Archive for the ‘Pasta – Mac & Cheese’ Category
Pasta Stuffed Bell Peppers
I came up with this on a whim, as I like pasta, and I had bell peppers in the fridge as well as some Shiitake mushrooms that just wanted to be used in something. So here is what I came up with, and they are delicious. The pasta base is Parmesan Mac & Cheese with the addition of sauteed Shiitake mushrooms and diced bell pepper.
Ingredients
- 80 grams fresh Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- 4 bell peppers, your choice of colors
- 250 grams dry spiral pasta, or any small pasta
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, (1/2 stick)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 125 grams Parmesan cheese, store bought shredded is fine, (4 1/2 oz)
- salt and pepper, to taste, as desired
- olive oil, as needed
- 200 grams Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, for topping, (7 oz)
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, then add the pasta and cook until almost tender. Reserve a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta. Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out a 7x11 baking dish.
- While the pasta is cooking, cut the tops off of the peppers, remove the stems and dice the tops. (I had an extra half a green bell pepper in the fridge so I diced that along with the tops.)
- Slice the mushrooms at a 45 degree angle, a technique called Sogigiri in Japanese, this provides a larger flat cut for even cooking.
- All the mushrooms sliced. I think there was 9 in the pack.
- Place the peppers standing up in the baking dish. If a pepper does not stand up quite right, slice a bit off the longest lobe on the bottom so the pepper stands upright, if you sliced off part of a lobe and mad a hole in the bottom, no worries, take the piece you sliced off and put that on the inside to cover the hole. (I was going to use a 9x9 dish but that would not have enough room for the extra pasta so I switched to a 7x11 dish.)
- Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat. When hot, add the the mushrooms.
- Saute the mushrooms until the water they let out is evaporated. Remove the mushrooms to a bowl and set them aside.
- Same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and add the diced peppers, saute until tender. Remove them to a bowl and set them aside.
- Same pan, add the butter and let that full melt, then whisk in the milk and season with black pepper as desired. When the milk is at a simmer, whisk in the Parmesan cheese. When the sauce is smooth, add the drained pasta and mix into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add some pasta water, a tablespoon at a time and mix in. Season with black pepper as desired. Remove from heat. (Yes, I know, my method is completely backwards as to how this is supposed to be done.)
- Add the mushrooms and the diced bell peppers and mix together. (The pasta at this point is actually quite good on its own.)
- Using a spoon, fill each pepper with pasta, rounded at the top is perfect and add the rest of the pasta to the dish as well. Place in the oven and back for about 30-40 minutes, depending on how crisp you like the peppers.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese on the tops of the peppers and any additional pasta in the dish, place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese.
- To serve, place a pepper on a plate, slice in half and enjoy as is or with sausage. (I just happened to have Japanese sausage in the fridge so I used that.) Enjoy.
Notes
The cheese is the costly part here, at Parmesan at 192 Baht per 125 grams, and Mozzarella at 181 Baht for 200 grams. For 4 servings, this is about $2.92 per serving.
I just threw this together, Lee Thayer.
Thailand.
Thailand.
Parmesan Mac & Cheese
This to me sounds really good, and only six ingredients. On my to make and taste list.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry pasta shells, or any bite size pasta, (1 lb)
- salt, as needed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, 1/2 standard block, divided into 8 pieces, (1 stick)
- 2 teaspoons course ground black pepper
- 1 cup milk
- 140 grams Parmesan cheese, store bought grated is perfect, (5 oz)
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling. When boiling, add the pasta and cook to just tender.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large non stick pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter (2 of the 8 pieces) and the black pepper. Stir often until the butter is melted and the black pepper is fragrant. Do not brown the butter.
- Add the milk and bring to a simmer, then add 1 piece of butter and whisk until the butter is fully melted and mixed in, then add another piece of butter, whisking to melt the butter in, repeat until all the butter is mixed in. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the milk at a simmer. If the pasta is not done when the sauce is ready, turn off the heat and cover.
- When the pasta is just tender, remove from heat and remove 2 cups of the pasta water and set the water aside. Drain the pasta well and add to the milk sauce. Heat on the pan should be medium. Toss the pasta with the milk sauce to fully coat the pasta.
- Add 1/3 of the Parmesan to the pasta, no need to measure this, just eye ball it and stir into the pasta, then add 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Stir until mixed well. Now add another 1/3 of the cheese and stir in, add another 1/2 cup of the pasta water if needed, goal is a nice smooth sauce, and it thickens as it cools as well. Stir in the last 1/3 of the cheese and add pasta water as needed to make a smooth sauce. Taste and season with salt as desired.
- Serve with sides of your choice for a nice meal. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Stephen Special
This sounds really good, and is a modified recipe based on making the mac & cheese from scratch instead of boxed. This seems like a long winded recipe, just read through it, it is not that bad, the homemade part takes a bit more but the results will be much better. On my to cook list for sure. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 500 grams uncooked pasta, your choice, small shells, spirals, etc.
