Baked Macaroni and Cheese by Alton Brown

[lotrangel17.livejournal.com]

I found this recipe years ago when I watched Food Network religiously and it's the one I use the most.

Ingredients

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard (I don't use this when I make it)
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf (or this)
1/2 teaspoon paprika (or this)
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use regular salt)
Fresh black pepper

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

~~~

Most of the time I make it with the breadcrumbs on half because my oldest doesn't like them but the panko breadcrumbs are very crunchy and they go good with the gooey cheese - so you could make it without the topping and it would still taste fine.

My Cottage Pie

[chaotic-binky.livejournal.com]

My Cottage Pie

This cottage pie is nearly traditional, but for a couple of additional ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 lb or 500g of low fat minced beef (Ground Beef)

1 onion

1 beef stock cube – I use oxo

Worcestershire sauce

1 415g or 15oz tin of Heinz beans , or other beans you like.

2 garlic cloves

Water

Mashed potato

3 or 4 Finely chopped spring onions (scallions)

Half a pound of grated strong cheddar.

Salt and pepper.

Method:

Set oven to 350°F, 180°C or Gas Mk 4.

Chop the onion and fry it in the oil until coloured but not burnt.

Break the minced beef up and fry it quickly with the onions until cooked through.

Add crushed garlic cloves and cook for a minute or so.

 Add the stock cube, the tin of beans, as much Worcestershire sauce as you like and enough water to stop the meat filling from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Season if needed.

Cook for a few minutes and then slap the whole lot into a wide flat casserole dish. Let it cool for a while, so it firms up slightly.

Mix chopped spring onions into potato, season with salt and pepper and spread over meat.

Spread grated cheese evenly on top and bake in oven for about 30 – 50 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Variation: Sometimes I salt and fry a medium size, sliced aubergine (eggplant) and layer it with the meat. It works quite well!

Do not share. Makes four portions so you could eat one half after making it and take the rest to work for your lunch the next day.

Almond Rice Pudding

[chaotic-binky.livejournal.com]

Almond Rice Pudding

I do not measure this because I make it quite often. However, lady hands are always good for measuring and I have two of them!

Ingredients:

One handful of sugar, plus a little bit more if you like sweetness.

Two - three handfuls of dessert rice – pudding rice.

1 handful of flaked almonds – or more if you really love almonds.

10 – 15 cardamoms

1 litre or 2 pints of milk

Method:

Set oven to 350°F, 180°C or Gas Mk 4.

Take on ovenproof dish capable of holding all the ingredients with room to spare – 2 litre or 3 pint capacity.

Peel the covering away from the cardamoms and put the seeds into the ovenproof dish.

Put rice, almonds, sugar and milk into dish and stir.

You can float a knob of butter on top if you want but it doesn’t really add anything to it.

Cook in oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring every thirty minutes.

After 1½ hours test a grain of rice to see if it cooked and if not put back in oven.

If mixture starts looking a bit dry add some more milk.

This is lovely served hot or cold :D