Brown Butter and Mizithra Spaghetti - Old Spaghetti Factory Copy Cat

We love Old Spaghetti Factory! It is just a great Italian restaurant that we go to whenever we are in Utah. My 4 year old especially loves it because there is a trolley you can sit in and that is the coolest thing ever to her. Now I usually get the spaghetti and meatballs because I just love it, but my 17 year old and 10 year old always get the brown butter and mizithra spaghetti. I thought I'd try to make it at home because they love it so much and it turned out great. I did have to look around a bit for the mizithra cheese, which is a Greek cheese that's sorta like Parmesan, but I found it at my local grocery store's cheese counter. My kids all loved this and it was fun to recreate a favorite restaurant meal.

Brown Butter and Mizithra Spaghetti

16 oz thin spaghetti
1/2 cup butter
8 oz Mizithra cheese, finely grated
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water to al dente. Drain. While pasta is cooking melt butter in a saucepan, stirring, and heat until it turns golden brown. Remove from heat. Toss the cooked spaghetti with the butter and about 1 cup of grated Mizithra. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Serve immediately.

**You could totally make this with Parmesan instead of the mizithra and it would be delicious!

Pioneer Woman Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is the best spaghetti and meatballs recipe I have ever tried so it totally makes sense that it came from Pioneer Woman. I swear, her recipes are just so great! This recipe actually came from the back of one of her "Charlie" children's books, but I also think it's on her website. The meatballs are moist and flavorful and the sauce it super yummy. We have spaghetti all the time - which is why I have so many spaghetti recipes on my blog - and I think this spaghetti will go in to our regular rotation. I served it with Caesar salad and garlic bread and it was a fabulous dinner.

Pioneer Woman Spaghetti & Meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bread crumbs (about 2 pieces of thick bread processed in a food processor)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
splash milk

Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1, 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1, 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
8 whole basil leaves, chopped finely

To make meatballs combine meat, garlic, bread crumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and a splash of milk. Mix together well. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a foil-lined, non-stick sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot. Add onion and cook for a few minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Pour in whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Add salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. At this point I used an immersion blender to blend up some of the bigger chunks of tomatoes. Add meatballs and stir gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring gently a few times during the simmer. Just before serving, stir in finely chopped basil. Serve over cooked spaghetti with grated Parmesan on individual servings.

Zuppa's Garden Chowder

I love Zuppa's! Sadly, we don't live near a Zuppa's so I have to make my own copy-cat recipes and I think this recipe is pretty darn close to their garden chowder. My kids all love that soup at Zuppa's and they love this one just as much (even though it has zucchini in it - go figure). It is creamy and full of veggies. SO good! It's very much a summery soup. I served it with shredded cheddar on top and homemade bread on the side and it was a hit. I think my kids wish I would have also made chocolte covered strawberries to serve with it like Zuppa's - maybe next time!

Zuppa's Garden Chowder {Copy Cat}

2 tablespoons oil (avocado, olive, or vegetable oil)

3 small zucchini, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 can corn, drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken stock

6 cups whole milk, divided

½ cup butter

½ cup flour

3 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

½ teaspoon onion salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup fresh finely chopped parsley (or you can use 2 teaspoons freeze dried/dried)

Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add the diced zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and drained corn. Cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the veggies are just starting to caramelize a little. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of the whole milk. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour, whisk and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 4 cups of whole milk. Bring to just a simmer, whisking constantly. Stir this mixture into the large stock pot of soup and bring back to a simmer.

Season soup with chicken bouillon, salt, oregano, Italian seasoning, black pepper, onion salt, and cayenne. Stir well. Add the parmesan and chopped parsley. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Allow to cook and simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Serve with more grated parmesan or shredded cheddar sprinkled on individual servings if desired.    