- 4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup butter, this is 1/2 a standard block
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Remaining Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 2 cans tuna in water or brine, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 handful fresh mushrooms, sliced
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling then cook the pasta until just tender, drain and set aside.
- While the water is heating for the pasta and for the pasta to cook, go ahead and heat a large non stick pan then add the bell peppers, onion, and ground beef, when the beef is good and browned, drain, then mix in the taco seasoning and add the drained tuna and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are wilted and softened. Remove from heat and mix into the drained pasta, set aside.
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, warm the milk until it is simmering then set it aside.
- In a large heavy-bottomed stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it turns light brown in color and has a slightly toasted aroma, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the dry mustard.
- Remove the pot from the heat then slowly whisk the warm milk into the flour mixture. Continue whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. (The mixture will become very thick and then thin out gradually until it is smooth.)
- Return the pot to the stove over medium-high heat and cook the mixture while whisking constantly until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste and reduce the heat to medium. Whisk in the Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses until they are melted and the cheese sauce is smooth.
- Add the pasta mixture to the cheese sauce and stir to mix together and heat to warm everything through, serve.
Notes
I will price this after I make it, but for now will say low cost.
Shortcuts:Â Fresh Tuna, Taco Seasoning Mix.
Provided by Stephen Story and the original recipe is here.
Creamy French Onion Mac & Cheese
This sounds really good and no canned soup needed, which is always a bonus. On my to cook list. If you cannot find Gruyere cheese, just go with a mild Gouda or additional Swiss cheese.
Ingredients
- 250 grams dry macaroni, or any bite size pasta, (8 oz)
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- salt and black pepper, as desired
- 250 grams cavatappi pasta, or spiral or corkscrew pasta, (8 oz)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 can evaporated milk, (12 oz)
- 1 cup milk
- 115 grams Gruyere cheese, grated, or Gouda or Swiss, (4 oz)
- 170 grams Swiss cheese, grated, (6 oz)
- 60 grams Parmesan cheese, grated, (2 oz)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C (375 F). Lightly butter a 8x8 baking dish.
- In a large non stick pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter on medium low heat. When melted and hot, add the onion and a pinch of salt as desired. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally until golden brown and reduced in volume, about 30 to 40 minutes. When cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
- While the onion is cooking, heat a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, drain then set aside.
- Same pot used for the pasta, add the 4 tablespoons of butter and heat over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and smooth, then slowly pour in the milk, also whisking constantly until smooth, about 5 minutes. Now slowly pour in the evaporated milk, and you guessed it, whisking constantly until thickened.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the cheeses to the pot, reserve 2 tablespoons of Parmesan for later use, whisk until the cheese is melted into the sauce. Whisk in the nutmeg, mustard, and season to taste with salt and pepper as desired.
- To the pot, stir in the pasta and the onion and mix to coat well. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the reserved Parmesan on the top.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Cool for 3 to 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.
Notes
I will price this when I get some Swiss and Gouda cheese, Gruyere would be a long shot where I live. I will say Low cost for now.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Sausage & Peppers Pasta
Peppers and Sausage, great meal, add macaroni and cheese, even better. This recipe screams of a shortcut to make the sausage and tomato sauce, both are so easy. I made this on 17 Dec 2018 and have updated it with my findings. This is an excellent dish and was well liked by the Thai family as well. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams bulk Italian sausage, (1 lb), (Shortcut)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 red bell peppers, diced, 2 if small, 1 if large
- 280 grams pasta shells, or any bite site pasta, (10 oz)
- 2 cups pasta sauce, (Shortcut)
- 4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder, (Shortcut)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, 200 grams is perfect
- fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- My homemade pasta sauce, stock made from powder, pasta (used maccheroni No. 32), diced onion, bell peppers, and garlic prepped and ready.
- In a large pot (I use my pressure cooker pot), add the sausage (I used homemade link sausage with casings removed), and cook until mostly no longer pink.
- Add in the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook until the onion is soft.
- Add in the pasta and mix until coated with the sausage fat.
- Add in the pasta sauce and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Simmer until the pasta is just tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in the cream and Mozzarella and mix until the cheese is melted in.
- Garnish with the fresh chopped parsley if desired, serve and enjoy.
Notes
If making the sausage from the shortcut, this is about 55 Baht/500 grams. The cheese will cost about 80 Baht. For 6 servings, this is about 69 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Italian Sausage, Pasta Sauce, Chicken Stock (Pressure Cooker).
