My Husband’s Flipping Awesome Mac and Cheese

So one day before Christmas my husband Ryan decided to make Home made Mac and Cheese. He didn’t have a recipe he just made it up in his head… and it was one of those that looked so good when it came out of the oven that I decided to take a fork right out of the drawer. I ate some and looked at him and I said “this is Flipping Awesome”. Except I used a different F word.

Generally in our house my husband is not the cook. Except with BBQ, chili, sandwiches, grilled cheese and omelettes. In these categories he reigns. But for him to decide to make something, without a recipe, is rare. F-word Awesome is rarer still so I asked if he could write down what he did so I could share it.

Usually I would write a healthy recipe

First week of January right? Usually I would include some uber-healthy recipe but this one does not fit that category… we can get to that next week … this home made mac and cheese was so good that I have to share it now because I don’t want to forget to do that. And selfishly I want a record.

Ingredients

Here are the things you will need for Home made Mac and Cheese

500 g Tortiglioni

1/4 c unsalted butter melted

500 g shredded marble cheese

1 c milk (we used skim)

1/8 c flour

5 pieces thinly sliced pre cooked bacon

One red pepper sliced julien

bread crumbs

paprika

club house tex mex seasoning

Directions

For the flipping good home made mac and cheese here is what you do: Cook pasta al dente or a bit under cooked. Melt butter and add milk – make a roux with the flour adding slowly and whisking. Heat and then add cheese (reserving some to top casserole dish with) till melted. Pour sauce over noodles, add bacon and mix and put in 9×11 casserole dish. Top with a bit more extra shredded cheese, bread crumbs to cover the top of dish and sprinkle with paprika, Tex Mex seasoning and arrange the red pepper slices on top. Bake at 375 F for 20 min.

Voila

Flipping awesome mac and cheese. Comfort food.

Something a bit different for Christmas?

So usually at this time of year many are gearing up for preparing big meals… Turkey, stuffing, maybe a ham, big platters of fish for Christmas Eve…  I have heard from many people that they may be a bit tired of it.  If you want to try something a bit different check out this recipe for Hungarian Goulash and Dumplings.  *note – above picture is one from the internet not mine but does look similar to what I make – typing this before I actually make this on Christmas Eve…

So, I am usually the one in our family making a big Christmas dinner either on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day.  This year, my cousin is doing Christmas Day and our Christmas Eve will be a bit smaller and quieter with just a few family members and maybe some friends…  My husband is kinda excited because we have decided to do a smaller dinner on Christmas Eve that we haven’t had for a few years – one of his very favourites:  Hungarian Goulash, Dumplings and spaetzle (prounounced Sh-pet-slae) which are basically German noodles.

Truth be told, I am getting excited too.

The Beauty of this recipe

The beauty of this recipe (or more correctly I guess these recipes) for Hungarian Goulash and dumpling is that the dumplings can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, the noodles can be store bought and made just before (I will do them fresh but lets not go there) and the goulash can be done in the slow cooker.  Leaving you free for a relaxing Christmas Eve with little prep to be done!

Here is how:

Here is the recipe for the Hungarian Goulash and Dumplings:

For the goulash – Ingredients:

4 lbs beef (I use stewing beef but you can use chuck or another roast) cut into 1-2 inch cubes

2 strips of bacon or just bacon fat

6 onions (I use 4-5 yellow and 3 shallots)

4 tablespoons of paprika

1.5 teaspoons of salt

2 green peppers cut up coarsely

Instructions for Goulash

Flash fry the beef cubes very quickly and remove from skillet.  Do this in portions so you don’t overcook the meat.  Transfer to a thick pot (I use slow cooker).  Rinse the skillet with a cup of water and add to the pot.  Then chop the bacon and fry it in the skillet. Add the onion and brown lightly.  Stir in paprika and salt and combine with the meat.  Add the uncooked green peppers and then cook slowly for about two hours on lowest heat possible.  Or on low in slow cooker for 4 hours.   This can also be made the day before and reheated!  Serve with Noodles that can be purchased in most international food sections (Spatzele)  and boiled just before serving.   Also can be served with Dumpling recipe below!

Bread Dumpling recipe 

(Zemmel Knodel)  or Bread Dumpling are awesome with Hungarian Goulash 

6 stale kaiser buns or 300 grams french stick or white bread cut in cubes

30 grams lard/crisco

1 Tablespoon chopped onion

parsley and salt

60 g flour

2 eggs

1 cup milk

Cut bread into small cubes and in a separate bowl mix lard, onions and salt.  Mix all with bread curbs and add flour and mix.  In a separate bowl mix eggs and mil and then pour over bread mix and work with hands into dough.  With wet hands form balls (tennis ball size or a bit smaller) and cook in salted boiling water 12 min.

I make these ahead and wrap each individually in saran and freeze.  Remove from freezer and boil when needed.

Heard Bone Broth is good for you but it takes too long?

 

I have a simple solution.  Instant Pot. Yes. You can make Bone broth in 2 hours instead of 8 in the instant pot. Literally fill, push button, walk away. I can’t even.

So far since buying this thing I think I am in love with it.

I know some of you probably bought this thing on Black Friday or Cyber Monday right?  Still in the box?

Ok, no worries… let’s fix that.

Bone Broth

So bone broth is all the rage in the health set and with Millennials… why?

Bone broth is rich in minerals, collagen, glutamine, glycine and proline… what it boils down to (like my pun?) is that it is said is good for the gut (decreases inflammation and is healing). Also the collagen is good for joints and minerals are essential for cellular activity.  Said to be good for joint pain, weight loss and a miracle cure for stuff (ummm prob not but…).  Really it’s an awesome source of good stuff.

So again, here is my theory – Our grandmothers knew stuff, we should really listen and do the stuff they said.  Mine made tons of soup out of bones and so did my mom.

Here is how

Ingredients for Bone Broth Soup

Water

Bones (beef, pork, chicken or whatever you have)

carrot or onion

Apple cider vinegar (the one with the stuff in it – it helps pull the minerals out)

 

Stick bones on rack in your instant pot and fill with water to just about an inch below the fill line.  Stick in carrot and a gulp of apple cider vinegar.  Set instant pot on high for 2 hours and leave, just walk away…. let vent naturally and that folks is it.  Flavour with salt to taste.

 

Here is the best part…  you can use the bones 3 times in the instant pot for soup!

 

Happy Soupping (is that a word?)