Beans and Macaroni

March 28, 2011 By 8 Comments

This is a quick and easy recipe that is a perfect meatless meal for Lent (or any time!):

Recipe: Beans and Macaroni

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 10 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 10 oz can cannelloni beans
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • olive oil
  • basil, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Line medium saute pan with oil and saute garlic until translucent.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
  3. Simmer together for about 1/2 hour.
  4. Add to cooked macaroni and stir to coat/combine.
  5. Serve with salad and/or crusty bread.

(Linked to recipe roundtable.)

Other Recipes you may enjoy:

Ten Meatless Meals

Shepherd’s Pie

Dump Cake

 

 

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Marie’s Macaroni and Cheese

March 14, 2011 By 2 Comments

This is my sister-in-law’s recipe. I know there are a lot of mac & cheese recipes floating around, but I like this one because it is relatively quick, it’s easy and very tasty.

Recipe: Marie’s Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb box of medium shell pasta
  • 1 lb freshly sliced yellow American cheese from the deli counter (Using the packaged or Velveeta cheese won’t work at all)
  • 4 cups whole milk (Don’t go lower than 2% for this)

Instructions:

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, Whisk the cheese a little at a time into the milk over medium-low heat until all the cheese is melted and thoroughly combined with the milk.
  3. Dump the cooked pasta into a 9×13 dish that was prepared with cooking spray (to help prevent sticking).
  4. Pour the melted cheese mixture over the pasta and mix to coat the pasta.
  5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden.
  6. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Quick Notes:

  • We like the top of our macaroni and cheese extra crunchy; so, after the 30 minutes are up, I will put it under the broiler for a couple minutes (watching carefully!) until its a deep golden color and a few of the macaroni are “burnt” looking. 🙂
  • You can put the pasta and cheese mixture together earlier in the day, cover and refrigerate or let sit until you are ready to bake it off.
  • For a meaty variation, add a pound of cubed ham or cooked sausage before baking.

(Linked to Recipe Roundtable.)

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Dump Cake

Ham and Cabbage

Fruit Tarts

 

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Macaroni and Cheese

November 15, 2010 By 4 Comments

mac and cheese

As tempting as it can be to grab the boxed macaroni and cheese off the shelf (especially when you can get it for .50¢ or less per box!), it is so worth it to make your own. Besides being healthier, it tastes a million times better as well! Here’s a simple recipe that is loved in our family. (As a matter of fact, when I lived in OH and used to bring meals for new moms in our local mom’s group, the moms would often request that I make this!)

Recipe: Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 pound yellow American cheese from the deli counter
  • 4 cups whole (or 2 %) milk
  • 1 pound box shell pasta
  • 1 pound ham, cubed (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta shells according to package directions until they are cooked al dente.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the cheese in the milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they come together into a creamy mixture.
  3. Drain the pasta and put into a 9×13 prepared pan (to help keep the cheese of sticking).
  4. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and mix  to combine and coat pasta.
  5. If using, add the ham cubes and mix to combine and distribute the ham throughout the dish.
  6. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and it is “crispy” on top.

Quick Notes

  • Don’t use the cheese singles (such as Kraft) in this recipe. It doesn’t work AT ALL.
  • Use only whole or 2% milk. It really makes a difference.
  • For extra texture and crispiness, sprinkle a little dried bread crumbs on top before putting dish in the oven.
  • Or, like I do sometimes, put the dish under the broiler for a couple of minutes, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.
  • One more thing: you may want to put the pan on a baking sheet before putting in the oven for easy clean up. I’ve had the bubbly cheese overflow the pan on occasion! 😛

Microformatting by hRecipe.

You can serve this as a side dish or a main dish. I serve this a lot during Lent (without the ham, of course), with a salad. Enjoy!

Other recipes you may enjoy:

corn pone

deviled eggs

Tasty Fruit Tarts

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