Mac'N'Cheese

This is another recipe that comes a-dime-a-dozen, but it is treasured in this house and worth sharing.  I think it originally came from a Betty Crocker book?  I had a copy written on a recipe card from my mother-in-law since my bridal shower, and it has been committed to memory for years.  When my kids will eat nothing else, they will eat this.  It takes less than 20 minutes start to finish.  You can change it up to keep it interesting, and the leftovers do well microwaved with a teaspoon of milk or baked until crispy on top.  I have made this meal AT LEAST once a week for the last 9 years.

Macaroni and Cheese

1/4 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups milk
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
16 oz. elbow or small shell macaroni noodles

Prepare pasta as directed.
Over medium heat melt the butter.  Add the salt and pepper, and stir in the flour until smooth and bubbly.  Add the milk, increase heat to high, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the cheese, reduce heat to medium and stir until melted and mixed.  Pour over pasta.  TA-DA (as my girls would say).

Some variations:

Substitute chopped onion and garlic for the salt and pepper, or try tomatoes, hot dogs or pepperonis.

Peach Mustard Pork Tenderloin

A rookie on the dinner roster, this became an instant favorite for two reasons: 1) It's easy, and 2) My kids will happily eat it.

Peach Mustard Pork Tenderloin
2/3 cup peach preserves
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Olive oil
Pinch of ground thyme
1/4 tsp. Salt
About 1 1/2 pounds Pork tenderloin

Mix all of the ingredients in a big zipper bag, add pork and marinade in the fridge for at least an hour.  Preheat your oven to 450.  Remove pork, shake off the marinade, and place it in a roasting pan.  Bake uncovered about 30 minutes (check done-ness with your meat thermometer).  While your pork is roasting, pour the marinade into a saucepan and bring it to a boil for 1 minute.  Allow it to cool.  Once your pork is cooked through, let it stand for 5 minutes, then cut it into slices and pour the marinade over it.

Note: I might try to microwave some peaches in water until soft and serve them with this next time...

Pizza Night!

I'm updating this post, because Saturday Pizza Night has become quite the event in our house these days!  In addition to making my dough, I have started to stretch my own mozzarella cheese (I'll post that later, but you can find great video tutorials online) and make own sauce.  My girls LOVE pizza night, although they still prefer the store-bought cheese, leaving more of the fresh for my husband and I.  :)  By making a batch-and-a-half of this dough recipe and 1 batch of sauce, I can get 4 small personal pizzas for my girls (which they "decorate" themselves), and a 14" for us.   Then there is a third leftover, which I leave in the fridge until Sunday afternoon and we make another pizza for dinner that night.  (just to give you an idea of the quantities it will all yield)

Pizza Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. (or packet) of yeast
1 1/8 cups room-temperature water
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Toss it all in your mixer bowl, and (with the kneading hook attachment) let it go at a speed 1 for about 2 minutes, then at 2-3 for another 30 seconds.  Finish it out with a minute of hand kneading to make sure it's well-mixed.  Let it rise is a greased bowl for about and hour and a half.  After you top it, bake it at 375 for about 20-25 minutes.

I LOVE my sauce recipe, because it's basic and versatile.  I can make it 20 minutes before it goes in the oven, or add more water and let it simmer all afternoon for the best flavor.

Pizza Sauce
6 oz. Tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Vinegar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Dried Basil (use fresh if/when you have it!)
1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Minced garlic (I usually add a bit more)
For fast prep add 1 1/2 cups water, for a few hours of simmering add 2 1/2 cups water.
Stir it all together in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and reduce to simmer.  I cover mine.

There is NOTHING like home-made pizza.