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo

This Alfredo sauce recipe is from Olive Garden's website and it really does taste like Olive Garden's sauce. Yay! When I was pregnant with my second I craved fettuccine Alfredo like mad. I thought about it all the time and every time I had the chance to eat out all I wanted was pasta and Alfredo sauce! I now manage my occasional Alfredo cravings better and probably only make this at home once or twice a year, but oh how good it is and this sauce is perfect. It is creamy and coats the pasta so well. I served it with Caesar salad and garlic bread and my family loved it, me especially.

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo

1 lb fettuccine
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Before draining reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet melt butter. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream, milk, Parmesan, Romano, and salt. Whisk constantly and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in the cooked fettuccine. If needed add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Blender Hootenannies (German Pancakes)

German pancakes go by many names and in my family we call them Hootenannies, because that's just fun. They are one of my husband's favorite childhood foods and he's usually the one who makes them for our family. This recipe is super easy because it's mixed in the blender. It only takes a few minutes to make the batter so it's great for busy nights. This recipe makes one 9x13 pan of hootenannies, but you can easily double it. I got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. So far every recipe of hers I've tried has turned out great!

Blender Hootenannies

4 tablespoons butter
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 4 tablespoons of butter in a glass 9x13 baking dish and place in the oven as it preheats to melt the butter and get the pan hot.

In a blender combine eggs, milk, and vanilla. Blend on low for 10 seconds. Add in flour and salt and blend on low for 20 seconds.

Take preheated pan out of the oven and swirl the butter around to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour batter into the pan and return to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pancake is puffy and lightly golden on bottom, top, and edges. Serve immediately with butter and syrup or other toppings of choice. (Butter, sliced strawberries, and syrup is delicious.)

Creamy Pesto Pasta

This recipe is so fast and easy. Honestly I can't believe I've never tried this before. Adding cream to pesto is heavenly. You can have this meal on the table in the time it takes to boil the pasta. I used a jar of prepared pesto from Costco, because that made this meal that much faster, but you can also make your own pesto. I served it with cantaloupe and zucchini bread and it was a perfect meatless summer meal, though I think it would be great any season.

Creamy Pesto Pasta

1 lb cellentani pasta (or any other pasta you want to use)
1 cup prepared pesto
1/2 cup cream (might need a bit more)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, combine pesto and cream in a large skillet. Bring to a boil as you whisk frequently. Simmer on low just until sauce begins to thicken a bit. Add in the cooked and drained pasta and toss until coated. Add in Parmesan and toss and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Top each serving with Parmesan.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

Wow, it's been a while since I posted! Life can get so busy. Here's the recipe I made for our Cinco de Mayo dinner. It's so fast to put together and get in the oven and my whole family loved it. The salsa is the ingredient that will either give this spice or tone it down, so if you like it spicy, use hot salsa and if you don't, use mild salsa. I used medium. I hope you like it as much as my family did.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups salsa
1, 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1, 15 oz can corn, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups grated cheese, cheddar or colby jack
6 corn tortillas
diced tomatoes, for topping (I used halved grape tomatoes)
sliced olives, for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet brown the ground beef. Add onion and cook until onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in salsa, beans, sour cream, corn, and taco seasoning. Spoon about 1/3 of meat mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Place 2 tortillas on top. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with a healthy handful of cheese. Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and cover baking dish with the foil. Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Cool for 5 minutes before topping with diced tomatoes and sliced olives.

Crock Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This is a super yummy slow cooker soup. It's rich and creamy and wonderful. I got the recipe from the cookbook 365 Days of Slow-Cooking by Karen Bellessa Petersen (a great slow cooker cookbook). My family really liked it and all four of my kids had it reheated for lunch the next day because they loved it so much. I served it with grilled cheese sandwiches and it was a delicious meal.

Crock Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

2, 14 oz cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups half & half
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan
1 can spicy V8
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed bay leaves, and chicken stock to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (you can do part of the time on high if you want to speed the process up).

For a smooth soup, use an immersion blender to blend up the soup until it is the consistency you like or you can blend in batches in a blender and put back in crock pot. You can skip this step if you want a chunky soup, but my family likes smooth and creamy tomato soup.

