BBQ Mac and Cheese Pie

This easy dinner is comfort food for the gkids.   Big K asked me to make it this morning; only he described it as that thing you make that you cut like a cake and it has red strips of skinny things in it.  I tried all morning to show him pictures of what I thought he was thinking - from Chow Mein to Meatloaf.   Finally I found just the right thing!  YEAH THAT'S IT!  

Recipes:

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese which is also a favorite just by it's little old self.   In fact today I had a serving or two left over that were delish for lunch!

Ingredient

    8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni

    2 cups chicken broth

    1 Tablespoon Butter

    1/2 t. hot sauce

    1/2 t. garlic powder

    1/4 t pepper

    1/4 t salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 - 1/2 cup of milk

Directions:

1. Add the uncooked macaroni, chicken broth, butter, hot sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to the Instant Pot.

2. Place the lid on the pot and set to sealing.  Cook on manual function, high pressure for 5 minutes.  Then do a quick release.

3. Add the milk, then the cheese to the pot in 3-4 handfuls, stirring in between each addition until smooth and creamy.   Season as necessary to taste. 

**The Mozzarella can get a bit stringy, if you don't like that texture, just use more of the cheddar cheese.

BBQ Pulled Pork

This is so easy I hesitate to tell you.   I buy the package of Pulled Pork from Costco and for this recipe I use half a package.  I put the whole package in the Instant Pot  (I put it a vegetable steamer basket) and add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pot---yes I have 2!   Cook it for 30 minute from frozen.  When finished I let it natural release, remove the meat, drain the water, and shred the meat back in the pot.  Then pour a bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce over it.   I take half of it out and freeze it for another meal.   

Assembly:

I use deep dish pie crust that are in the freezer section of your local grocery store.  Let them thaw while you are preparing all the fixings.   Then put a layer of the mac and cheese on the bottom, followed by the layer of bbq pulled pork.  Top with the second crust.   At this point you can put it in the fridge covered with plastic until you are ready to bake it or bake immediately.   

BAKING:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Remove Plastic.
3. Brush w/ light egg wash for extra golden crust — optional
4. Baking from thawed: 45-60 minutes or until warmed through. Cover crust with foil if too browned before fully baked.

Are We Hibernation?

Today my order from Honeybee Beehive Meals arrived.    I am so excited to try this food option.   10 meals packaged/frozen and into the freezer ready for the day I need them.  It is packed well, with the pasta and rice in their own packages and the frozen rolls look perfect.  

Meals for this delivery included:

Honey Sesame Chicken

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta

Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Salsa Verde Pork Tostadas

Carne Asada Tacos

Sausage Penne Pasta

Vegetarian Chili Mac

As I unloaded the cooler and put it all into the freezer Big K said...."What is this?"   "Are we hibernating or something?"  

Maybe so, but I quickly got the crock pot down from it's storage place and put Honey Sesame Chicken on to cook for the day.   

Dinner will be served with Asian Chopped Salad and Broccoli side dishes!   I'll update after the meal!

 

Today is Rosemary Bread Day

 This is my version of the recipe, there are many on the net, I tweaked until I got the fine-tuned recipe I'm in love with. It takes some work, but the aroma and comfort that come from the oven makes it all worth every minute.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water, warm 110 degrees

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons yeast

4 1/2 cups bread flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Cornmeal ---to sprinkle on baking sheet

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Directions:

Mix the water, yeast, and sugar together with 1/2 cup of the flour and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil and garlic together over low heat for two minutes to lightly cook the garlic; do not brown.

Combine all remaining ingredients and mix until a stiff dough is produced; knead for 6 to 8 minutes....lucky me I have a Kitchenaid....thanks mom!

Place the dough in a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap; or towel; let rise for 1 hour or until

double in bulk. Note if you lightly oil the dough before covering with plastic wrap, it will be easier to remove from the bowl without sticking after it has risen.

On a floured surface, divide the dough into two equal parts and form into two round loaves by shaping them with your hands. Place on baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for thirty minutes.

Gently remove the plastic wrap without pulling on the dough, pierce the dough directly in the center with a sharp knife or other pointed implement. Push firmly from the top of the dough all the way to the bottom of the pan, quickly remove the knife or implement.

Immediately place the dough into the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on wire racks.

Yields 2 loaves.....Enjoy with seasoned dipping oil.

Sour Cream Cookies

I have been making these cookies since 1974 and I want to tell you that my anxiety about making them is extremely high.....Maybe it’s because the dough can be finnicky and trying to cut it into those cute school buses and even circle shapes without leaving half of the dough behind in the cookie cutter gives me anxiety.

But today Big K wanted to help me in the kitchen so I said - Sour Cream Sugar Cookies it is!

Recipe: 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

2 t. baking powder

1 t. vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

Cream together butter and sugar, then add eggs 1 at a time and mix well.  Add sour cream and mix until well blended.  

Sift together salt, soda, baking powder and flour.   Add to the creamed mix.  Add vanilla and mix just until well mixed.   Dough will be very soft and sticky - no worries anymore I used to roll them out but today I landed on a new trick...

Roll about 3 T into a ball and place on a cookie sheet.  Spray the bottom of a glass with cooking spray and then dip into a plate coated with a thin layer of sugar.  Press each ball down slightly to get it the correct thickness.  Not too thin because these cookies are best when they are thick and soft. (This step totally released my anxiety about cleaning up a mess of dough and flour on my counter tops!  Now there will be many more days of making this deliciousness!)

Frost with your favorite!   I use butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream and a drop of food coloring!   

 A couple keys to success for the perfect sour sugar cookie is to:

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST Sour Cream SUGAR COOKIES

• Do not melt the butter! The butter needs to be softened (at room temperature), but using melted butter will ruin the cookies.
• Spend a little extra time when you mix the butter/shortening and sugars. Creaming them together for 2-3 minutes will improve the consistency of your cookies.
• I always use eggs at room temperature as well.
• Make sure that you don’t press the cookies too thin! You want them to be about 1/4 of an inch thick. If the cookies are too thin, they will get crispy and not be the deliciously thick and soft cookies that you are hoping for!
• Preheat the oven. This will help your cookies turn out right every time!
• Make sure not to over bake your cookies.  They may not even look totally done on the tops, but if the bottoms start to brown, I take mine out and they are perfect!
• Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Doing this will make it really easy to remove the cookies from your cookie sheet so that you don’t have to scrape them off the pan – they will just slide right off in perfect shape!

#GIRLDAD