Spicy Pimiento Cheese

This recipe is for use in the Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

What you need:
1 cup mayo
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (although next time I'll use more)
1 8oz block Monty Jack cheese with peppers, shredded
1 8oz block Colby cheese, shredded
1 4oz jar diced pimientos, drained

What you need to do:
In a large bowl, combine mayo, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir in cheese until blended; gently stir in pimientos. Store in fridge up to 1 week. Makes 4 cups.

Spicy Macaroni and Cheese

Paula's new mag has a whole section on pimiento cheese. This macaroni is based off her Spicy Pimiento Cheese Recipe. I made the pimiento cheese on Sunday and used it in the macaroni on Tuesday. It keeps for a week.

What you need:
1 16 oz package elbow macaroni
1 recipe Spicy Pimiento Cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup shredded Colby cheese
1/4 cup shredded Monty Jack cheese with peppers (I used Pepper Jack)

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13x9 baking dish. Cook pasta, drain. In a large bowl, gently combine hot pasta and pimiento cheese until blended and place in prepared baking dish spreading into an even layer. In a medium bowl, combine egg, milk, cream, s&p stirring until blended. Pour egg mixture over pasta mixture in the dish and sprinkle with shredded cheeses. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (letting it stand is important bc it needs to congeal a little after it comes out of the oven, otherwise its a little runny.)

Spinach and Ziti Pasta

This is another recipe of Rachael's. She got it from Rachael Ray. Looks awesome too! Thanks Rach!

What you need:
1 lb ziti (i use penne)
1-1.5 lbs ground beef
1 med onion chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 boxes frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 T butter
3 T flour
2 c milk
few grates fresh nutmeg (i use powder)
1 cup grated Parmigano Reggiano cheese (this is important- if you can't find it get a good aged parmesian)

What you need to do:
Boil pasta in salt water, drain. At the same time in large skillet brown meat, add onions and garlic. (6-7 mins) add spinach. In another skillet melt butter, sprinkle with flour over butter, cook 1 minute. Whisk milk into butter mixture on med high heat. cook until liquid has thickene. Add nutmeg, s and p. Add Meat/onion mixture with pasta and sauce. Mix well. Place in cassrole dish and top with cheese. Broil until golden brown.

Chicken with Skillet Gravy

This is one of Rachael's that she got from Catherine. It looks delicious and I can't wait to try it!

What you need:
1/3 c fine dry seasoned bread crumbs
2 T grated Parm cheese
1/2 t paprika
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T milk
4 skinless boneless chx breast halves (i just bought the thin ones)
2 T cooking oil
3 T all pupose flour
1/4 t dried sage, crushed
3 T butter
1 14oz can chx broth

What you need to do:
1) In a shallow dish combine bread crumbs, cheese, and paprika; set aside. In another shallow dish combine egg and milk. Sprinkle chx pieces with salt and ground black pepper. Dip chx into egg mixture then into crumb mixture to coat.
2) In a 12 inch skillet heat oil over M-H heat. Add chx and reduce to medium. Cook until no lnger pink.
3) Stir flour and sage into melted butter in skillet. Add broth. Cook and stir over med heat until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 1 min. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with gravy.

Suggested side: homemade mash potates (w/ chx gravy)

Oven Fried Chicken Skewers with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce

Made this for dinner last night along with the spicy macaroni and cheese. Both were great. And both were Paula Deen of course. :) These are in her Tapas section so they're supposed to made while entertaining, but I just made them for dinner!

What you need:
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko (japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 chicken breast tenders, cut in half lengthwise (what you see in the picture is just those precut, pretrimmed chicken tenders, not cut in any way, hers are smaller in her magazine)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 inch wooden skewers

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. In shallow dish, combine bread crumbs and panko. In another shallow dish, combine flour and salt. Dredge each chicken in flour mixture, then eggs, then bread crumbs. Thread each breaded chicken strip onto a 4 inch wooden skewer (I just used 8 inch bc thats what I already had). Place skewers on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is done. (I probably cooked mine for like 18 or so minutes and they were still so moist and tender.)

For Sauce: In a small saucepan, heat butter and garlic over medium high until butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice. Serve skewers with sauce.

Song of the Day

Liar - Mumford & Sons

Chicken Chesapeake

Happy 2011 everyone! I had today off so I browsed my new Paula Deen magazine and made this. It was delicious!! I just made a salad with it and served it over Uncle Ben's ready rice that takes 90 seconds in the microwave.

What you need:
8oz lump crabmeat, picked free of shell (I just used imitation crabmeat and didn't have to worry about shell)
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (abt four pounds), cut in half --- I actually just used 3 chicken breasts, 2 pounds, and sliced them in half. It was plenty, I don't recommend using all 6 chicken breasts
1.5 teaspoons salt, divided
1.5 teaspoons pepper, divided
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 (8oz) package sliced baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup minced green onion
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese, softened
Hot cooked rice

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with Pam and sprinkle evenly with crabmeat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt two tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from pan, and place over crab in baking dish.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and green onion; cook for 5-6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add wine, and cookfor 5-6 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in chicken broth and cream, and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Pour mixture over chicken and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. serve over rice. Sprinkle with ground black pepper before serving if desired.

You can make this dish ahead, but must bake and serve within two days.