Slow Cooker Mac N Cheese

Brian's class had a party for his teacher. He is a HUGE Wisconsin ! SO I made Crock pot Mac n Cheese for the class party. There was only a bit left after 22 seventh graders attacked it for lunch! I had some of it cold and I can say it was pretty good! The only thing we did differently was to add the macaroni an hour after starting the cheese sauce. Also, they did not add the cheddar, they thought it was cheesy enough with out it!
Oh, and since I was making it for 22 kids and a few adults, I doubled the recipe. I don't think 3 cups of pasta would feed that many!
Also, I have NO IDEA where this recipe came from, I found it online but can't for the life of me remember where!
OK, a google search revealed it is from Hillbilly Housewife


Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
3 cups pasta, uncooked
3 Tbl butter, unsalted
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 5 minutes or until it is just under al dente.  Drain and place in the slow cooker.  Add the remaining ingredients to the pasta and stir until well combined.  Cook on high for 2 – 3 hours stirring about every 30 minutes. 
Note: Some people have mentioned their mixture finished cooking after 1 1/2 hours on high. It really depends on the type of slow cooker you have. So it wouldn’t hurt to check for doneness at that time.  The pasta should still hold its shape and the cheese is completely creamy.  This makes about 6 servings as a side dish.

But my kids LOVE creamed corn!?!?!?

     It has been a bit since I have posted something and tonight I made something new!  I was inspired by a recipe that I found in Family Circle.  I wanted to try something new so I went to the store to get a few things with no real plan in site.  Yesterday I bought a copy of Family Circle and didn’t get past the first 5 pages.  I decided to look at my new magazine at the store, I used one of their copies. I found a recipe for Creamy Corn and Shrimp.  I grabbed all the ingredients that I would need, and according to the recipe my list was corn, shrimp, chives, and yellow onion.  I had everything else at home. 

     I have NEVER been a fan of creamed corn.  I didn’t eat it growing up, it is just a texture thing for me. The kids however LOVE the canned stuff.  The kids didn’t really like it!  I thought it was delicious! Any recipe that begins with 5 strips of bacon is going to be good in my book! I didn’t make the shrimp since it was just skewered shrimp unseasoned and grilled. I did make a “yummy honey chicken” to go with it but I made that differently as well.  I am not so good at following recipes, they are more of a suggestion in my book ;) I baked the chicken in the oven because I didn’t want to go outside and turn on the grill.  I was being LAZY.

     I used the new corn cooking technique that I learned from my sister, Kim, on 4^th of July. So you take a whole fresh corn on the cob, you put it in the microwave still covered in husk and silk.  Cook it for 3-4 minutes for each cob.  I do them one at a time but you can toss them all in at once if you want.  Then take it out of the microwave and cut the “stem” end off.  Grab the other end of the husk and give it a good shake. The whole cob will fall out, nice and clean!!! It is so amazing! Here is the youtube video of it!

So I did ^^that^^ to get the corn cooked and cleaned for the recipe below, then I cut it off the cob.

     Here are the two recipes that I used tonight.  I may play with the Yummy Honey Chicken and see what I can do with it.  Or, maybe I should do it the way the recipe suggests and grill it. 

Yummy Honey Chicken

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cloves garlic

5 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces

skewers

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

Creamy Corn and Shrimp

Makes: 4  servings

Prep:   20 mins 
Cook:   22 mins 
Grill:   4 mins 

Ingredients

·         5 slices bacon, diced

·         4 ears corn, kernels removed

·         1 medium yellow onion, diced

·         1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

·         1 cup 1% milk

·         1 tablespoon honey

·         3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon pepper

·         1 1/4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high. Cook bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside.

2. In the same pan, remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat (compensate with olive oil to reach 2 tablespoons, if necessary). Add corn and onion. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk. Bring to a simmer; cook 1 minute. Turn off heat. Stir in honey, 2 tablespoons of the chives, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper.

