White Cheddar Mac

Yep, that’s right! Another Mac and Cheese to add to my list. This is Panara’s recipe. If you have never been to Panara, you are missing out! It has amazing sandwiches, bagels, soups and salad. AND, as of last year, this Mac and Cheese. From the second I tasted it I have been trying to duplicate the flavors at home. I have gotten close, but never hit it right on. Recently, Panara posted the recipe on their website! I made it immediatley and it was spot on! I changed a couple of things, less mustard, parmesan to top, and I changed the milk to cream ratio. We loved it. I will be making it again soon. Thanks Panara, for sharing the creamy yumminess!

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Printable Version

16-ounces pasta shells
¼ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½  cups 1% milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 slices white American cheese, chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
Parmesan cheese, to top

Prepare pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is boiling, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Gradually whisk in milk and cream; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Drain and stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Top with Parmesan and enjoy the creamy yumminess!

Serves 4 to 6
Recipe adapted from Panara.

Mongolian Beef

We love american versions of asian meals. We may love true Asian meals, but to tell you the truth, we have not eaten at real Authentic restraunts. P.F. Chang’s is about as authentic as we have gotten! We love our share of sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, and honey sauced chicken. It is nice to have a beef meal to mix it up a bit. This was super duper easy, and honestly, I had to go back for more! It was delicious. I even shared it with my friends at work and they were all raving!

Mongolian Beef
Printable version

1 lb flank or sirloin steak, thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (adjust to change heat)
green onions, for garnish

After slicing the steak thinly, pat dry with a paper towel.  Put cornstarch in a large ziploc bag and add the steak pieces. Toss to coat. If needed, place beef slices in a strainer and shake off excess corn starch.

Heat wok to medium high and add the oil to the wok. Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is all browned. While meat is cooking, combine ginger, garlic, water, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes in a bowl. When meat is sufficiently browned, pour the sauce back into the wok and let it cook along with the meat. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will become. Turn off heat when desired thickness is reached. Serve over rice or quinoa and top with green onions.

Serves 2.
Recipe from pinterest

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

He took seconds! And thirds, I think. We loved this meal. It was definitely too hot for my palate, and brinking on too hot for my hubbs. So, I added a little sour cream and some brown sugar. BAM! A perfect meal. We have eaten this 3 times already, it is one of those easy, go-to meals that I always have everything for. ENJOY!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Printable Version

2 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces
⅓ cup flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (we did Frank’s Buffalo Wing), plus extra for garnishment
3 Tbs sour cream (optional, to lessen amount of spice)
1 Tbs brown sugar  (optional, to lessen amount of spice)
1 Tbs olive oil
10 6-inch yellow corn tortillas

Toppings
shredded Lettuce
cilantro
tomato
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing-(so good!)

Heat a large saute pan oven over medium-high heat.

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the saute pan, add chicken and cook until done, stirring frequently-about 5 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, mix buffalo wing sauce, sour cream, and brown sugar. Both of these ingredients are optional, they cool down the “hotness” of the wing sauce.

Once the chicken is done, drain on paper towels. Then, toss chicken in wing sauce mixture.

Assemble tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

Serves 2.
Adapted from Mrs. Ruguerio