Holiday Recipes

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

November 20, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I love all carbs, but noodles are my favourite! I always get cravings for Baked Macaroni and Cheese in the fall and winter. It’s just so comforting. I know the box stuff is convenient but it’s not the same. I have also tried all of those trick for making a single serving in the microwave and I’m sorry but that just wont cut it! Homemade with a roux and cream sauce os the only way!

I have been making homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese since I was a teenager. In high school I used to make it every Monday night for my brother and I to have for dinner before heading off to dance and soccer. I used a recipe out of one of my mom’s well used cookbooks and would top the whole thing with ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs. It was good, but even back then I knew it wasn’t perfect.

It was dry, there wasn’t enough cheesy flavour and the noodles were way too soft. For years I didn’t make Baked Macaroni Cheese. There is a store by my house that sells a decent Baked Macaroni and Cheese, so when I need my fix my husband runs out and grabs some (he knows to keep me well fed!). Since it’s just the two of us it seemed like over kill to make a whole pan. But one morning I was watching cooking videos on Youtube and got inspired to perfect my Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe.

This recipe it perfect. It solved all the issues I had in the past and I really learned a lot about making Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

Undercook your pasta. Always undercook your pasta when making a Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Then you won’t end up with bloated macaroni
Use the strongest and highest quality cheese you can afford. You want to get the most flavour out of your cheese as possible. Find the best old cheddar cheeses you can find, you wont be disappointed.
Make way more sauce then you think you need. The sauce to noodle ratio should alarm you, you should be terrified that your making soup instead of macaroni and cheese. All kidding aside you need a lot of sauce!

If you can remember those three things your Baked Macaroni and cheese will turn out perfect. I hope that this recipe makes it to your table this fall.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

8 Ounces Elbow Macaroni

1/4 Cup Butter
1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
3 Cups Whole Milk
8 Ounces Aged Old White Cheddar (crumbled or grated)
4 Ounces Sharp Orange Cheddar Cheese (crumbled or grated)
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Cup Plain Breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to package directions, but reduce the cook time by 2 minutes. You need very al dente pasta for this recipe. Drain pasta and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease an 8 inch baking dish with butter or oil.

In a large sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk milk into the roux. Whisk constantly to combine the mixture and prevent milk from burning. Continue to cook the mixture until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Whisk sauce occasionally.

Once the sauce has thickened reduce the heat to low. Add the cheese to the sauce, stir to combine. Season the sauce with salt, chili and garlic powder.

Fold cooked macaroni to the sauce to coat. Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish. Set aside.

In a small bowl mix together breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture over the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden and the macaroni and cheese is bubbling.

Adapted from Seasons and Suppers

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage

November 15, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

Every year I make butternut squash soup and every year I’m underwhelmed. It never turns out very flavourful. Over the past year I’ve been cooking with all kinds of squashes a lot more then I used to. We love eating acorn, butternut and delicata squash. I’ve been roasting, mashing, topping salads and making sauces out of squash constantly. So when I made soup this year I was ready to get it right. And I did just that! This recipe is rich is flavour, easy to make and great for work day lunches.

In this recipe I roast butternut squash, onions and garlic in the oven until caramelized and browning. I also add fresh sage and delicious brown butter which takes the soup to the next level!

I like serving this soup with so super fast homemade croutons or to make it a really filling me some cooked apple sausage. Both are great options.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 Medium Butternut Squash, peeled and chopped
1 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Teaspoons Fresh Sage, chopped
6 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
Optional: Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Spread out chopped butternut squash, onions and whole garlic cloves on a large baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until soft and squash begins to caramelize.

In a large soup pot melt the butter on medium heat. Continue to cook the butter in medium heat until it becomes golden and brown buts form on the bottom of the pot (3-5 mins). Reduce heat to low and add chopped sage. Sauté sage until fragrant and starting to crisp, about a minute.

Add onions, butternut squash and garlic to the pot. Stir mixture to combine. Add the vegetable stock. Bring soup to a simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender blend soup until completely smooth (If using a traditional blender allow soup to cool before blending). Return soup to pot. Taste the soup, add salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Serve with your favourite soup toppings and sides.