3. Meanwhile, skewer shrimp. Coat with nonstick cooking spray and season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Grill 2 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve shrimp skewers over corn. Distribute remaining 1 tablespoon chives over each serving.

nutrition facts

·         Servings Per Recipe 4

·         Calories(kcal)402

·         Protein(gm)38

·         Carbohydrate(gm)31

·         Fat, total(gm)15

·         Cholesterol(mg)233

·         Saturated fat(gm)4

·         Dietary Fiber, total(gm)3

·         Sodium(mg)721

·         Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Healthier Mac 'n Cheese

I checked out a book from the library that was about whole grains. It had some great recipes in it and I made this but "tweeked" it to make it my own.

The sodium level of this is kind of high, not sure what it is, because the site I entered the ingredients into only gives the fat, calories, carbs and protein.  However, based on the ingredients, it can have a lot.

The meat and veggies can be changed.  I think it would be good with chicken and broccoli or even some bacon!  The original recipe was fresh spinach and ham.  But the kids are not big fans of cooked spinach.
I used homemade chicken broth, I keep it in my freezer and strain all the fat off of it before I toss it in the freezer.

I also have a price breakdown on it too!
Sorry, I don't have a picture to add, It was gone in about 10 minutes!


Grocery  List:


Ham $0.94, got a huge chunk on sale for 2.99 a pound. We sliced some and used the rest for this!
Whole Wheat Macaroni $0.90
Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese $1.67
Broccoli $0.67 Costco= 3# of Fresh Broccoli Florets for $4ish
Corn Starch $0.05
Chicken Broth FREE
Water Free, kind of.
Total:  $4.68!!!


Ok, here is the recipe:

Mac 'n Cheese with Ham and Broccoli

2 cups Chicken Broth

2 1/2 Cups Water

9 oz Whole Wheat Elbow Macaroni

5 oz Diced Ham

8 ounces Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 T Corn Starch, mixed with 1 T water

8 oz broccoli, steamed

Combine water and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil.  Add pasta and cook 3 minutes less than the directions suggest.  DO NOT DRAIN.

Reduce heat to medium high. Stir in Ham and cheese.

Thicken with corn starch.

Stir in Broccoli. Serve.  Makes 4 servings

Cal 588, Carbs 62g, Fat 23g, Protein 37g 

A conversation...

Me: Do you like Nutrigrain bars?
Dale: Yeah
Me: Want me to try and make them?  I found a recipe.
Dale: Really?
Me:  Yep, I have all the ingredients to make them too. Oh, wait, I don't have anymore whole wheat flour, and I am also out of Jam. Do you think Grape Spread will work?
Dale:  No, get Raspberry Jam.
Me: I still need to get whole wheat flour. Maybe I will get some at sprouts after I take the kids to VBS.
Dale: Will they be ready before I go to work?
Me: No, I need to go to the store.
Dale: Oh...

So that is how most of the recipes are tried here at our house...I begin with "Do you like..." and Dale responds with yes or no.

So I got this recipe from my cooking friends.  It was good, but I did it a bit different than the recipe called for. (As if I wouldn't change it!)

I used parchment paper to line the pan so that it would come out easily.

This would have worked if I had removed the bars from the pan before they got soggy on the bottom.  So, next time, I will take them from the pan after they have cooled slightly.

The flavors were great.  We really enjoyed them. I will make them again!

The edges were crispy, the center gooey!  I cut the bars into 16 squares to get per serving counts as follows:

Calories   172
Carbs    32g
Fat      4g
Protein 2g
And the Store bought bars:
Calories     120
Carbs     24g
Fat     3g
Protein 2g



Here is the recipe:

Almost Nutri-Grain Bars

Carriescooking.com <-- I have no attachment to this site!

I have been looking for a recipe for a homemade breakfast bar that had ingredients that I have available at home on a regular basis. I generally find recipes that have ingredients that I have either have never heard of or can only be find in health food stores. Check out this recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup apple juice
10 ounces jam (apricot, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, or apple butter)
1 tablespoon water

Directions

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the oil, egg, vanilla, and apple juice, and mix with a spoon or a mixer. Press 2/3 of the mix evenly into a greased 8x12 pan. Mix the jam with the water, and spread evenly over the mix. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top, and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Before cutting, cool completely.

