Anyone who really knows me knows I love good dark chocolate. It is the one sweet treat that is hard for me to pass up. I was looking through an old magazine recently and saw a recipe for a classic treat made with saltine crackers. I did not remember ever experiencing crunch bars but the picture looked wonderful.

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I was inspired to try making this tasty looking treat because of the dark chocolate and nuts. Of course I put my own spin on the recipe. I like saltines but I don’t like a lot of salt. I am one of those folks that scraps all the salt off of soft pretzels before I eat them. So, to make this treat I substituted graham crackers for the saltines.

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I also mixed up the nuts just because I like both walnuts and pecans. The two of them mixed together along with the dark chocolate gave the treat a nice rich flavor.

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Decedent, nutty and not too sweet. Chocolate Crunch Bars are a light treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth without a ton of calories.

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Chocolate Crunch Bars

Ingredients:
12 whole graham crackers
1 semi – sweet baker’s chocolate bar chopped
½ cup pecans chopped
½ cup walnuts chopped
1 stick of butter
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ tsp cayenne (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with foil and set aside.

Heat butter and brown sugar over low heat until butter is melted and blended with sugar. Bring to a low boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour mixture evenly over graham crackers. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate over hot crackers to melt. Spread chocolate over graham crackers with the back of a spoon then sprinkle with nuts. Let cool completely. To speed up the process, cover with wax paper and let chill in refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. Separate bars and store in a plastic container in the refrigerator.

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Sweet Potato Stuffing with Pumpkin Croutons

Uncategorized, Vegetables, , ,

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The holidays will soon be here so I have been trying out new recipes to bring in the season. Although stuffing is appreciated any time of the year, it graces most tables during the holidays. I absolutely love eating stuffing! I usually cut back on eating breads and sweets well in advance of Thanksgiving just so I can pig out on my mom’s cornbread stuffing.

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This Thanksgiving I thought I would give my mom a run for her money and make a stuffing that had fewer calories but was still full of flavor. I came up with the idea of a sweet potato stuffing while shopping at Trader Joe’s and saw a big display of Pumpkin Cornbread Croutons. The thought of sweet potatoes and pumpkin just seemed like a natural combination.

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The great thing about this recipe is that it very basic. As I have said on other occasions keeping it simple usually works best. I found the croutons provided a lot of spice so there was no need to add a lot of other seasonings. Salt, pepper and nutmeg was all that was needed to bring out the wonderful deep flavors of sweet potato and pumpkin.

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As usual, I used my family as guinea pigs to try out this new dish. I served the stuffing with pork chops and greens beans and had smiles all around. So, this Thanksgiving there will be extra stuffing on the table. We just won’t tell my mom.

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Sweet Potato Stuffing with Pumpkin Croutons

Ingredients:
8 oz pumpkin cornbread croutons (Trader Joe’s)
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a medium non-stick frying pan. Add onions, celery, salt and pepper.. Saute until veggies are soft. Set aside.

Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 25 – 30 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and golden.

In large bowl add croutons, sweet potatoes, celery and onions. Gradually, add chicken broth to stuffing mix until croutons are softened and stuffing is well blended. Place mixture in a greased casserole dish. Dot the top with remaining butter. Bake for 30 minutes.

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Tortilla Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, , , ,

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For me and my family, soup is always a good go to comfort food. I can eat soup any time of the year while others only like it during the cold weather months. The type of soup I eat may depend on the time of year. I like thick creamy soups when the weather is cold and lighter soups like Chicken Corn Chowder when the weather is warm.

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Some of the soups I create are based on what is in season at the time I have a desire to make a big pot of soup. Tortilla soup, I think, is one you can make any time of the year because is light yet filling. In the summer, you can use corn fresh off the cob or carrots out of your own garden. In the winter, you can use canned corn and you can still get fresh carrots from the grocer.

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Soups like any other dish can be dressed up or dressed down. The first time I made Tortilla Soup I dressed it up by adding chicken to turn it into a meal. On other occasions I have used only beans and vegetables in the soup so that it was more of an appetizer or side dish.