Variants: 1. Use pork stock in place of chicken stock. 2. For the sausage, use Spicy Italian, Cumberland, or even Jimmy Dean.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Bleu Cheese Bacon Mac & Cheese
Bacon and Bleu cheese, and mac, I think we have a winner here! On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 8 strips bacon, chopped, fried crispy
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 250 grams dry macaroni
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 140 grams Bleu cheese, crumbled
- 120 grams white Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, egg, salt, pepper, and cayenne until combined then set aside.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until just tender, drain, and return to pot and add the butter and reduce the temp to low, toss the pasta until the butter is melted. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until well mixed. Raise the heat to medium, stirring occasionally for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce comes to a simmer.
- Remove the pot from heat and stir in both cheeses until melted and mixed in, then stir in the bacon.
- Serve, garnish additional bacon and Bleu cheese if desired.
Notes
Bacon would cost about 150 Baht, the Bleu cheese about 150 Baht, and the Cheddar about 90 Baht. For 3 servings, this is about $3.82 per serving, not a cheap meal but sounds really good for a once in a while treat.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Crab Mac & Cheese
This sounds absolutely delicious. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry elbow macaroni, or maccheroni
- 1/4 cup butter, this is 1/4 standard block
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup white Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 500 grams lump crab meat, drained and shell fragments removed
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender, drain well and return to the pot.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until fragrant and softened, about 3 minutes. Add flour and whisk until combined and golden brown, about 1 minute. Add milk and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Simmer 2 minutes, until sauce is thickened and smooth.
- Stir in 1/2 of the white cheddar and mozzarella until melted then remove from heat.
- Add the sauce and crab meat to the pot with cooked pasta and stir until completely combined. Pour into a large baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar and parsley and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.
- Serve.
Notes
I cannot price this until I get a price on 500 grams of lump crab meat. I will say fair cost for now.
Variant: I will play around with this also using imitation crab which would be a cost saver as well.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Pizza Mac & Cheese
Mac & Cheese, always a classic, and this version sounds really good. On my to cook list.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry macaroni, or shells, spirals, or maccheroni
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/3 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup Pepperoni, chopped
- 15 slices Pepperoni, for topping
- 3/4 cup pizza sauce, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh basil, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C. Bring to a boil a large pot of salted water, add the pasta and cook until just tender, drain.
- Add butter to the same pot and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Sprinkle with flour and cook until golden brown, about a minute more. Add milk and bring to a simmer. Let thicken then add 1 cup mozzarella, the Gouda, and Parmesan and stir until melted, about 2 minutes.
- Add the macaroni and stir until completely coated, then stir in the chopped pepperoni, 1/2 cup pizza sauce, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to a baking dish and spoon remaining pizza sauce on top. Top with remaining mozzarella and pepperoni slices. Bake until cheese is melted and golden brown and the pepperoni crispy, about 15 minutes.
- Garnish with basil and Parmesan and serve.
Notes
Only thing that is expensive is the cheese. Figure about 120 Baht for the Mozzarella, 90 Baht for the Gouda, and 90 Baht for the Parmesan. For 6 servings, this is about $1.47 per serving.
Shortcut: Pasta Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sloppy Joe Mac & Cheese
I like a good Mac & Cheese, and this seems spot on with that, on my to cook list for sure.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry elbow macaroni, or maccheroni
- 500 grams ground beef
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Worcherstershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, divided
Instructions
- In a pot of boiling water, cook the pasta to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown beef, breaking up meat with a spatula, and season with salt and pepper to your liking, then drain fat. Add garlic and onions and cook until softened, 2 minutes, then add brown sugar, tomatoes, Worcestershire, and chili powder, and simmer for about 10 minutes, reduce heat to low.
- Drain pasta one more time, and add to skillet over low heat. Stir in parsley and half the cheese, then quickly toss together to evenly coat pasta. Top with remaining mozzarella and cover with lid to melt cheese.
- Serve, garnish with fresh parsley if desired and have garlic bread on the side.
Notes
The beef would cost about 100 Baht/500 grams. The cheese, figure about 120 Baht. For 4 servings, this is about $1.62 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Mashed Potato Mac & Cheese
Sounds good! Not a cheap meal just based on the bacon and cheese used. I look forward to making this!
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups mashed potatoes
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 250 grams dry elbow macaroni, or shells
- 1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup spring onion, chopped
- milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C and bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until just tender, drain and stir in the butter to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cook and crumble the bacon.
- Reheat mashed potatoes in your microwave or on the stove top. If potatoes are dry, add a little milk. Transfer to a large bowl for mixing. Fold in the Parmesan cheese, bacon, and 1 cup of Cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
- Gently fold in noodles until just incorporated then pour mixture into a greased 9x9 baking dish and top with remaining Cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese topping is bubbling and golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onions.
Notes
The bacon and cheese would be the only thing expensive here. Figure maybe two 200 gram packs for 260 Baht, and for the Cheddar cheese, 1 block of 250 grams is 180 Baht, and the Parmesan about 200 Baht. For 6 servings, this is about $3.14 per serving, costly for a leftover meal but does sound good for a once in a while dish.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
