Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

HIII. I have a new recipe. It's a miracle, I know. Having a kid is hard, and I am in awe of the bloggers who do this thang with their tiny humans running around. They're the real MVP. I have a hard time but when I can get something for you I will! And here it is!!

There are two camps of macaroni and cheese lovers: baked or stovetop. I'm a baked mac and cheese fan myself, I like the crisp top and thicker center. But Michael is firmly team stoveop, so when I saw this recipe I thought it looked like it would be right up his alley (and I certainly wouldn't kick it out of bed either)!

It's quick and easy, uses only one pot (hi hi hi have I mentioned I'm a busy mom? All important facts for me!) and is seriously creamy and flavorful and just downright tasty. And you can absolutely jazz it up with different seasonings, or by mixing up the kinds of cheese, or mixing in veggies or a protein (OMG NOW I WANT TO DO BEEF AND CARAMELIZED ONION MAC AND CHEESE BECAUSE I HAVE AN ADDICTION TO THAT COMBO). Am I still #teambakedmacandcheese? Yes--but this recipe comes a close second! And it makes my boys happy so...I'm really #teamfamily. 

Perfect Roasted Carrots

Roasted carrots have changed my life.

I mean...as much as carrots can change your life, I suppose.

You know me, I'm never super excited about veggies. Carrots are one of the few I like, but up until now I thought I only really liked raw carrots but NOW...oh now I know the magic of roasted carrots.

(Thanks to Michael's stepmom Jeanne who brought some over with a dinner she made for all of us and totally turned my vegetable world upside down.)

Guys...they're delicious. They get all caramelized around the edges and have the perfect combination of sweet and salty. They're tender but still with some crunch. They're an awesome side dish and super easy to throw together. And I've made them a ton of times already and now I want to make them again!

Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Sweet and oh so flavorful...roasted garlic and caramelized onions are a few of my favorite things (I tried to plug them into the song but couldn't quite make the rhyme scheme work so just pretend I'm clever and I did it and we all had a good chuckle, mkay?). I also adore mashed potatoes. So putting them all together is pretty much side dish nirvana.  (Especially when you're serving them with french dip sandwiches. That's a good meal, right there).

It's so ironic that I have so many mashed potato recipes on this blog but, in reality, 99% of the time I make mashed potatoes I sort of just wing it and mix stuff up not according to any particular recipe. That's real life, folks. BUT sometimes you wanna mix things up and do something specific and special and that's what happened here with these lovelies.

Creamy mashed potatoes with all the flavorful and somewhat sweet deliciousness imparted by roasted garlic and caramelized onions totally make the time that goes into them worth it! Michael even enjoyed them and generally he's pretty meh on mashed potatoes. Highly recommend!

Extra Crispy Baked French Fries

I meeeean....we all love french fries, right?? But generally frying them is a messy and unhealthy thing we don't wanna mess with at home. That's why baked fries are so awesome--but I feel like they're never quite crispy and flavorful enough...

until now!

The two things that really help crisp these fries up is soaking them in water (this helps get some of the starch out, which gets a crispier result) and making sure to dry them after that. As far as flavor goes that's on you: salt the heck out of 'em. Put some truffle oil and parmesan cheese on them (that's what I diiiid!). Do garlic or a spice blend. Whatever makes your french fry loving heart happy.

Have I told you all my french fry shame? The kind of gross way I used to eat (specifically McDonald's) french fries as a kid? I used to....*deep breath* suck off the salt and then dip them in ketchup. They were soggy and gross and I don't know what was wrong with me....I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I was a weird kid with weird food habits.

I'm a changed lady, now, and am in fact a bit of a french fry snob. These were definitely the best fries I've ever baked at home and they will be getting made again (so that Michael can actually try them because I maaaay have eaten them all before he got home. Oops!)

Creamy Skillet Macaroni & Cheese {Max Brenner's Copycat}

First of all...saying this recipe is a copycat is a smidge misleading. It's not actually a copycat-it's the actual recipe via Max Brenner's website. So it's like super legit. Whenever I would go to Max Brenner's restaurant in NYC, my favorite savory item was their skillet macaroni and cheese. It's creamy and flavorful with a gorgeous, slightly crisp, crust, and there are little bites of tomatoes studded throughout. It's crazy good.

I'm having flashbacks to many many wonderful times in NYC back at Max Brenner's restaurant--with the macaroni and cheese today, and that hot chocolate I shared last week (which is the closest hot chocolate I've ever had to their Italian Thick Hot Chocolate, which is my mostest favoritest), my 2 favorite things to order there! It's like I never left. :P

The mac and cheese is super creamy and flavorful and there's yummy little bits of tomato in there and the most perfect cheesy crumby-y crust. It's just....the best macaroni and cheese in the world, guys. I'm for serious. 

French Onion Macaroni and Cheese

erm...so....hiiii.

