Dan's famous Five Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

This might as well be called Heart attack mac and cheese because one bite into this

and your heart skips a beat for just a second. It is also a very rich and heavy

decadent dish! Eat with caution and beware your waist line will grow!!

Look at all that bubbly cheese and richness!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 pint container,medium size, heavy cream.
1/2 Cup of flour
1 brick of Asiago, shred
1 brick fontina, shred
1 bag of Monterey Jack (2 cups)
1 bag sharp cheddar (4 cups)- divided, save 2 cups for topping
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 lbs elbow macaroni

- Make rue with butter and flour, add cheese and cream, if mixture gets too gummy just add milk to loosen

cook until it becomes smooth sauce.  You may need to add milk to achieve desired consistency.

Cook elbows aldente (about 6 min) drain and rinse with cold water
mix elbows with sauce, spray casserole dish or dutch oven with cooking spray before putting in mixture, top with leftover cheddar and bake 30 min at 350

Elbows and tomatoes

Elbows and tomatoes

Ingredients are simple. However, My family LOVES LOVES this! It was a dinner thrown together. All the cupboards had for us that day.

Ingredients:

Box of Elbow macaroni

2 cans stewed tomatoes

parmesan cheese to flavor

1 can whole tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

Cook macaroni according to directions on box. Empty contents of all cans onto noodles.

Cover with parmesan per preference.

Stir and chop a few of the whole tomatoes and serve hot!

It has a high flavor. Two thumbs up from my crew.

Basil Pesto Bowtie Pasta

Basil & BowTie Pasta Salad


1 lb bowtie pasta
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
4 oz fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small
3/4 -1 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 Tbls olive oil

Cook bowties according to pkg directions, drain and set aside.

Put olive oil in small saute’ pan, add pine nuts and garlic to room temp olive oil. Cook over a moderate temperature allowing garlic to infuse oil. Saute’ until nuts are just turning golden color making sure not to burn garlic (about 2 minutes). If there is excess oil* drain through a paper towel and return nuts to pan. Do not leave on paper towel as you do not want it to soak up all the flavored oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl fold the pesto into the pasta allowing it to lightly coat the pasta. Carefully stir in the nuts, cheeses and tomatoes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

*You should be able to see the oil on the nuts, but there should not be standing oil in the pan.

Chicken Cattiatore

I have had chicken cattiatore a few times and it should be made in a slow cooker. This is a perfect dish for company or on a busy night. A sure crowd pleaser.But, rushed the process and it came out Fan-tab-ulous!
I had the basic ingredients:

4 to 5 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 cans tomato paste 2 cans water
4 cans stewed tomatoes
2 TBL spoons or season to taste (roasted garlic bell pepper seasoning blend) It is buy Mccormick and it comes in a spice jar
1 med to large onion, sliced thin
1 green bell pepper finely chopped
2 small cans of mushroom peices or 6oz. sliced mushrooms
2tsp. oregano
1tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp celery powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 TBLS. olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 Cup dry white wine

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low heat for 7 to 9 hours or high heat for 3 to 4 hours.

If you need to rush the process. Place chicken in a pot of water and bring to boil until done. Drain water and remove chicken.
In same pot add olive oil,onion, green pepper, mushrooms and white wine and cook until onion is translucent but slightly firm. Add all of the tomato sauces and paste and 2 cans water. Add all of the remaining ingredients and chicken and bring back to a simmer. Serve over steaming rice or pasta.

Beef Stroganoff

This is what we always have when we have left over steak! This works well with any cut.

Beef Stroganoff

2 8oz bags of no yolk egg noodles
1 family size can of cream of mushroom
1 small can of cream of mushroom
Fill the large family can 3/4 full of milk
1 small can of mushroom bits
Salt, pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbl. olive oil.

Boil salted water and once water boils add 2 pkgs of egg noodles. While water is boiling prepare steak.
Slice steak into thin strips. Have at least 2 to 3 steaks left over.
Over medium heat lightly toast minced garlic and add meat strips to pan, pour entire can of mushroom bits into pan.
Drain water from noodles and return noodles back to pan. Turn stove on low to med. heat. Add steak and mushrooms to noodles.
Add cream of mushrooms to the top of noodles. Take large cream of mushroom can and fill 3/4 full with milk or heavy cream. Add to noodles. Stir until well blended and heated. If mixture is too thick add additional milk.

