Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

We recently hit a place in Hampton called Six, while I thought that it had great food, I was not impressed with their Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. I thought that theirs had no flavor and was really plain. I was determined to make my own and make it taste like something other than just pasta with a bland cheese sauce. Here is what I came up with....

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

1 pound of butternut squash
3 tablespoons of fresh thyme
2 shallots, diced
1/8 cup of olive oil
1 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
2 1/2 cups of good cheddar cheese (I used Black Diamond)
3 sage leaves, diced
1 box of elbow macaroni

Roast squash at 400 degrees for 30 minutes with olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper, and shallots. Remove squash from oven and let cool, but keep the oven on. When squash has cooled put squash into a food processor, add chicken broth and cheese and puree. Cook pasta according to directions on package and drain. In a casserole dish mix cheesy squash and pasta. In a small skillet take a little bit of olive oil or butter and add sage cook until the sage is crispy and fried. Top mac and cheese with bread crumbs and sage oil or butter. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake the mac and cheese for 30 minutes. Serve with ham or chicken and enjoy.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

Once again those folks at the Food Network got to me. I was sucked in by the Barefoot Contessa and determined to try this recipe. I think this why I should just let my son watch TV more often, really I am joking on that one. I did and I must say that is not bad. I personally will add a shallot to the mushrooms the next time I make this. But the real treat came from trying to hunt down the ingredients needed to make this meal. Let me tell you, truffles, at least the non chocolate kind are not easy to find in this neck of the woods. Truffle butter came with a phone call to those wonderful folks at Harris Teeter, who seem to always have that one thing you cannot find anywhere else. I did not find any cremini mushrooms, but after a conversation with Rena, she reminded me that unless you want to pay tons of money, they are sold as baby bellas on this coast. So that is what I used. I look forward to planning this one out better next time I make it and I think the addition of the shallot will make this a meal worth the effort (getting the ingredients) and the money. Really $8 for 3 oz. of truffle butter, ouch. Here is the link to the recipe, I hope that you enjoy it, now I am going to eat some leftovers and look forward to a great seafood meal tomorrow. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

Something New from TJ's

I am a huge Trader Joe's fan, just in case you have not noticed. I have been shopping there since I was 10 years old, and when I moved to VA, I was very happy to know that there was one just a few miles away. The other day when I stopped in searching for some honey goat cheese, a product that I found out was seasonal :(, I got a taste of something new. Rice Noodle Mac and Cheese. They had added some peas, something that I would have never thought of, but what a great way to get kids to eat their veggies! I had to buy a box the second I tasted it. This is not your Kraft Mac and Cheese. This product has a great cheese flavor, is wheat and gluten free, and I promise you and the kids will both love it. Next time you are at your local TJ's make sure to pick up a box, don't forget the peas.