I'm sorry guys. I know it's been like 2 months since I posted any new recipes for you and I'm seriously sorry-between this whole buying a house thing, various summer activities, and my brother visiting....I've just been sort of insanely busy. And I can't even say it won't happen again. We're still dealing with the house/moving situation (although we're officially going to be in possession of it on Sept. 16th!!) and life is just kinda crazy, ya know? So I'm just going to try not to worry about it and take it one day and one recipe at a time. I hope that's cool?

Cuz I love you guys.

Now-on to food.

I just feeeeel like....onions make everything better? That's my opinion, anyway. They're so darned flavorful and delicious and make everything they're in taste amazing too.

I also want to like french onion soup, for this reason, but for some reason it never really quite works for me. But french onion MAC AND CHEESE? Yeah. That I can get on board with.

And, shockingly, Michael really liked this recipe!! I'm shocked because 99% of the time he's not a huge fan of my macaroni and cheese recipes (he just wants velveeta....*sigh*). But--it's a miracle, he liked this! I loved it! And everyone in the kingdom was happy :D

It's just insanely flavorful macaroni and cheese (don't be scared of the gruyere-it's subtle. But also feel free to sub in a different cheese if you really want) that's creamy and has yummy yummy onions and is topped with buttery toasted breadcrumbs. Yessss.

No-Knead Crusty Bread Rolls

I've been craving a particular kind of roll. The kind that is crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. This is the absolute perfect recipe for that sort of roll. AND it's sort of super easy to make (and no knead)! WE'RE IN A WIN-WIN SITUATION HERE, PEOPLE!

You combine some ingredients in a bowl. Let it rise (either in a warm place for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight and then a warm place for a little bit if it's not risen enough). Form rolls. Let them rise for just like 30 minutes. Bake. THAT'S IT. And then you have the most gorgeously rustic rolls that are all crusty and chewy and JUST LOOK AT THE AIR POCKETS. They're perfect for holding little bits of butter.

They also lent themselves to Michael's caveman sensibilities--you can just grab them and tear into them like the savage he is. Or, you can be a lady* like me and cut them in half and butter them before delicately** eating them.

*In spite of etiquette classes and countless reprimands from my parents...I don't eat like a lady.

**shoving into your mouth whole.

Zucchini & Tomato Skillet

I know. I disappear for 2 weeks and then I come back to you with vegetables. Like...who am I even?

Don't worry, I'm still me. I made this for Michael :P

BUT I tried some and actually didn't mind it. And it was a super simple thing to throw together as a healthy side dish for the boy. You're gonna agree-trust me!

Michael was a little wary at first...he said it looks like minestrone soup (of which he is not a fan). I informed him that it was literally just some garlic and chopped tomatoes and zucchini with some seasonings. He gave me a suspicious look and took a bite...

...and he was pleasantly surprised! "This is REALLY good, actually!" he said.

*huff* I can't believe he doubted me.

SO don't you all start doubting me either! This is seriously the simplest (and most adaptable) weeknight skillet idea that works as a side or it could even be an entree if that's your thing (whether you're a vegetarian or if you wanted to mix in some cooked meat with the veggies). You can also of course mix up the vegetables according to your preference but the zucchini and tomatoes really worked out nicely. The zucchini ended up perfectly tender and the tomatoes started to cook down so that they almost became a sauce--which I didn't expect (I suppose I should have but I didn't). Anyway--flavorful, quick, easy, healthy. These are words that describe this one skillet dish that I hope your family likes as much as mine does! :)

Potato Scones

Yes yes....Kayle sees a new potato recipe and feels the need to make it. Don't give me as hard of a time as Michael does about it, mmkay? Cuz really...don't we all love potatoes? And my love means I share potato recipes with all of you soooo...I think it's a win win for all of us.

Now...I had never heard of potato scones before. Google tells me they're Scottish...which makes sense (I've been watching a lot of Outlander and I've read the books so obviously I'm an expert on Scots lol). I'm not Scottish at all (to my knowledge...although those ancestry commercials for DNA testing make me consistently curious as to what my results would be) but I am Irish. And St. Patrick's Day is coming up. And you know...potatoes are like a big deal for Ireland (which is like pretty similar to Scotland really...they both speak Gaelic and are in similar areas and yeah...) So I think these potato scones are perfect for the occasion, really.

They're a comfort food I didn't even know existed. They're made from mashed potatoes and normal scone/biscuity-y ingredients and then...they're fried in a skillet (I prefer cast iron for this sort of job. Makes me feel very pioneer-y.) And you serve them with butter. And they're darned delicious. Crisp and fried on the outside, and shining with melted butter, and then they're chewy and potato-y on the inside. I loved them.

DO YOU SEE THE GLISTENING BUTTER AND THE FRIED GOODNESS??!

