Sunday Night Dinner: Smoked Gouda Mac N Cheese!

I am pretty proud to say I executed a successful dinner tonight!  Little A and I devoured our food (daddy joined us late, but liked the dish as well  :-)

See below for the BEFORE pictures...Recipe at end of post!

I was SO impressed with my ability to "wing it" on this recipe that I broke out the Vintage Eva Zeisel China!

(A gift from my husband for our anniversary).

(Now I don't have to pay for Crate and Barrel Knockoffs)!

Plus. Crate and  Barrel can't touch the original "Fantasy" pattern.  ha!

 

 

RECIPE:

A couple Tablespoons of Butter

3-4 cloves garlic, minced (or you can add more!)

2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour
I think I used around 1 cup of milk...start with 1/2 cup
about 1 cup of shredded smoked Gouda (once again, start with 1/2 cup, then add the rest slowly!)
some Parmesan cheese (real or "dried").  I added as I saw fit...

3-4 cups of chopped, rinsed, somewhat dried spinach
cracked pepper
8-10 strips of turkey bacon, chopped up.  YUM-O!!
Pasta.  I used around 3/4 of a 17.6 package of organic Penne from Costco.


First I sauteed the garlic in butter for 30 seconds.  
I added the flour, cooked that about a minute or two.
I added the milk (not all at once!)
Then the cheeses (not all at once!)
Some cracked pepper...the cheese gives the sauce enough flavor so I chose to skip on additional salts!

Once I got the sauce to the consistency I desired, I added the chopped fresh spinach.  Don't forget to mix the spinach into the sauce so the leaves wilt down enough. Afterward, add in the cooked pasta and crispy turkey bacon pieces.  

VOILA!!  
Yummy-yummy-in-your-tummy!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes for you.  Remember, no true measurements here to HAVE FUN experimenting!!

XOXO.


  




  

Monday Night Pasta with CHEERY tomatoes!

I know this post is a little late, today being Friday and all.  Honestly, I wish I had the time to post more often.  I usually try to write quick entries during my lunch break...but I've been super busy at work and end up working through lunch.  Better than staying late!!  I know, what would the Union Steward have to say? 

Don't these tomatoes look fabulous?!  I let them cook in about a 1/4 cup olive oil with salt, pepper, and 6 roughly chopped garlic cloves.  Just long enough to heat them up.  You don't want them to cook down so they pop!

I added the tomatoes (plus mushrooms and onions which are actually hidden underneath the tomatoes in the same bowl) to my curly pasta and asparagus.  I have to cook these things separately because my poor husband did not grow up with a taste for good, healthy foods.  He detests tomatoes, onions, AND mushrooms.  All I can say is he's missing out on life by being so selective.

 

 

Here is the final dish, topped with some shredded parmesan and asiago cheeses!  YUMMY DELICIOUS!!

I've also tried this dish with cherry vinaigrette (I found one that wasn't sweet!).

My coworker saw me eating a jar of these and thought I was eating a bowl of candies.  hahahaha.  See, the red in the "cheer" tomatoes really adds to the appeal of this dish.  ;-)