3 Cheese Mac n Cheese

3 Cheese Mac N Cheese

3 Cheese Mac N Cheese

Okay, let me preface this by saying I know Velveeta isn't really cheese. I keep a box in the food storage just for emergencys and on Sunday was glad I did, as we had 5 unexpected little appetites for lunch. :) So I used what I had in the frig, (the white pepper and fontina cheese gives the dish a very subtle smoky flavor) and my dil said, "This is a keeper...write it down!" So I am...

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked according to pkg directions

5 Tbls butter, divided

2 Tbls flour

1 1/2 cup milk

1/4 -1/2 tsp white pepper

4 oz fontina cheese, shredded

4 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded

4-5 oz velveeta cheese, cubed

1/2 cup fine ground bread crumbs

Melt 2 Tbls of butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour, continue whisking and cook over a medium heat for one minute to form a roux. Remove from heat and let sit 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the milk in a seperate pan or in the microwave.

Put the roux back on the heat and slowly whisk in the warm milk. Cook over med-high heat whisking constantly until the milk begins to look 'slightly thick'. (It won't really thicken, but it will look like a slightly 'heavier' consistency.) Stir in the white pepper. Remove from heat and add the 3 cheeses, stirring until it forms a smooth sauce. Add cooked macaroni noodles and stir to coat. Pour into a lightly greased (I use PAM) 9x11 baking dish.

Melt remaining 3 Tbls of butter and stir in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the macaroni. Bake at 325 F for about 20 minutes, or until casserole is bubbly and top is browned.

PASTA SUPREME SALAD

Pasta Supreme Salad
This is a great summer salad.

2lb. rotini pasta
1/2 to 1lb. ham sliced into 1/2 inch thickness or 1 inch thickness
1 1/2 to 1lb. turkey cut in 1/2 inch or 1 inch slab
1 package of cubed cheese
1 lg. bottle Italian dressing
1 pkg. frozen broccoli florets
3 Tbsp. salad delights (seasoning section)

Boil pasta as normal. Salt water. Take slabs of cold meat and cut into cubes.
Add to pasta with the cubed cheese. Drain pasta from boiling water, pour the boiling water over the broccoli florets to Blanch them, add broccoli to salad.
Pour into large mixing bowl and add 3 Tbsp. seasoning along with one bottle Italian dressing. Mix gently but thoroughly. VOILA! ready to serve!

GOULASH

GOULASH
While growing up this has been my family's version of goulash. It is basically any pasta with ground brown beef and sauce.

This is the same variation that is made with Ziti, speghetti, etc.

WE chose to use SHELLS for our dish.

2lbs. pasta shells
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 jar of your favorite speghetti sauce
1 16oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 160z shredded mozzerella cheese


Boil water and cook shells in salted water. Remove from heat and drain.
Pour pasta back into pot.
Brown ground beef and season with salt, pepper, lowereys etc. drain off fat. Add meat to pasta. Add sauce and one package of shredded cheddar. Mix until well blended.
Then pour out into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle top with mozzerella cheese. Bake in oven on 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Stuffed Manicotti

I had these growing up all the time. I rarely make them for my family because I had issues with ricotta. I can say my issues are resolved with ricotta and I like it again. My family LOVED LOVED these. I will definitely make them again and they are a great dish to make for company. My pictures do this no justice. Had I been making this for company they would have been very pretty and the sauce would have been drizzled on it just perfectly. NO company HENCE no fancy schmancy stuff. Just good eating.

