Amy's Easy HOMEMADE Macaroni and Cheese

Sometimes, simple things are the best. As I found out over the holidays when my oldest daughter said she wanted to make HER macaroni and cheese for one of our meals.

Now I've shared my recipe with you before (click here to see it), and it does take some time to make, but hey, it's got American, Havarti and cheddar cheese in it, plus some great spices that take it to the next level, right?

Yeah, well, nothing like being shown up by your kids. 

And for those of you who are familiar with Lindi Peterson's Crock Pot mac and cheese, this is even better, not to mention quicker, than that. (Sorry, Lindi. You know I still love you.)

Here's what you'll need for this yummy dose of comfort food:

8 oz. Velveeta, cubed

8 oz. Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp cheese, grated (for whatever reason, the flavor this lends is superior to regular extra sharp cheese)

1 can condensed Cheddar Cheese soup

1 cup cream (you can also use half and half or milk, but the cream makes for a richer flavor)

16 oz. package of your favorite elbow macaroni, cooked according to package instructions

Ground black pepper (optional)

1/3 cup bread crumbs (I prefer the Italian style, and while I happened to have the Panko (crunchy) variety on hand, you can use  whatever you like)

2 tablespoons butter

Okay, if you haven't already, go ahead and cook your macaroni. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine the soup, Velveeta and Cracker Barrel cheese over medium-low heat. 

Be patient and be sure to watch it, because you definitely don't want to burn your cheese. 

See, it really doesn't take that long.

I like to use a whisk to help eliminate any lumps.

Stir in your cream or milk.

If you like, add pepper to taste. I added about a 1/2 teaspoon.

Add the cooked macaroni.

And stir to coat.

Pour into a greased baking pan. An oblong casserole dish works well.

Next, over medium heat, melt butter.

Like you didn't know what that looks like.

Once butter is melted, add your bread crumbs.

Stir until butter is absorbed.

Then sprinkle over top of macaroni and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

That's heaven in a skillet, I tell ya.

I don't know about you, but for me, mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. One I rarely allow myself to indulge in. So when I do, I want it to be good. This fits the bill perfectly. And it's great when feeding the masses. 

So today I stand before you, admitting that my daughter's mac and cheese recipe is better than mine.

'Nuf said.

Now let's talk football. How many of you watched the Super Bowl? Anyone disappointed with the game's outcome? 

Not me. I like Peyton Manning and cheered him on all the way, with plate full of ribs and Amy's mac and cheese. :D

Copycat Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Recipe

Hi everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a tasty little recipe for summer! I found this recipe on this silly girl's life and it's delicious... but I adjusted it a little bit. So, check out the original and then you can decide whether you want to go with mine or hers. (Don't worry. I won't get my feelings hurt!)

 1 lb chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1 tsp lime juice
3 tsp honey (originally 1 1/2 tsp)
2 tsp minced garlic (none in the original)
a splash of soy sauce

Ok, so I mixed it all together and gave it a taste. I know it's just a marinade but I thought it needed just a bit more honey. Then I thought.... it needs garlic. Maybe it would have been more awesome without, but I LOVE garlic.

 Ok, put in the chicken and let it marinade for an hour or two.

 Then, plop it all in a skillet and let it cook on high until almost all the sauce is gone and the chicken is cooked through. At this point I added 1 1/2 tsp of soy sauce and it started to smell really, really good.

 And now I make a confession. I've never been to Cracker Barrel.  We don't have them around here. So, really, this recipe should be called "Copycat Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Recipe By Someone Who Has Never Eaten There". Since I'd already fiddled with it, I decided to go all the way and start adding more things... like broccoli!

 While I was waiting for the broccoli to finish steaming, I was treated to a lively show by the construction crew. Pretty sure one of them is a pirate, but we won't tell the policeman pushing the red wheelbarrow with a giant pancake inside.

 And this little guy told me a long, long story about his racer man. I asked about the ninja mask and was corrected: that is his "bug wrap". You know, to keep out the bugs while he's zooming along. He also wants one for his birthday which is THIS WEEKEND. Can you believe it? My baby is FOUR. I don't think I'm ready for this. We've always been the house in the neighborhood that had a baby. Sort of a community service we provided friends and family. "Need baby snuggles? Come on over! Fresh baby always available!"  Oh well, I guess if they teen snark, preteen discipline issues and little boy lego stories, we're the place to go.

 Ok, so the chicken is out and placed on a bed of fluffy white rice. (Stop zooming in. So it's not exactly fluffy... More like sticky. Or clumpy. I still haven't mastered rice.)
                                      
Verdict? DELICIOUS! Hubby needed a bit of convincing since it wasn't burn-your-face-off hot. But he added a few red peppers and was perfectly happy.

I love summer. I get out all my little bottles and fill them with roses and lavender. 

                                          A close up of this vintage ink jar. Isn't it pretty?

 By the time you all are reading this, we'll be headed down to grab a spot at the local drive in. Not sure if anyone else has one of these, but I've got some great childhood (okay, and teen and adult) memories of our drive in. And now my kids love it, too. It costs our whole family about $20 to get in and besides the super fun atmosphere, there are tasty snacks like homemade pizza for the intermission. YUM.

 I pulled this picture from their facebook page. This is the way you watch a movie at the drive in. But we'll just bring the Tahoe and our lawn chairs. And some blankets and some candy. :)

 A nice shot of the sunset...

 One of their workers. It's a family business so the workers are from age 7 all the way to... well, we won't say.  :)

At the fiftieth anniversary, the had free admission for classic cars. That was a sight! Lots of Mustangs and 50's Fords.

Blue Sky Studio

We're going to see Rio2 and since I'm not really a movie person, I'm bringing my paper AA's of Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread! It will be a working movie date, because that's how this mom of six rolls during the summer!

 Until next time, my friends!