Warm Sweet & Salty Rosemary Cashews

November 8, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

Ok guys the holidays are coming! As I write this we are less then 7 weeks away from Christmas! That’s so crazy! Coming over the next 7 weeks will be lots of Christmas and Thanksgiving recipes. Canadian Thanksgiving may be over, but I know American Thanksgiving is right around the corner and there is some great sides a desserts coming for all my American friends. I also have some bonus posts coming up and even a new series coming in December! The next 7 weeks are going to be jam packed with Holiday content!

Today I’m kicking off my holiday content with a perfect holiday appetizer. These Warm Sweet and Salty Rosemary Cashews are so simple, but make a big impact. I’m all about impressing guests with as little effort as possible. The Holidays are so busy we really don’t need any fussy appetizers. With all the food that gets served on Thanksgiving and Christmas I like to keep things pretty simple. I also love that these can be made in advance and just warmed for a few minutes in the oven on the day of your party!

This recipe can be customized to your tastes. Don’t like cashews? Swap in some almonds. Hate the taste of rosemary? Throw a little chili powder in with the butter, sugar and honey mixture. You can really make it your own. I think I may even make a trio of nuts for my next party to go along with a super simple cheese board. How delicious would that be? The possibilities really are endless. Also the possibilities are really delicious and addicting… just saying!

I hope this helps jump start your holiday menu planning!

Warm Sweet & Salty Rosemary Cashews

Yields: 8 Servings

1 Pound Raw Unsalted Cashews
2 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon Honey
2 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, finely minced
Flakey Sea Salt, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the over to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a saucepan melt butter, honey and brown sugar over medium-low heat. Once combined remove from heat. Add cashews and stir to coat.

Transfer cashews to the lined baking sheet and spread out into an even layer.Bake cashews for 10 minutes tossing the cashews half way through the cooking time.

Remove from the oven. Add chopped rosemary and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss to combine. Allow to cool for 5 minute before transferring to a serving dish.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week. To re warm the cashews bake in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.

Adapted from Entertaining with Beth.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

November 6, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

So a few months back I was at the grocery store picking up a few things when I spotted a bag of Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. Of course being the cookie obsessed woman that I am I had to buy them. I am slightly embarrassed to say that my husband and I ate the entire bag later that evening. Since then we have vowed to never eat that many cookies in one sitting ever again. That stomach ache was horrible… but probably worth it. Since then I have tried finding these cookies every time I go to the store. It’s been months and I still can’t find them. Isn’t that just the worst? So I’ve been craving these delicious soft, chewy caramely (not a word…just go with it!) cookies for months. Since I couldn’t find them I thought I’d try making them. Why not right?

After the first batch I asked Calvin, my husband and eager tester for his brutally honest opinion. He had a two suggestions… more chocolate and smaller chunks of caramel. He then thought about it for a minute and said actually these are amazing! So of course I still made a few tweaks because I can’t leave well enough alone, but he was right these are amazing! Dare I say better then the store bought version.

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This cookie recipe is an adaptation of my favourite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I love it because it’s super flavourful, rich, soft and chewy without being cakey or doughy. It was the perfect base for these cookies. I also chose to use milk chocolate chips in this cookie because it’s a favourite in my house, but since these are salted I thought the extra sweetness would work well. As for the caramel part of this cookie I first thought I would make homemade caramels and pack these cookies full of them. But really who has time for that? Honestly? As much as I love homemade caramel sauce and we know I love it, here, here and here. I just didn’t this the extra effort was worth it in this case. I used those caramels you get at Halloween that are wrapped in cellophane. Now that I think about it though unwrapping all those caramels was kind of a pain in the ass… possibly more then making homemade caramel. Regardless I used soft caramel candies and chopped them up into halves and quarters to add them to the batter. You need to chop them otherwise you get huge chunks of caramel that are crazy chewy and will remove all your loose fillings!

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These cookies might actually be the best cookies I’ve ever made, but my Christmas cookies are coming soon so maybe we can top them? If it means more taste testing I’m up for the challenge!