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk for about a minute. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of half and half. Whisking constantly bring this mixture to a simmer to thicken. Add this white sauce to the mixture in the crockpot. Add Parmesan, V8, salt, and pepper to taste to the crockpot. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for another hour. Serve with grated Parmesan on top.

Croissant French Toast

Oh man this recipe is so good! We had it for dinner the other night and I was wowed. It's Pioneer Woman's Croissant French Toast and it is the Frenchest toast you can make. SO good! I doubled PW's recipe because I always like to have enough for seconds and breakfast the next morning (my kids loved these heated up again in the morning). The French toast ends up so buttery and wonderful and served butter, maple syrup and sweetened sliced strawberries it is amazing. I'm sure it would also be wonderful with blueberry syrup - I might have to try that next time. YUM.

Croissant French Toast

12 croissants (I used Costco's croissants)
10 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla

If desired, a few hours before making the French toast make the sweetened strawberries following the recipe below.

In a blender combine the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Blend until smooth and pour into a large bowl. Split croissants in half and dunk halves in the batter. Let excess batter drip off before placing on a hot non-stick or greased griddle. Cook until browned on bottom, flip and brown other side. Serve immediately with butter, maple syrup, and sweetened strawberries.

Sweetened Sliced Strawberries:
2 lbs strawberries, sliced
2-3 tablespoons sugar

Place sliced strawberries in a bowl and stir in the sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple hours - this makes lovely syrupy strawberries.

Shells and Peas Alfredo

I got this wonderful recipe from The Smitten Kitchen cookbook, which is a great cookbook with amazing food photography. This dish is so creamy and good! I served it as a side dish with Parmesan Chicken Tenders, but you could easily double this recipe to serve as a main dish. My husband and I really loved this one and my kids of course longed for Pasta Roni (the pull of Parmesan Pasta Roni for my kids is a mystery to me), but I can guarantee you this is so much better than Pasta Roni!

Shells and Peas Alfredo

1/2 lb small shell pasta
1 cup frozen peas, cooked (just microwave for a couple minutes)
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon freeze-dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain pasta and set aside.

In a large saucepan heat heavy cream. Bring the cream to a simmer and cook until it is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the butter and stir in until melted. Generously season the sauce with ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Add 3/4 cup Parmesan and stir until the sauce is smooth. Add drained pasta and cooked peas and toss in sauce to coat. Add reserved pasta water a spoonful at a time until the sauce is the consistency you'd like. Add parsley, stir, and serve.

Easy Red & White Pasta Bake

This casserole is so easy and family pleasing. It's pasta. It's cheesy. It's saucy. All the things my family loves. I've seen more time consuming versions of this kind of pasta casserole, made with homemade sauces, but this one is the short cut version. It's also a great way to use up all those partially used boxes of pasta in your pantry. This time I used a mixture of rotini, bowtie, shell, and penne pasta and it all worked great. Oh and this would make a great food storage meal also as it uses mostly shelf stable products (you'd just leave out the cheese on top, but it will still taste good).

Easy Red and White Pasta Bake

16 oz pasta (rotini or bowtie or a mix of whatever)
1, 15 oz jar Classico Alfredo sauce (or whatever brand you like)
1, 24 oz jar Classico traditional tomato basil pasta sauce (or whatever brand you like)
2 cups shredded cheese (colby-jack, mozzarella, or cheddar)

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain. Set aside.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about 1/3 cup of tomato pasta sauce in the bottom. Pour half of the drained pasta on top. Pour half of the remaining tomato pasta sauce evenly over pasta. Pour 1/2 of the Alfredo sauce evenly over the tomato pasta sauce. Pour remaining pasta over. Pour remaining tomato pasta sauce over the pasta. Pour remaining Alfredo sauce over the tomato pasta sauce. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese on top has melted and the sauces are bubbly.

