A place for learning about and cooking delicious food!
Birria Queso tacos blew up on the internet in 2021 and for good reason, they’re delicious! Birria is slow cooked beef in a roasted chili sauce. To make the tacos, you dip corn tortillas into the jeux leftover from the meat then fry them and …
If you love fish you definitely have a favorite. Most people tend to go for the classic fish and chips and don’t get me wrong I love a good fried fish, but this parmesan crusted cod with lemon butter sauce beats them all! It’s flaky …
This Four Cheese Mac & Cheese is the perfect comfort food! This’ll be an irresistible side dish at your dinner table or get together.
Growing up Kraft macaroni and cheese was my absolute favorite food. It also got me through college and will always have a nostalgic place in my heart. Some people think Macaroni and cheese is for kids and I don’t associate with those people! I’m just kidding…mostly.
Homemade macaroni and cheese was a rare thing, growing up poor, my mother didn’t have the time or money to cook this dish. As a kid I didn’t even know you could make it from scratch, I thought all mac and cheese came in a box! Of course as an adult the first time I tried it, I was hooked. When I started expanding my cooking, I was determined to find the perfect cheese blend and pasta, to make the best version of this recipe.
You can easily alter this recipe with other ingredients. You can add bacon, seafood, buffalo chicken etc. The sauce is so good that it’ll hold up with anything you want to try.
I have mine with a buttery crust, because that’s my favorite crunchy contrast to the creamy mac, but you can omit it easily. If you omit the crust you can also omit baking it in the oven and serve it directly from the pan.
Sharp Cheddar – The most popular cheese for mac and cheese. I find this cheese to have a smooth texture with a slightly acidic taste.
Havarti – Havarti has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the stronger varieties, much like Swiss-type cheeses.
Mozzarella (low moisture) – It has a denser texture and a tangier, saltier flavor than mild, milky fresh mozzarella.
Parmesan – has a hard, gritty texture and is fruity and nutty in taste.
Obviously this mac and cheese can be enjoyed by itself but it’s also a great side dish. I serve this at bbq’s and family dinners as well as thanksgiving dinner. It’s always a winner! A few other recipes I recommend this with are:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring water to a boil in a large pan, making sure to salt it generously. Once boiling, add in pasta and cook until Al dente, according to the box instructions. My favorite pasta is the cavatappi, but you can use whatever you like as long as it’s the same amount.
While the pasta is cooking, add the butter to a medium saucepan. Once the butter has melted, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Whisk in flour and until it is completely absorbed and their are no lumps. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream, until smooth.
Add in the nutmeg, paprika, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in all the cheeses a little at a time until completely melted, continue to simmer for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the dijon mustard and additional salt and pepper to taste. If the cheese sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little more heavy whipping cream.
Once pasta has finished cooking, strain it and put it back in the pan. Then pour the cheese sauce over it, stir until incorporated. Or if you made your cheese sauce in a wide flat pan like me, you can just add the pasta to it.
Transfer the mac n cheese to a greased, medium-sized casserole dish.
Add both breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of butter to a medium skillet and toast until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from heat and add the Parmesan cheese and salt.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mac and cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes and serve immediately.
I am so excited to share this recipe with you! I got the base of this recipe for Karaage or Japanese Fried Chicken from one of my all time favorite sushi restaurants in Denver, CO. One of my favorite pastimes is sitting at the sushi …
About this recipe: You can ask anyone who knows me and then will all agree; I will take any excuse to eat potatoes. Mashed, fried, roasted, baked, there are so many ways you can eat this delicious spud. So needless to say I’ve made MANY …
Many recipes have ambiguous origins and Red Beans and Rice is one of them. There are many rumors’ and claims, but no one singular story. You’ll find a bean and rice dish in almost every culture, as it’s inexpensive and filling. The two main theories for Red Beans and Rice in New Orleans are; that West African Slaves brought a version of it, or the Haitian refugees in the 1790s. Despite not knowing where it came from it still became a household staple. By the early 19th century creole kitchens were making it the same way we still do today.
In New Orleans there is a tradition of eating Red Beans and Rice on Mondays. In the 19th century people would often have ham as a part of their Sunday meals. Red Beans and Rice was a great way to use the leftover ham scraps. Monday was also often washday, which was quite a labor back then. This made Red Beans a great dish to make because it’s very hands off, you literally set everything in a pot and leave it. Of course these reasons don’t apply in modern times, but it’s still a lasting tradition in the Crescent City. Restaurants and Home kitchens alike serve the classic dish on Mondays.
Red Beans and Rice may sound simple, maybe even bland if you’ve never had a chance to try it. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This isn’t just a pile of beans on top of a pile of rice. It’s beans that have been well-seasoned with the Cajun mirepoix (onion, celery, green bell peppers), spices, bay leaf, thyme and usually ham. It’s slowly simmered on low heat until rich, creamy and delicious. After that it’s all about the add-ons. Whether it’s some extra hot sauce or some sweet cornbread, you can enhance the dish however you like.