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields : 16-18 Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar, lightly packed
1/4 Cup White Sugar
4 Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips (Dark, milk or semi sweet)
40 Caramel Candies (approx 1/2 cup)
Flakey Sea Salt

Directions:

Melt butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until just starting to melt. Cream butter on high until whipped and pale white in colour about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat on high until smooth about 1 minute. Add eggs and vanilla, beat on medium until combined.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat on low until just combined. It’s ok if some four is still showing.

Chop un wrapped caramel candies into thirds and quarters. Measure out a half cup of the chopped caramels. Reserve the rest for later. Fold in chocolate chips and caramel pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons to scoop out the dough. Roll the dough into balls and press on or two of the remaining caramel pieces into the top of each ball of dough. Space the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake cookies for about 15 – 17 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt immediately. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Adapted from Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

November 1, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

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Happy November! Do you get excited for a new month? I don’t normally, but now that we are heading into the holiday season I was very excited for this new month.

Today I will be sharing a recipe for Sautéed Brussels Sprouts. This recipe is delicious on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table, but so simple you could throw it together on a typical weeknight (we do!). Now I know that brussels sprouts are a polarizing vegetable, but I think even a brussels sprout hated would enjoy this recipe.

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I like to sauté shaved brussel sprouts instead of cooking them whole. Not only do they cook fast but I have found that people who claim not to like brussels sprouts will like them way better if they are shaved like this. Also add bacon, garlic and cheese to anything and I’m totally sold.

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Yields: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 lbs Brussels Sprouts
2 Sliced Bacon, diced
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce (soy sauce can be substituted)
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Trim the end off the brussels sprouts and remove outer leaves. Use a food processors grater attachment of a knife to shave brussels sprouts. Alternatively you can buy a bag of pre cut brussels sprouts. Set aside.

In a frying pan cook diced bacon over medium heat until starting to crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Drain off excess fat. I leave just enough bacon fat in the pan to coat and discard the rest. Add brussels sprouts to the pan. Sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to the pan. Sauté for another minute.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with freshly grated or shaved parmesan. Serve immediately.

Homemade Caramel Corn

October 30, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

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BOO! I have one more Halloween post before the big day tomorrow! I hope you all enjoy the fun and spooky day, and if you have kids I hope they have the best time trick or treating! Like I said in this post, I wish I could go! Anyway I hope you are all doing something festive (I love festive!).

Today I thought I’d share one of my favourite fall recipes that I think is the perfect treat for Halloween night! I think this is a great recipe if you’re staying in watching a scary movie, or if you’re having people over for a Halloween party. I know I get sick of these mini chocolate bar and prefer to have festive fall treats at Halloween parties.

Tomorrow we will be snacking on Caramel Corn, drinking a beer and watching a scary movie. Oh and by scary movie I mean Hocus Pocus….it’s the scariest movie I can handle (Pathetic I know!).

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I always found caramel intimidating, so I never tried making my own caramel corn until recently. Once I did I felt really silly for waiting so long since it is incredibly easy! It’s perfect for halloween or really and day ending in Y! We’re addicted! So please give this a try it’s really easy and really delicious!

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Homemade Caramel Corn

Yields: 12 Cups

Ingredients:

12 Cups Popped Popcorn (1 cup kernels, approx.)
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/3 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet (you may need two) with parchment paper. Spread popcorn evenly on baking sheet, and set aside.

In a medium saucepan on medium heat add butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Whisk together until butter has melted and ingredient combine into a smooth sauce. This will take 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla, salt and baking soda to the sauce. Whisk constantly. Sauce will lighten in colour and increase in volume. Continue to cook for 2-4 minutes to thicken, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat.

Pour sauce over the trays of popcorn. Use a spatula (silicone is best) to toss popcorn and coat. This does not need to be perfect.

Bake popcorn for 30 minutes. Check on the popcorn every 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss the popcorn again to continue coating and breaking up chunks. Repeat this process 2-3 times over the 30 minute baking time.

Remove baking sheet from the oven set aside and allow to cool for at least an hour. Check on your popcorn after 30 minutes to break up any large clumps that are forming. Once fully cool serve immediately or store in an airtight contained for up to 5 days.

Adapted from Homemade Hooplah, Homemade Caramel Popcorn.

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