Mouth-Watering Mac and Cheese with Sandra Bell Calhoune

Good morning, all! We're so happy to welcome Belle Calhoune back to the cafe! Julie's out for the day, gallivantin' 'round the Eastern shore somewheres, but in her stead we have this amazing and wonderful hybrid author here in the cafe! We've got made-to-order coffee, fresh homemade jams for your scones (I'm jesting about scones, if I'm going to waste carbs it will be on mac and cheese like Belle brought by or CAKE....)  Okay, no scones, little petit fours cakes, instead!!! Hang out, chat it up, or just peek in, grab your coffee and go.... There are no term limits in the cafe!

Ruthy

Hello everyone.  Belle Calhoune here.  It’s such a pleasure to be visiting the Yankee Belle Cafe.

I'm talking macaroni and cheese today.  Finally, after years of making pitiful macaroni and cheese, I've found the recipe of a lifetime. 

I call it the golden ticket recipe, because I have struggled for many years to make a fantastic macaroni and cheese.  My sister Karen has always been able to whip up a mouthwatering macaroni, which my kids raved over.  Sadly, every single time I tried to make it, the macaroni came out overcooked or bland or blah.  It just wasn't gooey or creamy or cheesy.  It was a big ole dud.  Bring out the tiny violins everyone. 

Enter one of the miracles of my life.  The slow cooker.

Now cue the halo music.  Ta Dah!   About four years ago I purchased a slow cooker and began experimenting with recipes.  Ribs.  Pulled pork.  Chicken.  Chili.  And yes....mac n' cheese.  Where had this slow cooker been all my life?  If I wasn't already married, I would have proposed.  As a writer with deadlines, the simplicity of the slow cooker is extremely appealing.  As a wife and mother who enjoys putting delectable dishes on the dining room table at night, I've found dozens and dozens of recipes that satisfy all the members of my family.  This macaroni and cheese recipe is my all-time favorite.  I've served it at Thanksgiving, Christmas and upon request from my children.  It's that good!  And it's very simple to make.  And like Charlie in Willie Wonka, I found my golden ticket. 

Mouth-watering Mac n' cheese

One box of elbow macaroni (cooked and drained)

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 cup of milk

1 can of Campbell's condensed cheese soup

1 ½ cups of (orange) cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups of white sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of ground mustard

1 teaspoon of adobo or seasoned salt

½ tsp pepper

3 tablespoons of butter

Boil pasta for six minutes, then drain.

The crock pot should be set to high.  Add pasta to crock pot along with grated cheeses, cheddar soup, sour cream, butter, milk and eggs.  Mix all together then add all the seasonings.  If desired, add additional cheese or sour cream.

You can periodically check back to make sure it is not browning too much at the sides.  You can stir every now and again.

2 hours to 2.5 hours on high is pretty near perfection although slow cooker times vary.  You can always check on it and look at the sides.  If they are browning too much you can always turn the temp down to low.  The cheese is very flexible also.  You can use different types of cheese or add more or less depending on your taste.  I once caught my youngest adding more cheddar cheese to the crock pot when she thought I wasn’t looking.  I let it slide since she’s pretty adorable.

I have to admit that I left out the butter this last time.  And guess what? I was the only one who knew.   You couldn't taste it at all.  And I still am on the fence about the little brown crunchies on the sides of the macaroni....some people love them while others don't.  The longer you cook it, the more brown crunchies you’ll get.

I honestly think this is the macaroni and cheese recipe I will stick to like glue.  It is perfection.  And it can be tweaked.  Bacon bits can be added to the mac n cheese.  Add some lobster for a nice seafood lobster mac n’ cheese.  Bread crumbs can be sprinkled over the top at the end.  Or if you want to add some veggies, broccoli can be placed on top as well.  A friend of mine added sliced hotdogs for her five year old son.

The lovely Julie Hilton Steele posted about what she’s thankful for during this Thanksgiving season.  I’m very thankful for my family.  My husband, Randy, never complains about all the time I spend writing.  My lovely daughter, Amber, is a freshman in college and enjoying the transition immensely.  My 12 year old Sierra is blossoming into a lovely young lady and feeling empowered about her dyslexia. I’m thankful to be living the life I always imagined.  God is good.

Family Favorites with Belle Calhoun!

Family Favorites  -   By popular demand

Hi everyone! Belle Calhoune here.  I'm very excited to be visiting the Yankee Belle Cafe.

Frankly, I love to cook, which is a good thing since my family loves to eat. 

