Joey's Blue Mac n Cheese

Ok, so, I'll be the first one to admit that my experience with blue cheese is limited. Growing up, for the most part, we basically just had your usual deli cheeses, such as Swiss, Provolone, Cheddar, Parmesan, and good ol' square American cheese. Slowly but surely, though, I'm beginning to incorporate different types of blue cheese into my recipes.
 If you know me, you know that I love to watch and learn from Ina Garten, and she always includes some kind of blue cheese whenever she makes a cheese platter, such as Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Roquefort. So I got to thinking... I wonder how a blue mac n cheese would be?
 Well let me just say that this is one of the best ideas I've ever had! Not that I'm the first person to come up with this idea, but seriously, this was a moment of brilliance, I must say! Now, I know you might be a little hesitant to add blue to a mac n cheese because it has a much more pungent flavor than many cheeses, but it really mellows into a deep rich sauce that goes perfectly with the macaroni. It is AMAZING! It's sort of a little bit more elegant than your usual mac n cheese, but it's still warm and comforting at the same time. And as Miss Ina would say "Who doesn't love that?"
You should try it!

1 lb cut pasta
6 tbs butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 tbs flour
4 cups milk
1/2 parmesan cheese
4 oz Gorgonzola or other Blue cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbs butter
1 tbs parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta, give it a good stir, and let it boil until it's tender. In the meantime, make the sauce.
Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the garlic. Continue to cook, stirring often, for a good 5 minutes, making sure the heat isn't too high. You don't want to scorch the garlic. Add the flour. Stir it well, and cook for another few minutes. Now add the milk, cheeses and salt and pepper. Stir it often, making sure it doesn't burn on the bottom. The sauce will become very thick and rich. Remove from heat and set aside until pasta is cooked.
Heat oven to 350F.
Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
When the pasta is done, drain it well, and pour into the casserole dish. Pour sauce over the pasta. Give a little stir to make sure all of the pasta is coated.
In a small bowl, melt butter in microwave. Toss in the bread crumbs and parsley. Stir until coated with butter. Sprinkle across the top of the pasta. Place in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until lightly golden and bubbly. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Tips:
Be sure to generously salt the pasta water. It should be as salty as the ocean. I always use Kosher salt because I think it has a MUCH better flavor than regular iodized table salt.
I used whole milk, but you can use any milk you like.
Since this is sort of a more grown up mac n cheese, choose a shape of pasta other than elbows. I used cavatappi, just because I love the little cork screws, but penne would also be perfect.

Oh, and one other thing....
Lets be honest...show of hands...
How many of you thought that this mac n cheese was gonna be BLUE in color? Hmm??
C'mon.....you know you thought that...don't lie.... LOL

Joey's BBQ Beef Stew

Now that the fall weather is practically upon us, I'm starting to get more and more requests for Beef Stew recipes. It's true, I do enjoy a nice traditional Crock Pot Beef Stew, but I also like to do different variations. I LOVED the Beef and Brew Stew just about as much as I loved Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon. And then I thought, why not do something barbecuey? (Hmm.... I just realized I never tried that beef stew recipe that I got from my friend Kathleen a while back...... I'll have to come back to it...!)
  Anyway, I basically started with a few basic beef stew ingredients and then added a few BBQ sauce ingredients and PRESTO! We have a new recipe! I immediately brought some to my Jeanie to see what she thought of it. She liked that you could definitely taste BBQ flavor, but it wasn't like eating a bowl of BBQ sauce. It still tastes like beef stew. Perfect! That's just what I was going for! And it's a snap to throw together! Serve it with fresh bakery rolls with a pat of sweet butter and it'll definitely hit the spot!

a few glugs of oil
2-3 lbs beef cubes
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 can Coca Cola
1 tbs instant coffee granules
1 lb baby carrots
6 small red potatoes, washed and quartered
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 cup frozen peas
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cold water

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, brown beef cubes in oil on all sides. In the meantime, add BBQ sauce and cola to a 6 qt crock pot. Stir to combine. Dissolve the coffee granules in a small amount of hot water and stir into the sauce mixture. Add the vegetables and browned beef cubes to the pot. Season with S&P. Give it a good stir. Cook on low for about 9-10 hours, or on high for about 4-5 hours. When the meat and vegetables are tender, whisk together the flour and water in a small bowl. Add to the pot and let it cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until it's bubbly and thickened.

