Forrest Gump
Chili Mac and Cheese
The other day, I was thinking back to when Z and I first got together. I was a young new bride and didn’t know much about cooking.
So, I did what any other sane person would do……..
I went for the man’s heart and I bought Hamburger Helper! Awe yeah! You know you do did too! Right????
I remember being in the grocery store and thinking……..”Man! They have a million different varieties! They have Cheesy Hamburger Helper, Hamburger Stroganoff, Bacon Cheeseburger, Cheesy Broccoli.” *It was like I was in that scene from Forrest Gump….. Shrimp creole…..
One for every night of the week! I had totally SCORED!
Fast forward 11 years later and the man can hardly look at a box of it without his stomach turning.
I have to say though, this homemade Chili Mac and Cheese recipe conquered his fear had him coming back for more. Your’s will too…. not to mention your kids will love it as well!
From the cheesy macaroni,
To the diced tomatoes with green chiles. Your family will be hooked with the first bite.
The only thing I can suggest is that you may just want to double the recipe!
*Now, the only thing I need to work on is his fear of Shake-N-Bake!
Recipe: Chili Mac and Cheese
– 1 lb. Ground Beef
– 1 tsp. Canola Oil
– 2 tsp. Chili Powder
– 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
– 1 tsp. Cumin
– 2 cups Lower Sodium Beef Broth
– 1 cup Water
– 1 (10oz) can Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, Undrained
– 12 oz. Uncooked Elbow Macaroni (*Go for whole wheat if you can find it!)
– 1/2 cup Fat-Free Milk
– 4 oz. 1/3-less-fat Cream Cheese (about 1/2 cup)
– 4 1/2 oz. Reduced- Fat Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Directions:
– Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, and swirl to coat. Add beef , chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Cook meat until no longer pink and cooked through. Drain Meat in a colander.
– Return meat to pot and add broth, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a Boil.
– Stir in macaroni, cover and cook 10 minutes or until macaroni is done.
– Heat milk and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat.
– Cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
– Stir in cheddar.
– Add cheese sauce to macaroni mixture and toss well.
– Serve immediately. Goes great with Roasted Broccoli or Salad!
Strawberry Muffins
I have been on a Strawberry Kick as of lately. It must be the time of the year.
Strawberries are everywhere and ripe for the picking!
“There’s umm Strawberries and Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Tartlets, Strawberry Pancakes, Strawberry Cake, Strawberry Ice Cream,
Strawberry Creole…………………..”
SAY WHAT??????? Sorry, had to throw in a little Forrest Gump there.
My latest is Strawberry MUFFINS! SO GOOD!
These little things are ridiculous. It’s best not to be alone when you bake these because others may never get one! They are that good!
The best part or possibly the worst part is that they are very quick to make! This may or may not cause you to bake them all the time, not being the best thing for your waistline! LOL!
They have a pecan streusel topping that is AMAZING!
I always add more strawberries than the recipe calls for. Because of this, I bake them a little longer to make sure the filling is done.
Definitely give these a try and if you manage not to eat them all yourself, try giving one to your child’s teacher or better yet, YOUR BOSS! You might just get that raise you have been wanting.
However, if your boss is allergic to nuts, might want to skip that one……………. OR not……………….. YOUR CHOICE! I DON’T JUDGE!
XOXO,
Esther
Recipe: Strawberry Muffins
– 3/4 cup Skim Milk
– 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
– 1 Egg
– 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
– 1 1/4 cup Chopped Stawberries
– 1/3 cup Sugar
– 1 tbsp. Baking Powder
– 1/4 tsp. Salt
Direction:
– Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 regular size muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.
– Mix milk, oil and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients except Pecan Streusel Topping , just until moistened.
– Make Pecan Streusel Topping , Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling two- thirds full. Sprinkle batter with Pecan Streusel Topping on top.
– Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Pecan Streusel Topping:
– 1/2 cup chopped Pecans
– 1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
– 1/4 cup All- Purpose Flour
– 2 tbsp. Melted Butter
Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended.
Pecan Streusel Topping (recipe below)
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