Manicotti shells. There are 14 shells to a box.
Homemade speghetti sauce or your favorite from a can or bottle.
15 oz ricotta
2 cups mozzerella
2 eggs
1/2 lb. sweet italian sausage. ( 3 or 4 sausage links, squeezed out of its casings)
1 lb. lean ground beef.
3 TBL. garlic herb seasoning.
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 garlic cloves minced

Boil salted water. Add shells to water and boil for 7 to 8 minutes. Do not over cook. Remove from boiling water and add cold water.
While shells are boiling. Brown sausage and beef. Drain off any fat.
In a large bowl mix ricotta, meat, and seasonings, along with 2 eggs and mozzerella.
Combine and mix well. Drain noodles and begin stuffing from one end and then flip and stuff the other. Making sure they are even through out.

Place in baking dish or 9x13 pan. Add a little sauce to the bottom of baking dish. cover completely. Add shells on top of sauce. Pour remaining sauce over shells and top with more mozzerella cheese. Cover with foil and bake in over for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. Remove foil covering and bake an additional 10 minutes.

I doubled the recipe and used 2 boxes of shells along with the large container of ricotta and just added things to my liking.

Shrimp Alfredo

2lbs fetuccine noodles
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 Tbl. garlic herb powder or fresh roasted garlic
1 8oz bag parmesan cheese
1 8oz bag 3 cheese (parmesan, romano, asiago) or you can use the 5 cheese blend
(You may grate your own cheese. I would have but this is a huge time saver.
2 tbl. cream cheese
Lightly salt water bring to a boil and add noodles. Bring to boil. Drain noodles.

While water is coming to a first boil prepare the sauce.

Alfredo Sauce

This sauce is so good. It tastes just like Olive Garden's recipe. It is also so simple and easy to make. Once you try this you will NEVER buy the store bought things again. I looked at two recipes and I combined what I liked between the two and made it my own. I have made alfredo sauce before and it was very runny and thin. I like using the combination of whipping cream and evaporated milk. Most recipes only call for one or the other. USE BOTH!

In a skillet or large pot add whipping cream and evaporated milk and one stick butter. Heat and stir and bring to a simmer. When butter has melted add your cheese. While stirring constantly. The longer your sauce can simmer the better it will be, remember to stir your sauce occassionally. The consistency will be thin but as it cooks it will continue to thicken. If your sauce is runny. You can add additional cheese. This is my preference or you can add the cream cheese. I don't care for the slight taste that the cream cheese lends to the sauce.

Your sauce will be ready when it coats the back of a cooking spoon nicely or you can see the consistency change.


You may add any meat or eat this plain with the fetuccine. We chose to have shrimp.
Peel and devein your shrimp. Once your noodles are about done. Throw your shrimp into the pasta water. Let shrimp cook for 2 to 3 minutes until orange.

Serve with salad and breadsticks!

Twice Baked Rigatoni

Ingredients: Brown sausage, drain fat, stir in seasonings and sauce add whipping cream. Except for cheese When pasta is done. Drain. Pour in mixing bowl. Add sauce mixture and stir in cheese. Bake in oven covered with foil for 25 minutes on 375. Pull out of oven and sprinkle additional mozzerella cheese on top. Bake 20 minutes uncovered. Baked Rigatoni Your family will ask you to make this over and over again! It is so much better than any baked pasta you have ever made. The whipping cream really adds a nice touch. This is my go to recipe! Really quick and really easy! 16 oz Rigatoni 1 lb pkg. Hot Italian Sausage, chop finely (if you use the links remove meat from casings) 1 TB dried Thyme 2 TB Garlic Herb 1 TB parsley 1 TB oregano 1 TB dried onion 1 6.5 oz can of mushroom peices (chopped coarsley) If you use fresh mushrooms use 1/2 cups 2 cups whipping cream 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes pour entire contents in. 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated 1 cup 5 cheese shredded (asiago, maozzerella, provolone, romano, parmesan) 3/4 cup parmesan cheese Prepare rigatoni. While noodles are cooking brown sausage, chop finely. Add all seasonings to meat. Sauce and whipping cream. Dash of salt dash of pepper. Add all contents to skillet, except for the cheese. Drain noodles. Mix noodles and sauce mixture in large mixing bowl. Stir in cheese. Pour out into large non stick baking dish or sprayed with vegetable oil. Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and sprinkle additional cheese on top and bake for an additional 20 minutes without foil. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Serve with a mixed green salad.