The Apartment Kitchen » comfort food

Bacon and Tomato Mac and Cheese

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:40:42 +0000

Driving in the car yesterday, trying to decide what to make for dinner, an interesting question was posed by my mother. In an effort to use up some leftovers, she suggested a sort of taco bowl for dinner, and I had suggested mac and cheese. Since we couldn’t decide, we just had to make both. Yes, both. Yes…I am sort of ashamed. But not so ashamed that I won’t share the recipe for this very successful mac and cheese with you.

My apologies for such a horrible picture, it certainly does not do it justice. But I pumped up the flavor of this mac and cheese with bacon and some canned tomatoes (we used my mom’s canned tomatoes from her garden so it was extra delicious). Onions, garlic, and lots of cheese were the finishing touch on this, dare I say, jaMAZING dinner.

Bacon and Tomato Mac and Cheese

Makes one 9″ x 13″ pan.

Leftover Potential: Um...it has bacon in it. And cheese. So, yea. I‘d say if there are leftovers, they‘d be delicious.

7 slices bacon, diced

1 onjon, diced

1 bunch green onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup tomatoes

5 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour

3 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp paprika

1 lb cheddar cheese, grated

1 lb pasta, cooked

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon begins to crisp, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Deglaze the pan with the tomatoes, and transfer the mixture to a bowl.

3. Melt the butter. Whisk in the flour well, making sure there are no lumps. Cook to heat through, about 2 minutes.

4. Add the milk and cream, whisking constantly, to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to boil around the edges and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the paprika and 3/4 of the cheese, and stir to combine.

5. Stir in the bacon mixture and the pasta. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 9″ x 13″ backing dish. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the surface and the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:14:49 +0000

This year, I did something I have not done in four years. I went home for Thanksgiving. And in three weeks, I’ll be home again for Christmas. While this makes me happier than I can truly express, it also made me a little nervous. When I go home, I tend to treat it like a big, delicious, vacation. So I attempted to prepare myself by eating healthier in the weeks up to heading home for the first time.

Key word, attempted.

Normally, I don’t have too much trouble eating well the majority of the time, allowing for the occasional ridiculous extravaganza of eating. This was just that – an incredibly ridiculous, outrageous, definitely not good for you (but so, so, so, SO good) dish: green chile mac and cheese. The only thing I’d change next time is reduce the cream and increase the cheese. I think this will boost the green chile flavor and make this totally out of this world. Now, the recipe list may seem long, but it’s not complicated. If it still stresses you, make the green chile cream ahead of time. It will hold, refrigerated for a couple days.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Adapted from Luna Cafe

Made one honkin huge 9″x13″ casserole
Leftover Potential: Makes great leftovers. Add shredded chicken for a slightly different meal.

Green Chile Cream

2 cups heavy cream

26 oz canned green chiles

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green onions

salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium pot, heat the cream to a simmer. Add the chiles, garlic, and onion. Simmer for 2-4 minutes to infuse with flavor. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. With a blender or food processor, blend the cream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Mac and Cheese

1 1/4 pounds pasta (I used fusilli)

6 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 oz grated parmesan cheese

salt, to taste

9 oz white cheddar cheese, grated

9 oz pepperjack cheese, grated

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

1/4 cup all purpose flour

green chile cream (above)

1 cup red bell pepper, diced

1 cup poblano peppers, diced

1 cup corn kernels

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until tender, about 7-9 minutes. Drain and reserve.

2. In a small bowl, combine the butter, breadcrumbs, garlic, parmesan, and salt to form a crumbly topping.

3. Toss the cheeses together and set aside.

4. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

5. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cheeses.

6. Transfer the pasta to a buttered 9″x13″ casserole dish. Toss with peppers and corn. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta. Top with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

7. Finish with a generous sprinkling of the breadcrumb topping. Bake until the macaroni is bubbly and heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Chicken with Mustard Dumplings

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:21:05 +0000

I love chicken and dumplings, and it’s something I haven’t made yet in my own kitchen (my mom’s version is delish). I wanted to make it a little different by adding a burst of flavor to the dumplings. Matt is a mustard lover, and I’m a recent mustard convert, so I figured I’d give it a try. The result was great – slightly different but still staying true to the basic flavors in it already.

Using whole grain, spicy brown, and Dijon mustard pumped up the flavor in a warm way that complemented the chicken and the broth. Since we’ve had our first frost here, I was delighted to have something this warm and tasty for dinner (and for lunch the next day)!

Chicken with Mustard Dumplings

Served 4.
Leftover Potential: Reheats well and is wonderful in this cold weather!