In Forever Her Hero, my May Love Inspired release, the Trask family gathers for a family celebration on the beach to enjoy a clambake and fellowship.  When my own family comes together in Cape Cod, I tend to make family favorites.  Seafood.  Chicken kabobs on the grill.  Grilled corn on the cob.  One of my main goals is to satisfy the taste buds of the adults as well as the younger crowd (teenagers and the 11 and under crew).

First, let me say that I am a crock pot gal.  Call me crock pot crazy.  It fascinates me how many things I can make in this magical cooking device.   Last year we had a tragic moment where I dropped the lid of my crock pot, causing it to shatter on the kitchen floor.  Yes, there were tears.  And a hushed silence as my husband and two girls waited for me to lose it.  That's how much I loved my crock pot.  Happily, a few weeks later a brand new one was sitting under my Christmas tree.  Might I add that it was nicer than the one I broke.  Score!

Savory Chili.  This happens to be my all time favorite meal.  Good thing the rest of my family loves it as well.  Throw in some cornbread and I'm in heaven.  I consider this the ultimate comfort food, perfect to put on the table all year round.  My mother used to make it for us all the time.  I love how easy it is to make.   You can also choose an alternative to ground beef for a different taste and a healthier option. 

Ingredients:
Hamburger, Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken Meat. 

1 can of tomatoes

2 can of tomato paste

1 cup marinara sauce

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 chopped onion

1/4th of a tsp of pepper

1/4th of a tsp of salt

1 tsp of oregano

1 tablespoon cumin

Chili Pepper (as needed)

1 Can of Kidney beans, strained

Packet of Chili seasoning. 

Brown meat in skillet.  Once browned and fat drained off you can start adding whole tomatoes, tomato paste and marinara sauce.  Then add the kidney beans, onion and garlic.  Mix in all the seasonings.  Let the chili simmer for a half an hour on low for best results. 

*

My Aunt Josephine was born on the island of Monserrat in the West Indies, along with my grandmother.  Aunt Jo was a fantastic cook.   She was a baker extraordinaire.  My one major regret is that we didn't record all of her recipes in a family cookbook.  I can still taste her rice and beans,  as well as her carrot cake and almond cookies.  Her recipe for lemon squares is one I still have the recipe for.

Lemon Squares with a tropical twist:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4th a cup of sifted powdered sugar

½ cup butter or margarine

2 eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

½ tsp of finely grated lemon peel

½ tsp vanilla extract

1/4th tsp baking powder

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Powdered sugar

Set oven to 350.  Mix flour and powdered sugar.  Add butter to mixture.  Once mixture clings together place in baking pan.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  While crust is cooking beat eggs with a mixer, adding in granulated sugar along with lemon peel, vanilla and lemon juice.  Beat until smooth and mixture thickens. Set aside. Stir together 2 tablespoons flour and baking powder then add to egg mixture.  Take out crust from oven.  Pour mixture over warm bottom crust.  Place back in oven for 30 minutes.  Once out of oven sift powdered sugar on top. 

Voila! After the lemon bars cool, cut them into squares and enjoy.

Clabber Girl.  I recently discovered this product.  Can you believe it? My husband brought it home from the supermarket and I just stared at it because I thought it was the cutest thing.  I then posted it on my author page and discovered that Clabber girl is famous.   As a New Englander born and bred, I hadn't seen it or used it.  All I can say is, I'm now a fan.  Where has Clabber Girl been all my life?

Apple crumble.  A favorite dessert often requested by my youngest daughter, Sierra.  She could eat this every day, and it's my go-to dessert when I have lots of apples to use up.

              

  I've used all kinds of apples to make this, which results in a sometimes sweeter and other times tarter taste. 

Now that Spring has finally sprung in Connecticut, my mind is beginning to wander to family barbecues and get togethers.   What's your family favorite recipe?

  Bio:

Belle Calhoune grew up in small town outside of Boston.  An avid reader since she was a child, she was known to always have her nose buried in a book.  Thankfully, her Physician mother and Biologist father never discouraged her from reading romance novels.  While at Syracuse University, Belle met her future husband and majored in English literature.  After graduation Belle became a Federal Investigator in Boston, celebrated the birth of her first child and worked full-time as her husband attended law school.  After the birth of her youngest child, Belle moved to southern Connecticut where she began to focus on her writing dreams while being a stay at home mom.  Writing for Harlequin Love Inspired is a dream come true. Being able to work in her pjs and stay home with her mini poodle and Chocolate Lab are huge perks.  Busy writing and plotting her next novel, Belle loves to hear from readers. Visit Belle at: http://www.bellecalhoune.com