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However you decide to make Tortilla soup, I am sure you will find it full of flavor if you follow my basic recipe. Top it off with homemade cheese tortilla strips and you will definitely have another winning dish to add to your cooking repertoire.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb cooked chicken breast cubed
1 medium jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
1 14 oz can corn drained
2 14 oz cans black beans rinsed
1 14 oz diced tomatoes
1 12 oz container of fresh salsa (hot or mild)
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp fajita seasoning
½ medium white onion diced
½ medium red onion diced
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp Adobo seasoning
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp parsley

Place all ingredients in a large pot and cook on medium high heat for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 more minutes. Turn off heat. Top with mozzarella cheese, pepper jack cheese or toasted sliced tortilla strips.

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Lemon Squares

Desserts, , ,

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Lemony is the best way to describe my new lemon squares recipe. I like the taste of lemon although I could never actually suck on a lemon the way my cousin JB did when we were kids. It would make my mouth pucker just watching him suck on lemons and then eat them without flinching.

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I call this a new recipe because my original recipe had a little too much sugar in it. I think I was trying to counter the lemon flavor to make sure no one’s mouth would pucker up. However, that did not work since my taste tester’s mouths puckered up from too much sugar.

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Now I think I have a healthy balance between the lemon and the sugar with a nice lemony finish for the taste buds. I was surprised at how easy it was to create these tasty little treats. There are only a few basic ingredients which are staples in most households. Lemons, sugar, eggs, butter and flour. Throw in a few flavors like vanilla or almond extract and you have yourself a lemon square.

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I have said on other occasions that I am not a baker but after making lemon squares, pumpkin spice cupcakes and few other desserts I may have to stop saying it. I am becoming a decent baker and I actually enjoy it. For anyone who doubts their baking abilities remember, if I can do it so can you. Just give it a try and don’t give up the first couple of times if you fail. Keep trying and one day you may call yourself a decent baker like me.

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Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 stick of butter room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, sugar and softened butter in a bowl until a dough is formed. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Press dough in the bottom of the baking pan and slightly up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes until light golden brown.

Filling:
4 eggs room temperature
1 tbsp lemon zest
Juice from two lemons
2 tbsp lemon curd
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups sugar
½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour over warm crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is set (jiggles just a little). Let cool completely then sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into squares and wrap individually with plastic wrap.

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Chicken Enchiladas

Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , ,

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I was chatting with my youngest son the other day about ideas for the blog and he told I needed to come up with a few ethnic dishes. I already had a few ideas in the back of mind but decided I would try to create an ethnic dish using ingredients I had on hand.

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There are certain staples I keep on hand because I use them in a number of dishes. Things like onions, various hot peppers, fresh salsa and cheese. While I was looking through the pantry and cabinets I realized I could create my own quick version of chicken enchiladas. I happen to have tortillas and pre-cooked chicken that was meant for another dish but that one could wait.

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Although I am mostly a northeastern girl with southern roots, I appreciate and enjoy all types of foods. Hispanic foods are often spicy and always full of flavor which reminds me of the foods I grew up with. Hot sauce was always on the table growing up and hot peppers were infused in a lot of my mom’s recipes that I love.

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Chicken Enchiladas is one of those easy go to recipes you can prepare whenever you have run out of ideas on what to make with chicken for the third time in a week. Try it. I know you will like it.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
10 oz pre-cooked chicken roughly chopped
6 medium sized tortillas
1 large shallot or 1 small onion sliced
4 medium jalapeno peppers sliced thin (remove seeds for less heat)
½ cup fresh salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese or sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bottle of enchilada sauce (Trader Joe’s)
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray long baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan then add onions and sliced jalapeno peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Saute veggies until soft. Set aside.

Take one tortilla and layer a small amount of cheese, veggies and chicken in the middle of the tortilla. Gently fold over the tortilla then fold in the sides towards the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in a long baking dish. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas then top with salsa and cheese. Bake for approximately 15 minutes to melt cheese.