Need I say more?

Parmesan Herb Popovers

I love popovers. They're kinda tough to describe but they're all light and fluffy inside and crisp and almost fried on the outside....they're sort of like a roll/donut hybrid? Sort of? Thus far I have 2 favorite popover recipes that I've made-classic popovers and cinnamon sugar popovers. Today I mixed things up by making SAVORY popovers!

....truthfully...I'm reluctant to call these popovers. Their texture is a bit different and they are a WHOLE LOT eggier. They do rise up and look pretty like popovers, though. Now...as you may know...I'm not a fan of eggs (I mean I obviously bake with them but I don't like just eggs, not a fan of the taste) so I didn't end up being totally in love with these parmesan popovers. I realize this is a weird thing to say as I'm sharing the recipe but...we're honest here, people. It's how we do.

And anyway...I'm a picky weirdo. Just because I didn't love something doesn't mean you won't!

They're beautifully chewy-look at those pretty air pockets! They're also very subtly flavored with Parmesan cheese and herbs, nothing overwhelming, just the right amount. They would be a fantastic alternative to rolls to serve with your dinner (Especially with pot roast or roast chicken).

Roasted Onion Brie Muffins

I know! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!!! But if you haven't fully figured out what you're making...might I suggest these muffins as a unique alternative to rolls? Because you guys...they're awesome. You and your friends/family will loooove them!

Savory muffins should be a more commonplace thing! They're so much easier to make than rolls and they're just as full of carb-y goodness and you can do so many different flavor combinations! Like.....seriously.....sweet roasted onions and buttery brie paired with just a hint of rosemary all in a slightly tangy buttermilk muffin....I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OF IT but I am so glad that I tried it because...whoa. Delish. Addictive. Unique. And baking them makes your house smell amazing.

I definitely suggest you make these if you're having a get-together (or if your family can eat 12 muffins) because these are really best the day that they're baked! And seriously...look at that muffin--look at the delicious roasted onions all up in there. And the melted brie on top. Om nom nom nom noooommm! Commence the eating!

One Pot Mexican Rice Casserole

Yepp. Another one-pot recipe. I'm serious about not doing dishes and feeding my hubby (seriously...if I don't feed him he gets all whiny and it's no fun. Ask anyone with an Italian husband lol.) Anyway, one of the beautiful things about this Mexican Rice Casserole recipe is you can definitely customize it based on your preferences! You can add in onions, peppers, corn, or any other veggies you fancy! You can also add in some cooked meat (so me making chicken and adding it sort of increased the dishes I needed to wash post this recipe but...that's ok! Plus you could just buy pre-prepared chicken or sausage or whatever and throw it in there to maintain the one-pot'dness.) And, although it's pretty healthy to begin with, you can make this dish even better for you by using brown rice (which I did!)

Regardless of any customization you decide to do, the base of the recipe is this: rice, veggies, spices, tomatoes, and cheeeese! It makes an awesome side dish or entree and is full of flavors! It's also colorful...which is pretty important for Michael and his food. He likes for food to be about more than just taste, he gets really into the textures and colors too. It's pretty hilarious, except when he's griping about how I make too many brown "bland" foods---but that's why I make recipes like this one! To keep me sane and make him happy! And so I can share the happiness and sanity-savingness with all of you. This "casserole" is a perfect weeknight meal and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Rice, Cheddar, & Spinach Pie

Ha...I just realized that I'm posting 2 pies this week. I mean...obviously very very different sorts of pie but still...I am amused. And pleased. Because pie is amazing. And we all need more of it.

I have no clue what I'm doing with rice. I did not grow up in a household where rice was served. Pasta-yes. Rice-not so much. And no one I knew really ate much of it until I got older and moved outside of my little circle. And I know Michael likes rice and I know brown rice is good for you so I really am working on figuring out how to use it more and create rice recipes. And this is my first attempt!

First of all--this rice bake can be either a side dish or a main dish, and it can be vegetarian or...not. I chose to throw some chicken in there when I made it so it would be more of a meal for Michael, but you can substitute that (like for sausage or whatever) or omit it completely and let this just be a vegetarian side! It's cheesy, hearty, filling, and super tasty. A rice success!

Crispy Potatoes

Michael's mom makes ridiculous amounts of food. Like...always. Anytime we're eating there she makes, like, 8 things at once. It is insanity. Delicious insanity but...still. One of the more common meals we end up eating over there is breakfast/brunch (or 2nd breakfast or elevensies...they enjoy LoTR). And my fave thing that makes an appearance during these "breakfasts" are her potatoes. They're super crispy and sort of spicy (to me anyway, which means to normal people they're probably not very spicy at all) and I've seen her make them and I'd witnessed how simple and quick they are to make!

So I was like...duh...let's do this.