Tips:
-You can absolutely make this the night before you plan to serve it. Simply prep everything as directed and then keep it covered in a large bowl in the fridge overnight. If you have a crock pot with a removable insert, even better! Then just place it in the crock pot first thing in the morning, and voila! Dinner will be ready by the time you get home from work.
-When I was at the grocery store, the beef cubes didn't look very appealing, so I decided to buy a small chuck roast, and then just cut it into cubes. I also cut off the layer of fat that was on the one side. I placed it in the skillet over a medium low heat, and then slowly rendered as much fat as I could, and then used it to brown the beef instead of using oil. How's that for getting the most from your roast?
-My favorite BBQ is Sweet Baby Ray's because it's not too sweet or too spicy or too smokey. But if you have favorite, or if you'd prefer to make Katie Franny BBQ Sauce, go for it!
-If there's a particular beef stew ingredient that you like such as corn or bacon or mushrooms or any other veggies, by all means, go ahead and add it!
-This can be made in a heavy pot or Dutch Oven. Just prep it as directed, then cover it and place in a 325F oven for about 2 hours.

Jiffy Creamed Corn Bread

As much as I love to make everything from scratch, sometimes it's just easier to throw everything into a bowl with a mix and you're good to go. That's usually the case when I'm in the mood for corn bread. It's absurdly simple, and it takes no time at all. The thing that turns up the volume is the addition of creamed corn. It makes it sweet and moist and yummy. I guess it's more of a recipe variation than a recipe (since you follow the directions as written on the box), but it's still worth mentioning! So, the next time you use a corn bread mix, crank it up a little. It makes it so much better!
Try it!

2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
14oz can of creamed corn
2 tablespoons butter

Put a 12″ cast iron pan in the oven at 375F for about 15 minutes.
Mix together the 2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix with the eggs, milk, and creamed corn.
Pull the pan out of the oven, drop in the butter and swirl it around, make sure it gets up on the walls of the pan.
Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 30 minutes.
Check for doneness, the edges of the crust should be starting to brown.
Let it cool for a few minutes, run a spatula up under the pan to loosen the corn bread. Flip it onto a plate and serve.

Tips:
Since there's only one of me, I usually cut the recipe in half and bake it in a smaller cast iron pan. It works just as beautifully.
I guess you don't have to specifically use Jiffy brand corn muffin mix, but it's usually the one that I buy. 
I always use this as a side note to go along with a meal, but if you want something more substantial, have a look at Chris and Dan's Cracklin Bread. It's kind of the same sort of revved up corn bread idea, only you add breakfast ingredients. Love it!

Apple, Bacon, and Cucumber Salad

 I usually don't think of a salad as being a recipe because anyone can just throw anything into a salad and it'll work. But every so often, I'll find a really good combination of salad ingredients that really hits the spot and is worth sharing. This is the basic flight of ideas as I was browsing around the supermarket:
  Ok, salad ... lettuce and tomatoes for starters. great. next......well, I have apple vinaigrette, so I guess I should include apples. So far so good. Apples are sweet, tomatoes are sweet, vinaigrette is sweet...need something salty to balance it...thick cut bacon...yum. What else.....something crisp and fresh to round everything out.... cucumber! Perfect!
And there you have it. It was just as easy as that, and was exactly what I wanted. Fresh. Crisp. Perfect for a light meal. Sometimes the best things are the simplest!


1 head Romaine lettuce
1 Macintosh apple, cored and sliced into small wedges
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 strips super thick sliced bacon
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
Apple Vinaigrette, or your favorite other vinaigrette

Over medium heat, saute bacon strips until slightly crispy. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Slice into small strips. While the bacon is cooking, slice the lettuce (across the width) into 1/2" slices. Separate the leaves and toss in a large bowl. Add cucumber and apple slices along with the tomatoes and bacon. Give everything a good toss. Serve with Apple Vinaigrette.

Tip:
To make a decorative edge on your cucumber slices, simply run a fork down the length of the cucumber, making small grooves with the tines of the fork. Do this all the way around the cucumber, then slice across the width making cucumber rounds. So simple, but very effective!

Chuck's Apple Vinaigrette

 Do you ever watch Chuck's Day Off? I watch it all the time. Chuck Hughes owns a restaurant, which keeps him pretty busy, but then on his day off, his goes into the kitchen and cooks a meal for his employees or friends or family or colleagues or neighbors. Usually, the reason he's cooking for them is to tell them how much he appreciates them or to say thank you. I just love that. I kinda feel like I'd probably do the same thing if I had a restaurant. I guess that's why I like the show so much. Well, that, and he's adorable and his food looks awesome.
 Anyway, I've noticed that he makes this vinaigrette pretty often. He doesn't always use apple juice, but it's always the same idea. It's just a simple vinaigrette with a sweet something added to it, such as apple juice or pear nectar. I absolutely love it!
So, give it a try.
If you like a sweet vinaigrette, you'll love this one!

