Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

My youngest, Nicholas, loves mac and cheese, he often will request it when we're out to dinner.

I found this version of macaroni and cheese and decided to put it to the test with him.  Let's just say that the recipe makes quite a bit and for the rest of the week, he would go into the fridge, pull out the leftovers, dish out a plate for himself and warm it up in the microwave.  He liked it THAT much.

So here you go, a different take on good ol mac and cheese.

Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Taste of Home

Ingredients

* 1 package (16 ounces) elbow macaroni
* 1 cup 2% milk
* 1/4 cup butter, cubed
* 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
* 1 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
* 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby cheese
* 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
* 1/2 cup crushed saltines
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

* Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the milk, butter, dressing mix and seasonings; heat through. Stir in Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses until melted. Stir in sour cream.

* Drain macaroni; stir into cheese sauce with the saltines. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Tacoritos

You may be familiar with this dish or you may not.  Truth be told, I didn't know about these until I saw the recipe in the Taste of Home Cookbook.

After looking at the picture and reading through the recipe, I just knew that this would one be a hit in my house....and it was.

It is SO good, it's a cross between a taco and a burrito, it's creamy, it's filling, it's delicious.

Tacoritos

Credit:  Taste of Home Cookbook 2011

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup butter, cubed
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 4 cups water
* 3 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 pound bulk pork sausage
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 1 cup refried beans
* 8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
* 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* Optional toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced ripe olives and sour cream

Directions

* In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in chili powder and garlic salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
* In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, sausage and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in refried beans; heat through.
* Spread 1/4 cup sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over each tortilla; place 2/3 cup meat mixture down the center of each. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
* Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with optional toppings if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Portuguese Rice Pudding

Revisiting an old favorite of ours.

It makes me think of my greatgrandma and makes me miss her even more.  I remember her standing over the stove with her apron around her waist, stirring and stirring the pot, the scent of lemon peel and cinnamon permeating the air.

Love it and when I'm having a day where I am really missing her, I always make this pudding.

My kids love it too which is always a bonus.

Arroz Doce
(Portuguese Rice Pudding)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 quarts of milk (6 cups)
1 1/4 cup of uncooked white rice
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 cinnamon stick

Over high heat, combine cinnamon stick, sugar and milk. When bubbles form at edges, stir in rice and reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook 60 minutes, stirring often, until rice is tender. Do NOT allow to boil.

Remove from heat, remove cinnamon stick and vigorously stir in beaten eggs, a little at a time, until well incorporated. Pour into serving dish, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and serve warm.
Refrigerate the leftovers.

Now, in my family we let it cool down a bit and then eat it warm, but I have to say that the next day, it tastes just as good cold out of the refrigerator.

Pasta Salad

One of my favorite side dishes is pasta salad and truly there are so many ways to serve it.

I have tried a lot of recipes and different versions to the plain ol' pasta salad.  This one is so good too, I actually found it over at Rosie's Ramblings blog, which I adore.  Go on over and visit her when you get a chance, she has amazing photos.

::Pasta Salad::
Credit:  Rosie's Ramblings

Cook 1 lb. pasta, elbow or rotini
1 can pinto beans
2 cans black olives (I only used 1)
1 head of broccoli steamed
1 onion finely chopped  (I used onion flakes instead)
chopped cheddar cheese ( about half a block ) (I substituted parmesan cheese for the cheddar)

Mix all together well.

Blend:
Half a cup olive oil
1 T mustard
1 lemon juiced
1/2 t oregano
1 T apple cider vinegar

Pour over pasta and mix gently.

  Serve chilled.

Notes:  I only added in one can of olives didn't want it to become overwhelming.  I also used Parmesan Cheese instead of Cheddar and I added in salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Cheesy Hashbrown Chicken

My kids LOVE this and when I say love I mean REALLY love it, it's like I can't even get their faces out of the plates and there's always requests for seconds, and leftovers the next day.

I have to admit, I love it too and so does the hubby.

It's a very simple recipe and pretty versatile, I've made it for a hearty breakfast, I've served it for a quick lunch and even for dinner with a salad.

Cheesy Hashbrown Chicken

1 bag of Potatoes O'Brien
4 slices bacon
2 packages of grilled pre-cooked chicken
salt and pepper, to taste
Shredded Cheese

Cook bacon in the skillet over medium heat until bacon is crunchy.  Remove bacon from skillet and place on a paper towel. When the bacon is cool, break into pieces. Don't drain the bacon fat.

Add the potatoes o' brien and cook until tender, remember to keep an eye on it and stir frequently so it won't stick.

Add the chicken chopped into cubes and the bacon pieces. stir well.

  Remove from heat and add the shredded cheese, cover and let the cheese melt.  Serve immediately.