Home-Style Mac & Cheese

For the most part, I try to eat fairly healthy. I just love my sweets and yes its a problem. I'm also BIG on comfort food and the fall/winter are my weakest moments.

To give you a visual, this is how I'm feeling:

Here's the story line:

It's late and I'm exhausted from work. Fall has begun and all I want to do is curl up in sweats and eat something comforting. While Ben was at the gym, I looked in the cabinets to find a "decent" meal to cook up. I grabbed a box of pasta thinking I could create my version of America Chop Suey and there was the mac & cheese recipe on the back. I was sold. Not only did I not want to make a trip to the grocery store just for ground beef but I was starving and couldn't wait any longer.

I hope you make this on a cold night and enjoy it as much as I did. Even Ben enjoyed it, but at least he knows he worked it off first.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 Package (8 oz) of Prince Elbows

3 tbsp margarine or butter

3 tbsp of all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups of milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (I used Mexican and 2 slices of American-It was the only cheese available and it still came out tasty)

1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs

Step One: Cook pasta according to the directions.

Step Two: Preheat the oven to 350*F.

Step Three: In a medium sauce pan, melt the margarine/butter and stir in the flour.

Step Four: Gradually stir in milk.

Step Five: Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat, until the sauce has thickened.

Step Six: Stir the cheese sauce in the cooked pasta.

Step Seven: Add to a greased baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs (if you want that golden brown you can add melted butter to the top of the breadcrumbs). I didn't add the butter considering the already daunting calorie count; however, it is an option. :)

Step Eight (Final Step!): Baked for 30 minutes and enjoy!

Baked Pork Chops with Beef Gravy

 If you are a Meat & Potatoes Kind of Guy (or Gal) you'll LOVE this recipe. As always, it affordable and easy!

 

 

I thought I'd note that this is the second time typing this blog because it didn't auto save like it usually does and I lost everything (whomp, whomp).

 

I decided since there's always a story to tell (just ask my friends and family) that I would lighten my blogs up with some stories.

 

 

 Before I do that I just want to thank my friends and family for a wonderful weekend. I spent time in Boston for an engagement photo shoot (preview pics will be up tonight); went to a get together at my friend Jaimee's (thanks for the yummy treats and campfire); and had breakfast with my parents.  

 

 Jaimee's Cupcakes and Cookies:

 

 

 

 

Stories:

 

 

1. I was sitting at work applying calamine lotion on my poison ivy. I didn't have any meetings (at the time) so I loaded it on. Of course I got pulled into a last minute meeting with a "higher up" and had short sleeves on to top it off. I went in and sat down only to get odd looks. I explained that I had poison ivy and couldn't help it. He laughed and told me he was covered too. Then I didn't feel so bad.

 

2. I called the police on a woman who was trying to pass an old couple in the HOV lane. First of all, I'd love to know what she was thinking because everyone knows you can't pass in the HOV lane. Even if you could, you still have a lot of other cars to pass. She was erratic, laying on her horn and swerving left and right. I felt really bad for the old couple and thought about how I would have felt if it was my grandparents. I had to call on her because I knew it was the right thing to do. There was even a state trouper 6 cars in front of her who couldn't do anything. Hopefully they eventually got her.

 

3. Ben brought home a new 40x40 dog bed that he got for $14 (steal)! I warned him that the dogs could only use the bed with 100% supervision since they love to pull stuffing out of anything/everything. It lasted about two days before he caved and gave them the bed anyways.

 

Before it was chewed (I don't have any of the aftermath):

Patches made a good choice to hide under the bed ;)

 

 

 

 

Pre-heat the oven to 450* (bake for 15-25 min). Serves 8.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 Egg

1/2 Cup of Skim Milk

1 1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs (we used Italian)

Salt and Pepper to taste

8 Boneless Pork Chops (Thick)

3 tsp of butter

1/4 Cup of Flour

1/3 Cup of Fat-Free Beef Broth

1 1/2 Cups of Milk

 

Directions:

 

Mix 1 egg and milk in one bowl and whisk away. In another bowl mix bread crumbs with salt and pepper.

 

 

Dip the pork chop in the milk mixture and in the breadcrumb mixture. Pan fry the chops for about 4 min. on either side.

 

 

The pork chops should be brown on both sides. Then add them to a baking sheet and put in the oven for 15-25 min.

 

To make the gravy add 1 tsp butter in a pan. Stir in the flour and gradually add the beef broth and the milk. Whisk away until it thickens.

 

 

 

Serve with or without the gravy and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Crock Pot Recipe

This is about a week old... sorry guys.

Here goes another simple crock pot recipe:

(Picture courtesy of Crock Pot Recipes)

Small Potatoes

Carrots

Beef

Gravy Sauce

Water

Cook on low for about 4-6 hours.

Since I'm laid up for a week (hopefully not more) with a leg injury any meals I make will be simple. This week I probably won't be blogging since I'll be eating sandwiches and frozen meals. No cooking, no clean-up. Many of you may be wondering wheres Ben? Ben is working late and it's too late for us to be cooking and eating at that hour. So here we are. One crock pot recipe that will allow us to have left overs for a few night.

Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Gravy

...Back to blogging meals after a "time out" with my injury... 

Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Gravy

Sounds strange? I thought so too, but man is it good!

It's easy :)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

4 thick pork chops

Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste

1 cup whipping cream

2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Step One: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Step Two: Season the pork chops with garlic powder and pepper.

Step Three: Fry the pork chops on 10 minutes on either side until its no longer pink

Step Four: Take off the heat and keep warm

Step Five: Using the same pan pour in whipping cream and blue cheese

 for about 5 minutes (until it thickens). Its important to use the same pan...why? The bits remaining add extra flavor AND less dishes when dinner is done! Win, win.

Step Six: Add the gravy and enjoy!

For a side we added Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (feel free to add whatever your in the mood for)

My boyfriend enjoyed the pork chops so much he had a third helping. This might just be added to the favorites list :)!

 Side Note: Get creative, add additional seasonings, or even a different sauce! Adding things to a recipe makes the recipe your own and makes cooking fun. I usually find my recipes on Pinterest and write out a list of ingredients I'll need to make them. When I  write things down ahead of time it makes grocery shopping (especially while hungry, that much easier). I look for anything that looks fairly simple to make since working takes up most of my day. I also note the reviews on each recipe to see if people enjoyed it!