BBQ Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese

My husband came home from Noodles &Company, telling me we could make this dish that he'd had there at home. I thought it sounded awful. He promised to make it for me, and that it would be hearty, creamy, tangy, decadent and delicious. He was right.

To start, make pork as you would for Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Then, make Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. In a pinch, you could use a box version, but it won't be as good.

Put a large dollop of the macaroni and cheese on your plate. Add a medium size dollop of pulled pork. Then drizzle with a fair amount of bbq sauce. I prefer a sweet variety, my husband prefers a smokey version. Both are good.

Enjoy. Indulge. Luxuriate. Nap.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I have a serious love affair with Taste of Home and Reiman Publications. This recipe comes from their The Taste of Home Cookbook. I brought this dish to my daughter's Kindergarten potluck. It was a hit.

Double this recipe to main it a main dish; triple it for a potluck. 

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
4 TBSP butter
3 TBSP all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (you can use a mix of varieties - even work in Parmesan)
2 ounces processed cheese (like Velveeta) cubed

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth (you're making a roux.) Cook for a minute or two, then gradually add milk.

Bring the sauce to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes or until visibly thickened. Reduce heat, then gradually add cheeses and stir until melted.

Add macaroni to a greased casserole dish. Pour sauce over and stir to combine.

Bake uncovered at 375 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Basil Pesto

I have learned to love pesto. Nutty, zesty, creamy. If purchased from a store, pesto can be quite pricey, but when you grow the basil yourself, it becomes much more affordable. I've grown basil from seed indoors, but most frequently I purchase a plant. Sometimes I put that plant in a pot indoors, sometimes I put it in a pot on the deck, sometimes I plant it in my garden. All work. All produce abundant amounts of basil.

8 cups of fresh basil (2 cups packed)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, I've even used pecans)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put the basil, cheese, nuts, garlic salt and lemon juice in a food processor with 1/4 to 1/3 of the olive oil. Turn the food processor on and allow it to run for a few seconds. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the rest of the olive oil. Process until smooth.

Now comes the best part. Mix little bits with hot pasta, spread it on crusty bread, bagels, smear it on a sandwich, dot it over chicken - whatever you enjoy! Save any leftovers in the fridge. 

Yummy Vinaigrette

When I went to my mom's for Easter, she asked me to make a spinach salad with this dressing. She'd recently gotten the recipe from my aunt Mary Beth. This dressing is my new go-to. Forget the bottled stuff! It's not too sweet, it's not too sour, it's just right.

1/3 cup sugar (or Splenda)
1/2 cup oil (I like canola)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp sesame seeds (the original recipe called for 2)
1 tbsp poppy seeds (the original recipe called for 2)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp minced onion

Toss it all into an container with a tight fitting lid, and shake until it's well combined and the sugar is dissolved. Shake again just before serving. I like this dressing over spinach, romaine, or as a last resort, iceberg lettuce.

I make this recipe in jam jars, salsa jars, whatever jar I've most recently emptied.