 

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Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , ,

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For a while now my hubby has been asking me to make a “brothy” soup. My most recent soups have been thick and rich like my Carrot soup and my Leek and Potato soup.

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Vegetable soup seemed a simple choice but I wanted to make a soup that reminded me of the fall weather and colorful changing leaves. I love to see the trees speckled with orange, red and green leaves. That was the inspiration for the butternut squash and mixed baby kale soup. The soup is full of fall colors from the orange of the butternut squash, the red of the tomatoes and the bright green leaves of the mixed baby kale.

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I know. Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup is a long name. But, it would have been even longer if I added the names of some of the other ingredients that make this soup so delicious. I added Daddy’s to the title because my hubby claimed it to be his soup once he tasted it.

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Butternut squash is quickly becoming one of my favorite vegetables. It is great all by itself or tastes even better when paired with vegetables like sweet potatoes or in this case mixed baby kale. The sweetness of the butternut squash along with the slightly bitter kale and spicy Italian sausage created a wonderful combination of flavors that swirl in your mouth.

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It’s the little things in life that often inspire us whether it is leaves changing colors in the fall or a nice pot of hearty soup.

Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian hot sausage
2 14oz cans of cannellini beans rinsed
1 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes
2 bags mixed baby kale
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 medium red onion diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp thyme
3 lemon slices
In a dutch oven or large pot brown sausage then drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Pour off grease from the sausage and add olive oil to the pot. Add onions and Add broth, water, seasonings and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Add beans, tomatoes, sausage, butternut squash and lemon slices. Stir and cook for 25 minutes. Add baby kale and cook an additional 10 minutes then turn off heat. Serve with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese.

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Macaroni and Cheese

Pasta and Grains, , ,

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Macaroni and cheese is one of the best comfort foods ever made. Recipes for mac and cheese have been passed down from generation to generation. My family is no different. My mom passed on her mac and cheese recipe to me when I started learning how to cook. I am sure it is the same recipe my grandmother passed on to my mom and her sisters.

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Tradition is important when it comes to family and cultures. Without traditions our histories would not be as rich and wonderful. We would not know or understand the meaning of true love, sacrifice and success. Yes, traditions are important and each family has at least one tradition that is passed on and on. However, as new families are created so are new traditions.

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Although I have made my mom and grandmother’s mac and cheese for years, I recently decided to try a new recipe. I was inspired by a show on Food Network where Giada  featured a macaroni and cheese dish she loves. Giada’s macaroni and cheese included fontina cheese among other cheeses. I had never considered using fontina cheese in my mac and cheese. Fontina cheese is a semi-soft Italian cheese that has a rich and creamy texture with a slightly nutty flavor. My traditional mac and cheese called for extra sharp and sharp cheddar cheese period.

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New traditions call for new ingredients. My new mac and cheese includes five different cheeses. After all, the main attraction in macaroni and cheese is the cheese. Bringing together several different cheeses raised the flavors to a new level of goodness. Also the various textures of cheese which were hard, soft and semi-soft made the dish extra creamy.

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I will always love my mom’s mac and cheese but with my family I am creating new traditions to pass on to my children and grandchildren.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups medium pasta shells
5 oz Gruyere cheese grated
3 oz fontina cheese grated
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
¼ cup pepper jack cheese grated
3 tbsp Velveeta cheese cubed
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp pasta water
¾ cup half and half
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare pasta according to package adding 1 tsp of salt to the water. Drain and reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Stir 1 tablespoon of butter into the pasta to coat. Season with black pepper.

Spray a medium casserole dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle a tablespoon of each cheese in the bottom of the casserole dish. Add half of the pasta and half of the cheese. Add remaining pasta and cheese. Pour half and half along with 2 tablespoons of pasta water over cheese and stir to mix cheese into pasta. Make sure cheese is well blended into the dish. Sprinkle a little cheddar cheese and paprika on the top of the dish. Bake for approximately 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

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