Chicken and Broth:
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper, as needed

1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 cup peas
salt and pepper, to taste

Dumplings:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup water, or more as needed

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven until cooked through but still tender, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool enough to touch. Thinly slice or dice the chicken and reserve.
2. In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery. Saute until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 3-5 minutes more.
3. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder for the dumplings to combine. In a smaller bowl, combine the mustards and water. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix just to combine. Do not overmix.
5. When the broth has come to a simmer, form the dough into dumplings using two spoons. Drop the dumplings into the simmering liquid. Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook, maintaining a simmer, until cooked through, about 14-16 minutes.
6. Add the cooked chicken, herbs, and peas, and stir the mixture to heat through. Serve warm.

White Beans with Sausage, Tomato, and Mushrooms

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:05:20 +0000

I saw a recipe once on Epicurious for a dish with white beans and sausage. I loved the idea, because white beans (you may have heard me gush about them before) are so creamy and delicious. Combining my favorite beans with sausage (turkey or chicken sausage for a healthier option) and some homemade tomato sauce and I had the perfect substitute for pasta. At the same time, the beans added a heartiness that really filled me up – a wonderful warm, chunky stew of sorts that was tossed together in no time, especially if you have tomato sauce on hand. Even if you don’t, this meal takes less than a half hour.

White Beans with Sausage, Tomato, and Mushrooms

Served 1 generously (or 2 smaller servings)

Leftover Potential: I could see making a big batch of this in the future on a busy week. Adding some chicken stock would make this into more of a soup, which I could see being delish!

1 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup white beans, cooked (I like to cook mine in chicken or veg stock for more flavor)

1 Tbsp oil

1 hot Italian sausage

1/2 cup mushrooms, diced

1 Tbsp basil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a small pot, heat the tomato sauce over medium heat (you can also cook the beans in the tomato sauce, just add some liquid (stock or broth). Add the white beans, and bring mixture to a simmer.

2. In a small saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook until evenly browned on the outside, turning occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Slice the sausage, and add it to the white bean mixture.

3. Add the mushrooms to the saute pan, and cook briefly in the remaining fat. Add the mushrooms to the white bean mixture.

4. Simmer until the mushrooms are tender and the sausage is cooked through. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Chanterelle Mushroom and Leek Soup with Roasted Corn

theapartmentkitchen — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:41:27 +0000

Even though it hasn’t quite gotten chilly yet, I was craving soup and thought it would be the perfect way to use my remaining chanterelles. Is it possible to be in love with a mushroom? I think so, but in my case…it’s multiple mushrooms (I’m an equal opportunity fungus lover). The point being, this pureed soup was earthy with a silky texture sans cream that is absolutely craveable. Stirred in some roasted corn for an end of summer touch and ate it with toasty baguette croutons. And even though it wasn’t too cold out, I still enjoyed the cooler breeze as I ate my soup – real soup weather is almost upon us!

Chanterelle Mushroom and Leek Soup with Roasted Corn

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: Keeps well refrigerated and frozen. Made 2 meals after the initial dinner.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 leeks, thinly sliced

3 cloves roasted garlic*

2 cups chanterelle mushrooms

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp thyme, chopped

1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp rosemary, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups corn kernels

2 slices baguette, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed

1. In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and leek and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and broth, and saute until beginning to become tender, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, and stir in the herbs. Let simmer until good flavor develops, 10-15 minutes.

3. On a sheet tray, drizzle the corn and bread with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the corn is lightly browned and the bread is toasted, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with roasted corn and toasted bread.

Stuffed Peppers

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:04:28 +0000

Comfort food can be healthy…which is something I was reminded of when Matt and I made stuffed peppers with tomato sauce this week. We didn’t get home until 8:00 pm from a meeting, and we needed something to cheer us up and fill us up. I topped the quick and delicious chicken and brown rice filling (precooking the filling saves time) with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese for a crispy crust out of the oven – and then finished it with a tasty fresh tomato sauce. After what had been an extremely long, hard day, we went to bed happy and, of course, full.

Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce

Served 2.

Leftover Potential: You could stuff more peppers than you need and refrigerate for more meals later in the week (about 3 days).

2 large bell peppers

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

8 oz ground chicken

1/2 cup brown rice, cooked

2 tsp paprika

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

tomato sauce, as needed

1. Slice the tops off of the peppers, and scoop out the seeds and membranes.

2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.

3. Deglaze the pan with tomato paste. Add the chicken, stirring occasionally until the mixture is cooked through. Stir in the brown rice. Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Scoop the mixture into the hollowed peppers.

4. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and cheese. divide evenly between the two peppers. Bake in a 350 degree oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Serve with tomato sauce.