Cheap-O Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

This is the cheap and cheerful version of fettuccine alfredo with the biggest expense being the grated parmesan cheese. You can serve 6+ people with this for around 6 dollars and that is awesome! It also uses ingredients I tend to have on hand so it can be made as a last minute meal too. Make sure you season liberally with salt and pepper and you can switch out the broccoli with cooked chicken breasts strips if you'd like (but then it wouldn't be quite so cheap-o).

Cheap-O Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

1 lb dry fettuccine (or other pasta you have on hand)
16 oz frozen broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup grated parmesan
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta according to package directions. During last 5 minutes of boiling add frozen broccoli. Set aside 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain. Add drained pasta and broccoli bake to the cooking pot, put the lid on and set aside while you make the sauce.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add flour and whisk for about 2 minutes (just to give a little color to the roux). Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, until it comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove from heat and add grated parmesan and nutmeg. Add this sauce to the pasta and broccoli in the pot and stir. Taste and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water as need to give the sauce your desired consistency. Check seasoning before serving and serve with additional parmesan on top.

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup (Copy Cat Recipe)

I love Panera. It is one of my favorite spots to eat. The soups, the salads, the chocolate croissants... All so yummy. I am especially fond of their broccoli cheese soup, so when I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew I had to try it. And guess what, this just might be my new favorite broccoli cheese soup recipe!! I was pleasantly surprised by how much this soup really did taste like Panera's. It made just the right amount for my family, but I think in a few years when my kids are a little older I might need to double or at least 1 1/2 this recipe. I served it with my favorite Italian bread.

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup (Copy Cat Recipe)

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half & half
2 cups chicken stock (plus more to add at the end)
1/2 lb fresh broccoli florets
1 cup grated carrots
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper
8 oz sharp cheddar, grated

Saute onion in a little butter until translucent and set aside.

In a stockpot melt butter. Add flour and whisk for 3 minutes, you want the mixture to be golden brown. Slowly add half & half, whisking. Slowly add chicken stock, whisking. Bring to a boil stirring the entire time. Add broccoli, carrots, and sauteed onions, boil, then turn to low and let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. With a whisk or immersion blender break up the broccoli. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve with extra grated cheese on top if desired.

Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich (aka The Sandwich That Will Change Your Life)

Have you ever had a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich?? Oh wow. It is an amazingly wonderful thing. The first time I had one was at Potbelly's (fab sandwich shop) and it was so good that even though I don't live by a Potbelly anymore, I still crave them every now and then (actually I crave them all the time, but I resist until resistance is futile, like last night). The peanut butter gets all melty and combines with the jelly and then with the crispy buttery bread... Again, oh wow. It's the perfect mix of salty, sweet, crispy and gooey.

Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich: Take a nice sliced white bread and slather the inside with peanut butter and jelly (raspberry is my favorite). Then slather the outside with butter and grill like you would a grilled cheese sandwich. Serve with a cold glass of milk. Heavenly.

Buttermilk Pancakes for Pancake Day

Since today was Fat Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, I thought we should try a new buttermilk pancake recipe. I loved how these turned out - they tasted so much like IHOP's buttermilk pancakes. Light with a slight tang from the buttermilk. I really really like them and so did my whole family. The recipe is from Jamie Cooks It up.

Buttermilk Pancakes
-makes about 20 medium pancakes

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 1/4 cups buttermilk (I used 1% fat)
2 eggs, beaten

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add melted butter and buttermilk and whisk. Add eggs and whisk until combined, being sure not to over mix. Spray a hot griddle with non-stick cooking spray and pour battler onto griddle in small circles. When the batter stops bubbling and underneath is golden, flip. Cook other side until golden. Serve hot with butter and syrup.

Classic French Toast

 
This is classic and oh so good French Toast. I love it! This is another great recipe from the Food Nanny cookbook. My family would be happy to have breakfast for dinner every night, especially if I made yummy French toast. I made it with Rudi's Organic Country White Bread because it was the thickest I could find in the store, but this would also be great with sliced French bread.

Classic French Toast

8 thick slices white bread
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat a griddle to medium high heat (I set mine to 375).

