Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Dave said he wanted homemade mac and cheese so I went on a search for a recipe that looked simple enough with lots of cheese. I asked what kind of noodles he wanted and he said small shells not that you can see that in the picture. I would definitely make this again.



For Mat the opinions of the eaters.
Dave says he liked it
Rob says moar BACON.

Ingredients
6 ounces grated extra-sharp cheddar
6 ounces grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground mustard (I didn't have this so I just used regular mustard)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Dash of cayenne
1/2 pound (8 ounces) elbow macaroni
2 slices of cooked and then cut up bacon (because of Robs request I would probably do a 3rd or 4th slice)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish or an 8″-by-8″ baking dish. Set aside.

Combine the cheddar, Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses in a medium bowl. Transfer 1 cup of cheese to a small bowl; reserve for topping.

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat. Then in a Dutch oven or saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Add flour immediately; whisk to combine for about 1 minute. Raise the temperature to medium, and slowly whisk in the milk. Bring it to a boil to thicken, whisking the entire time. (You might need to raise the temperature slightly to get things going.)

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the mustard, salt, garlic, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and the 2 cups of mixed cheeses (from the larger bowl). Set the cheese sauce aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well, and add pasta to the cheese sauce. Stir to combine. Taste, adjust the seasonings, and add hot sauce, if you wish.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.Top with bacon and then reserved cheese, and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbly, but the inside is still creamy.

Original idea and recipe came from http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/9170

Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is a typical conversation I have with Dave. Me: What would you like for dinner this week Dave: hmmm. Meatballs. He says Joes mom makes best ones. I've never made meatballs before so I went looking through foodgawker.com (I really do love that website. They even have an iPhone app now!) I knew I wanted to use a sausage and not ground beef. When I found the recipe I thought it would pretty easy to make. Next time I'll make 2 batches and freeze one. After the meatballs were done cooking I threw them in the sauce for awhile. I used Ragu for the sauce I think they make great spaghetti sauce. I only took one picture because I forgot. I keep doing that :/

Ingredients

1 egg – beaten
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano – grated (I almost used parmesan instead but )
1/4 cup onion – minced
1 clove garlic – minced
1- 19.76 ounce package sweet Italian Johnsonville sausages – casings removed

Instead of using Parmigiano Reggiano I almost used Parmesan instead but found the Parmigiano Reggiano at Walmart priced reasonably.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, milk, Parmigiano Reggiano, onion and garlic. Mix to combine. Add sausage to the bread crumb mixture and mix well.

Line a cooking sheet with foil. Using a cookie scooper or your hand in my case, scoop out approx 24 meatballs onto cooking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Original idea and recipe came from
http://www.bellalimento.com/2011/02/23/polpette-meatballs/