My version of Red Beans and Rice is very close to the classic but with a few of my own adjustments. I make my own Cajun/Creole Spice Blend, but you can always use some premade ones like Slap Ya Mama or Tony Cacheres. I also like to use smoked turkey instead of ham. My Asian grocery store down the street makes an absolutely amazing smoked turkey leg! I also add in andouille sausage for a more meat forward meal. You can however, remove all meat entirely to and sub out the chicken stock for vegetable stock to make this an easy vegetarian/vegan dish!
My personal preference for this recipe is actually canned beans. They are quick and cut the cook time for this recipe down by hours. I’ve made it with both dry and canned and honestly can’t tell the difference in flavor or texture. You just need to use less salt, if you use canned beans.
If you decide to use dry beans use a 2 lb. bag and quick soak by placing the beans in a pot, cover with water, one inch above the beans. Bring to a boil and boil for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them soak for 1 to 2 hours.
In a large saucepan or rice cooker, cook your rice. I usually do half a cup per person.
Heat a large pot over medium heat with a little of the oil. Working in batches, add sausage, and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes; remove and set aside.
Add the rest of the oil and the butter then the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Make sure to salt as you go.
Stir in tomato paste, garlic and Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in red beans, chicken stock, hot sauce, bay leaf and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Uncover; add the smoked turkey leg and continue to simmer until reduced, an additional 15 minutes.
Mash beans until slightly thickened, if desired; season with more salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately, topped with rice and garnished with green onion or parsley, if desired.
To make this dish vegetarian or vegan, you can omit all meat entirely. Or you can sub in an alternative meat and sear it like the andouille sausage, just make sure that it isn’t too greasy. Then sub out the chicken stock for vegetable stock. Then for a fully vegan dish omit the butter and just add 1 tbsp. more of the vegetable oil. I would recommend adding in about 2 tsps. of smoked paprika to help add back in the smoky flavor that is lost from omitting the ham/turkey/sausage.
About this recipe: This braised chicken takes a little bit of time to cook but the outcome is so worth it. You will impress your whole family with this elegant comfort food. This braised chicken and bacon cream sauce is inspired by french techniques and …
About this recipe: Meatloaf is probably the most quintessential American recipe I can think of. Most families have their own version of this recipe. Growing up I actually hated meatloaf, even the name didn’t sound appealing! After I started dating my now husband, he and …
Carnitas, literally meaning “little meats”, is a dish in Mexican cuisine. They are traditionally made by braising or simmering pork in oil or preferably lard until tender. Carnitas, unlike pulled pork, are finished by roasting the meat in the oven until browned and crisp. It’s such a popular dish in Mexican cuisine, that it has become an important part of other dishes, particularly tortas ahogadas, or drowned sandwiches. It is an extremely versatile dish and in America is often served in street tacos or burritos. These slow cooker chicken carnitas are an easy and healthier alternative to this classic Mexican dish!
I wanted to make a chicken version of the traditional recipe, since pork can’t be eaten by the men in my home. This is a healthier way to do it as well, which is an added bonus! You can use any type of boneless chicken in this recipe but chicken breasts are great because they are low in fat. Feel free to substitute in chicken thighs if you want an even juicer outcome.
The two most important aspects of this particular recipe are the spice blend and the citrus. They are going to give you that savory and juicy shredded meat that is necessary for it to be similar to traditional carnitas. The main difference, besides using chicken, is that I braise the chicken in a stock instead of fat. This obviously makes it healthier, but it still creates a flavorful, tender shredded chicken. The trick to any good braised meat is even temp and low and slow cooking. This is why a Slow Cooker is the perfect kitchen tool for this recipe. It also makes a lot of chicken so it’s great for meal prep and means you get to have tacos all week if you want!
First you have to make the flavored broth that you will braise your chicken in. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium sized pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the dry spices, except for the salt and pepper. After about a minute add in the brown sugar and cook until melted, stirring constantly. You want it to me mixed but not burnt so make sure to do this over a low heat. Mix in the chicken broth and bay leaf, orange juice and lime juice.
Add the chicken to the slow cooker with the salt and pepper then pour in the liquid. Mix everything together with a large spoon, making sure the chicken is completely submerged in the broth. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or cook on low for 6-8 hours. Low and slow is the key to moist chicken so go as long as you can.
Transfer chicken to a plate and shred with a fork. Transfer shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and add in remaining 4 tablespoons lime juice and chopped cilantro. Mix everything together, taste and season with more salt as needed.
To add a crispy exterior that is traditional on carnitas, before you add in the extra lime and cilantro, spread the chicken onto a greased, aluminum lined sheet pan and spray with cooking spray the top of the chicken as well. Place under the broiler on high for 5 to 10 minutes or until you get lightly browned edges on the chicken. Then add in the lime juice, cilantro and extra broth from the slow cooker.
Serve in warm corn tortillas, flour tortillas etc. Or you can use it in nachos, quesadillas or even enchiladas. These slow cooker chicken carnitas are very versatile recipe! This can be stored in the fridge for 1 week.
About this recipe… Mashed Potatoes are one of those kitchen staples that everyone has. I am no exception to this. I’ve been making them for years and finally found my perfect combination of techniques and ingredients! These brown butter mashed potatoes will not dissapoint! The …