1 c. apple juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper
pinch coarse or kosher salt
dash apple cider vinegar
3 tbs canola oil

Pour the apple juice into a small pot, then boil it on high to reduce the liquid by half.
Into a bowl, add the mustard and grind over some black pepper.
Add a nice pinch of coarse salt, then add a dash of the apple cider vinegar. Whisk in your reduced apple juice along with the canola oil. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.

Tips:
I used apple cider instead of apple juice and it worked beautifully. Seems to me that it would also work perfectly with other fruit juices or nectars. Hmm....maybe peach??  I think I might have to give it a try!

Heirloom Carrot Spoon Cake

I recently saw this recipe on Semi Home made with Sandra Lee. It's pretty much the same recipe as the Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake that I posted a while back, but it just substitutes carrot cake ingredients instead of the chocolate cake ingredients. FABULOUS! It's warm and gooey and more like a bread pudding than a cake. OH so yummy! And one of the best parts about it is that you make it in a crock pot, so you can do it early in the day an it'll be ready for tonight's dessert!
I love that!

1 (18.25-ounce) box spice cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker)

1 (3.4-ounce) box instant butterscotch pudding mix (recommended: Jell-O)

1 cup water

2 cups shredded carrots

3/4 cup canola oil

4 eggs

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple

1 cup sour cream

Spray a 5-quart slow cooker with butter flavored cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Place a couple paper towels over the cooker and then place the lid on top. (this will absorb the water that forms under the lid from the steam). Cook on LOW for 4 1/2 to 6 hours.

Note from Joey:
Serve it warm as is, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or with a scoop of my Cream Cheese Frosting Ice Cream.

Joey's Tips:
When I made it, I could only find sugar free instant pudding, so I went with it. I also used regular vegetable oil instead of canola oil. Turned out great!
I like a really spicy carrot cake, so I added a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. I probably would have added some coconut too, (since I love coconut in a carrot cake) but I didn't have any on hand. I'm sure I'll add some next time!
The crushed pineapple is a nice touch, but you can just omit it if you and pineapple don't get along so well.
When I made it, it seemed to take a little longer than 6 hours to cook all the way through. Maybe all crock pots are not created equal, who knows? Just keep an eye on it and let it cook until it's set all the way to the center.

Oh, btw, sometimes I can't seem to get the photo to be just right, so I just decided to borrow the one from FoodTV.com. I hope they don't mind!

Joey's Cream Cheese Frosting Ice Cream

When I made carrot cake for Danny and Emma's wedding reception, I had a ton of leftover cream cheese frosting. Well, I certainly wasn't gonna throw it out (because, seriously...it's cream cheese frosting!), so I just kept it in the fridge for a couple days, waiting for a moment of brilliance to hit me. Then I had the AHA moment! I remembered the Carrot Spoon Cake that I saw Sandra Lee semi home making once upon a time, and I thought why not make ice cream? Every carrot cakes needs cream cheese frosting, right? And every warm pudding cake needs a scoop of ice cream on top. So why not put the two together? So I mixed up a few things, poured it into my ice cream maker, and VOILA! It's the perfect thing! It's almost like eating frozen cheesecake! Pretty cool, huh? If you don't have an ice cream maker, maybe this is your perfect excuse to buy one!
It's totally worth it!

2 cups cream cheese frosting, either purchased or home made
1 1/2 cup milk, either whole or 2%
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix until it is completely smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. Pour into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours, or until it firms up a bit. It may not freeze hard (depending on your cream cheese frosting), but if it does, just let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before scooping.

Serve over warm Heirloom Carrot Spoon Cake, over grilled peaches or pineapples, or with fresh Blueberry Sauce. (Or use the blueberry sauce recipe to make a sauce of strawberries or raspberries!)

Tips:
You really don't even need to add any sugar because there's plenty of sugar in the frosting, but go ahead and give it a quick taste before you freeze it. If you like it super sweet, add a half cup of sugar and then mix it up until the sugar is dissolved.
I usually use salted butter when I make the frosting, so if you like, add a little pinch of salt to your cream mixture before you freeze it. It makes it taste SO good!!