All you need to do is stand in the kitchen and watch your adorable, 4'10" future-mother-in-law quickly chop up some potatoes and...oh...wait...you don't have your very own Mama Maria?

My bad. We'll discuss the method where you make these yourself and you don't just keep your fiance's mom company in the kitchen while she whips them up with enviable speed (whilst also having like 10 other things cooking at the same time...seriously...I do not know how she does it. She sets an impossible standard. But I digress.)

Something pretty awesome about this method of cooking potatoes (aside from how easy it is) is that it's completely up to you how you want them to taste. Season according to your personal preferences! Michael's mom uses paprika and salt and pepper--maybe you want rosemary! Or truffle salt! Or maybe chili powder--it's entirely up to you. And then you can serve them aside eggs or crepes or with steak. And they're crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and so rustic looking and they taste like maybe a cowboy made them for you...like...in a good way.

Because, in my case, it's usually a sweet little Italian woman making them for me.

Or me. Or YOU?! :D*

*See you at brunch!

Baked Parmesan Hash Brown Cups

Crispy hash browns are the beeeest.

Amirite?

But messy fried hash browns are no bueno for our kitchens and our waistlines. This recipe is the solution!

You guys also know how much I love Parmesan cheese, yes? It's like my favorite cheese. So when I was that this recipe not only makes crispy hash browns baked in a muffin tin but that there's Parm up in there? I was SOLD. And I will tell you that they 100% live up to the hype!

First of all-yes. These are super duper crispy. And yes-they taste amaaaazing.

But they're also little portable cups! So I feel like they're perfect for kids or entertaining and because they're cups they have sort of this fun little area on the top where you could place a cooked egg or a dollop of sour cream with chives or whatever! Make it fancy! Or don't. You can be like me and just dip them in ketchup while sitting on the couch and watching The Originals on TV. Really, you're gonna have a good morning either way.

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

It's official. I'm a cliche'. (As if the fact that roses are my favorite flower, I'm obsessed with wedding planning, and just about everything else about me wasn't enough.) I just realized that I am actually going through a quarter-life crisis. And I'm 25. So....yeah.

Since leaving NY and deciding to leave behind any possibility of becoming a rich and famous actor...I'm sort of confused. In a perfect world I would just continue acting and blogging and doing promo work, like now. But then I think about having children and how I want to be able to give them a good life (and I want to put 4 kids through Catholic school) and I know I probably won't make enough for that (and Michael's never going to make big money). But-on top of the fact that I don't want a full-on 9-5 etc. job, I don't like the idea of-when I have kids-needing to leave them to go back to work after a month or 2. I want to be able to, mostly, stay home with them. So...I don't know. I'm all conflicted about it. The idea of being a wedding planner has been tossed around. I guess we'll just see.

Ok-sorry about unloading that all on you guys! Overall I'm super happy and content with life, sometimes the 'ole quarter life crisis fears like to just seep in. And then we need a little comfort food. And, as anyone who witness me eat over the holidays can tell you, potatoes pretty much always lift my spirits.

Especially when there are soft, slightly sweet, somewhat caramelized onions are thrown into the mix.

The onions-while technically they are still considered caramelized (I googled it!) they're like sauteed caramelized onions. So they cook in butter for a while-but not a super long time. Which...since I'm impatient...works out perfectly for me. AND you don't add any sugar which is good because I get enough sugar in my diet. 

And they're freakin' delicious in rich, creamy, mashed potatoes. And then you shovel a bunch into your mouth. And we all are happy.

Yes.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

I have too many shaped pastas. I don't know how. I don't know why. All I know is I have penne and shells and whatnot for days-and no idea what to do with all of it.

So Michael promised me he'd eat penne with meat sauce. If there were meatballs.

Then all I had to do is mention the idea of mozzarella stuffed meatballs and that was it. Michael was all about it. They had to be made soon.

Fun fact about this recipe: it originally used ground turkey for the meatballs. Which you can absolutely do. However...we like our beef, so I subbed it in. But if red meat isn't your fave or if you're trying to stay a little leaner with the meat go to town with the turkey! Ironically Michael's favorite meatballs are his mom's...and I'm pretty sure she uses turkey. But for some reason hers are the only ones where it's ok with him, I guess?

I kinda want to make a meatball sub with these. I wouldn't even need to add any more cheese. All you need is the bread and some sauce and the meatballs....mmmm, sounds pretty good methinks!

Oh and when you make the meatballs, don't be alarmed if some cheese goes rogue and just oozes out of random places. Cheese is tricky like that. It's ok. It's part of its charm! We forgive you cheese, and we love you for you.

These meatballs are moist, flavorful, and bursting FULL of cheesiness!

If you want to get crazy authentic you can attempt to stuff legit. mozzarella in these meatballs. I'm not sure what will happen, though. I can only attest to what goes down when you use string cheese, but far be it from me to curb your creativity!