In a bowl combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt; whisking well to blend. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into a shallow dish or pie plate.

Combine oil and butter in a bowl and spread 2 teaspoons of this mixture over the griddle. Dip one slice of bread into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides evenly; carefully place on the skillet. Repeat with as many slices of bread as will fit on the griddle. Fry until the bread is browned on both sides. Serve slices immediately with butter and syrup.

Pioneer Woman Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This sandwich is so GREAT! Pioneer Woman never disappoints. The combination of flavors really is awesome. One note, this sandwich is so rich and cheesy that half a sandwich was enough for me, especially since I had this sandwich with creamy tomato soup. YUM.

Pioneer Woman Grilled Cheese Sandwich

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaisse
1 tomato, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced thin
sliced mild cheddar
sliced provolone
1 can whole green chilies
sliced rye bread
butter

Mix mustard and mayo together and spread on 2 slices of rye bread. Place 2 slices of tomato on one of the pieces of bread. Put 2 slices of cheddar on the other piece of bread. On top of the tomatoes place several slices of red onion followed by 2 slices of provolone. Lay 1-2 slices of whole green chilies on top of provolone. Carefully put the 2 halves of the sandwich together. Spread butter on top of bread, flip sandwich over and butter other side.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet. Place sandwich in skillet and cook for about 5 minutes (on medium low heat). Flip and continue cooking for another couple of minutes until golden brown. Cut sandwich in half and serve. YUM.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Can you tell I love trying new soup recipes?! Here is another wonderfully rich and creamy soup. SO tasty! Very much a bistro style tomato soup. I got the recipe from The Food Nanny cookbook. It was great tonight with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Creamy Tomato Soup

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
3 1/2 cups half and half
2 cups jarred marinara sauce (I used Newman's Own)
1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add flour and cook, whisking, for 3-4 minutes or until a slightly golden roux is formed. Whisk in chicken broth and cook stirring until thickened. Stir in half and half. Turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Stir in marinara sauce, tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as is, chunky style, or blend soup in batches to make it smooth. I like it chunky, my kids like it smooth, so I blend half of it.

My Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

Ooh ooh! I'm so happy I tried this recipe because it is now my favorite macaroni and cheese. It was SO good!! The recipe is from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. Love that cookbook! This casserole is so creamy and cheesey with great flavor. The whole milk is key in making the cheese sauce rich and creamy. Every one of my children (and husband) told me multiple times how good dinner was. Yay! And yes, in case you noticed, we always have mac and cheese with applesauce and peas - I guess it has become an unintentional tradition.

My Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
6 tablespoons flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (1 can)
1 lb Colby cheese, shredded (4 cups)
8 oz extra sharp cheddar, shredded (2 cups)
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and macaroni and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain macaroni and leave in colander.

In a large pot or saucepan melt butter. Add garlic, dry mustard dissolved in water, and cayenne and heat for about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook whisking often until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in drained macaroni, breaking up any clumps, until fully combined.

Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Vegetable Lasagna

This a wonderful, light, fresh tasting lasagna. So different from the regular carnivorous variety (which I also love!). I got this recipe a number of years ago from my friend Mendy (shout out to one of my favorite Maryland peeps!). It is a favorite dinner of mine and someday I'm going to remember to throw in some mushrooms and asparagus because I think those veggies would also be great in this.

Vegetable Lasagna

10 lasagna noodles
4 large carrots, sliced thin
4 medium zucchini, sliced
salt and pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 jar marinara sauce

Boil noodles and carrots. After 5 minutes, add the zucchini and boil 4 minutes. Drain the noodle and vegetables. Put a little marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and then lay 3 noodles across the long way. Put 2 noodles on top of the 2 seams. Spread half of the ricotta cheese all over the noodles. Spread half of the vegetables over the ricotta. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half the mozzarella over the vegetables. Top with about 1/2 the sauce. Repeat the layering process one more time: noodles, ricotta, vegetables, salt and pepper, mozzarella, sauce, leaving a little mozzarella to top it off. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.