Hearty Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

Chopped Salad



Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni
½ lb cheddar cheese
½ lb cooked bacon, chopped (I buy the microwave bacon in a box)
4 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup half and half
½ head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cup of spinach, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 can of black olives, sliced
Italian dressing

Preparation:
Toss the chopped lettuce and spinach with 2 Tbsp Italian dressing.
Place the lettuce in a bowl and layer the chopped ingredients on top.
Boil water and cook the macaroni according to the package directions.
While the macaroni cooks, melt the butter in a pan.
Add the flour to the melted butter, then the salt and pepper. Gradually stir in the cream until the sauce becomes thin enough to stir easily. You may need to add a touch more cream.
Stir in the cheese until melted.
Drain the macaroni. Stir the macaroni, green onions, and bacon into the cheese sauce.
Serve immediately while hot.

Scallops with Vermicelli

Scallops with Vermicelli
Steamed Lemon Asparagus or Favorite Green Vegetable

Ingredients:
1 lb of scallops
2 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup fresh chopped basil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
½ cup cream
½ cup mlk
1 cup shredded Italian cheese mix (Parmesan, romano, asiago.)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 lb vermicelli
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
1 lemon

Preparation:
Heat water to boil to cook the vermicelli. Cook according to the package.
Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the scallops and cook until opaque. Set aside.
Make the cream sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat, stir in the flour. Gradually add the cream and milk with a whisk until smooth. Add the cheese, and Italian seasoning. Stir until melted. Keep warm.
Heat a small amount of water in a frying pan. Lay the aparagus across the pan and steam until slightly tender.
Add the scallops and onions to the cheesy sauce.
Drain the vermicelli.
Serve the scallops in sauce over the vermicelli. Sprinkle the chopped, fresh basil on top.
Serve the asparagus with the zest from the lemon on top.
Serve a bowl of lemon wedges on the side.

Four Cheese Macaroni in the Crock Pot

Four Cheese Macaroni in the Crock Pot
Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp of butter
2 Tbsp of flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 cups of milk
4 dashes of Tabasco
½ cup of shredded Parmesan
½ cup of shredded Romano
1 ½ cups of shredded Cheddar
1 ½ cups of shredded Mozarella
1 pound of elbow macaroni
Paprika
1 package fresh Brussels sprouts
4 lemon slices

In the morning:
Melt the butter in a pan.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir until a paste forms.
Add the milk gradually, stirring with a whisk until it makes a thin creamy white sauce. You may need a bit of extra milk. The sauce should be thin.
Add the cheese and melt it.
Stir in the Tabasco sauce.
Stir in the uncooked macaroni.
Coat the crock pot with cooking spray.
Put the cheese and macaroni mixture in the crock pot. Sprinkle with paprika
Cook on low 8 hours.

In the afternoon:
Cook the Brussels sprouts in pot of hot water for 4 minutes. Serve with a lemon twist on the side.

Note: If the macaroni comes out dry or browned, it needs more liquid. The macaroni noodles soak up the liquid as they cook, so make sure the sauce is very thin when you put it in the crockpot. When it is done, it should be bubbly with slight crispy brown around the edges.

Pasta and Broccoli with Ham Chunks

Pasta and Broccoli with Ham Chunks

Ingredients:
½ pound of ham, cut into chunks
2 cups of chopped broccoli florets
½ cup of mozzarella
½ cup of parmesan
¼ cup of butter
1 Tbsp of flour
Salt and pepper
1 can of skim evaporated milk
1 pound of fusilli pasta

Preparation:
Set the table with bowls.
Put water on to boil for the pasta.
Make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a pan. Add the flour, and stir until it is mixed. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk until the mixture reaches the creamy consistency of a sauce.
Stir in the cheeses to the white sauce until they melt and add a dash of salt and pepper.
Put the pasta in the pot to boil.
One minute before the pasta is done, throw the broccoli in with it.
Drain the pasta and broccoli. Return them to the pasta pot.
Pour the sauce over the top of the pasta.
Add the ham chunks and stir until the pasta is well coated and the ham is heated through.
Serve in bowls with extra cheese to garnish the top.

Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken

Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken
Tossed Salad with Sliced Tomato and Zucchini

Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped chicken (Use chicken tenderloins for this. Grill and chop.)
1 jar of alfredo sauce
1 lb of fettucini pasta
Fresh parmesan cheese
½ head iceberg lettuce
1 small head of radicchio if it’s available
1 zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
1 tomato, sliced
1 small can sliced black olives
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped parsley
Italian dressing

Preparation:
Set the table.
Cook the chicken.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Warm the alfredo sauce in a saucepan. Add the chicken.
Shred the lettuce into a salad serving dish.
Add the green onions and parsley and toss.
Top with the zucchini, tomato, and black olives.
Drain the pasta. Stir the warmed alfredo sauce with chicken into the pasta.
Place in a serving dish and grate parmesan over the top.
Serve with the salad and the Italian dressing.