Baked Potato Salad

With summer here and everyone wanting potato salad, I wanted to share a recipe created about 8 years ago.
Our family was out of town and Dale & I wanted to head to mom's to swim.  He LOVES potato salad but we had classic potato salad a few days before hand. What to do???

I thought about how yummy all the topping are on a baked potato. How every one of them is good COLD! Why not mix them up and see what we get.  Well, we got it done and WOW!!!  Now, the idea has been copied at many a grocery store, but it has not been duplicated! Dale can vouch for my recipe!!!
I have made it MANY times, at the request of friends and family.  I have made it with Fat Free ingredients but it was yucky!  I have substituted Turkey bacon bits for the pork bacon bits and that was still good.

It will keep in the fridge for a few days but will not last that long!

Now, with out further ado, Baked Potato Salad

Baked Potato Salad

5 pounds Russet Potatoes

Shortening & Salt

1 medium Onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 Tablespoons White Sugar

1 pound Bacon, cooked and crumbled, OR
1 cup Pre-Cooked Bacon Bits

4 ounces Grated Cheddar Cheese

16 ounces Sour Cream

1 envelope Ranch Dressing/Dip mix

Preheat oven to 375*

Wash the potatoes. Dry and pierce with knife.  Rub each potato with shortening, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Refrigerate until cold.

In a medium skillet melt butter over medium heat, sauté onions and salt for 5 minutes.  Add sugar and increase heat to medium high. Cool for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and cool.

Cook bacon until crispy, if using pre-cooked bacon bits, make sure they are crispy.

Mix together the sour cream and ranch packet.

When potatoes are cold, cut into cubes.

In a large bowl, combine Potatoes, Onions, Bacon, Sour Cream mix and Cheese.

Store in refrigerator until ready to eat, at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.



Breakfast, QUICK!

I was wondering around Wal-Mart yesterday.  I thought to myself, "Self, I want a easy and healthy breakfast tomorrow."

I wondered to the Frozen foods and grabbed a bag of Pork sausage patties.  Then on the shelf under it they had TURKEY sausage patties!!!

I picked them up and looked at the Nutritional Information.  Here it is via My fitness pal:

Nutrition Facts

Walmart Great Value -Turkey Sausage Patties

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Calories	90	Sodium	360 mg
Total Fat	6 g	Potassium	105 mg
Saturated	2 g	Total Carbs	0 g
Polyunsaturated	2 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	3 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	9 g
Cholesterol	30 mg
Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	2%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	4%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Great Value - SausagePork Patties, Original

Calories	200	Sodium	260 mg
Total Fat	19 g	Potassium	115 mg
Saturated	7 g	Total Carbs	0 g
Polyunsaturated	3 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	9 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	6 g
Cholesterol	40 mg
Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	2%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	2%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

As you can see, the Turkey were much lighter than the Pork!

I also bought some Delightful English muffins by Sara Lee.

To make this Yummy & filling breakfast:
Split 1 English muffin in half, toast in toaster to desired crispiness.
Heat 1 teaspoon of butter in a nonstick pan. Add 1 egg.
Place 1 sausage patty on a paper towel. Heat in microwave as directed on the package.
Flip egg to cook to desired doneness, I like my yolk set for a sandwich, so Over Medium Well.
Place 1 heated sausage patty on 1 English muffin half, top with 1 slice of cheese, I used American but Natural unprocessed cheese would be better!
Add Egg and top with other half of English muffin.

This is what it looked like:
So the calorie breakdown is like this:

Butter:          34
Egg:              70
Cheese:         70
Muffin:         90
Sausage:       90
Total:          354 calories

You can cut out 55 calories by using just 1 egg white and also cut the calories (34 of them) by using cooking spray instead of butter.

By the way, it is 3 hours later and I am still full!  Gotta love whole grain English muffins!

Oh and an update: I have lost 10 pounds this past 2 weeks!  Portion control and whole grains are really helping!