Apple Bacon Mac and Cheese

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens

In a skillet, cook 6 bacon slices.  Crumble, set aside.  Discard all but 1 T drippings, add three chopped apples and 1 chopped onion, and cook 3 minutes.  Set aside.  Melt 2 T butter in skillet.  Stir in 2 T flour and 1/2 t black pepper.  Add 2 cups of milk, 2 t Dijon mustard, 1 cup shredded white cheddar, and 1 cup shredded smoked Gouda until melted.  Stir in 8 oz.  cooked shell macaroni, apples and half the bacon.  Transfer to a baking dish.  Bake in a 350 degree oven 30 minutes.  Top with remaining bacon.

If you know me at all, you know that as soon as I saw this recipe, I had to make it.  It has unusual pairings of ingredients.  It has bacon.  My daughter loves macaroni and cheese.  And this dish will make good leftovers.  To top it all, it's almost fall, so a lovely apple dish was calling my name.

This is a fairly labor intensive dish to make.  You have to boil the pasta, fry the bacon, saute the onions/apples, make your bechamel sauce.  So it's not a quick and easy dish to make.  I was also too lazy to get the smoked gouda, and was using 2 cups of cheddar cheese.

This is a wonderful, wonderful twist on mac and cheese.  The sauce is surprisingly sweet -- I think the apples add a note of sweetness.  The bacon is a nice counter to the sweetness.  And don't fear the apples -- they are mostly there for texture, and a tiny burst of freshness to cut the heaviness of the dish.  I think the smoked gouda would have been a really nice touch, so if you can use it -- do.  But definitely try this dish, it's absolutely delightful.

Baked Artichoke Squares

Source:  Crisco Oil

Pastry:
1.5 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 c oil
1/4 c milk

Filling:
3 T oil
1 c chopped mushrooms
1/4 c thinly sliced celery
1 clove minced garlic
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hears -- drained and chopped
1/3 c chopped green onion
1/2 t marjoram
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t cayenne
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 eggs slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

For filling, heat oil in skillet.  Add mushrooms, celery and garlic.  Saute until celery is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in artichoke hearts, green onions and spices.  Add cheeses and eggs.

For pastry:  Combine flour and salt in medium bowl.  Blend oil and milk in separate bowl.  Add to flour mixture.  Stir with fork until mixture forms a ball.  Press into pen, and slightly up the sides.

Spread cheese mixture on crust.  Bake 30 minutes or until center is set.  Serve warm.

I don't have a good story of why I picked this recipe.  I am not even a huge fan of artichokes.  But for whatever reason, I picked this recipe.  Given my previously expressed views on artichokes, I used a slightly smaller, 10 ounce can.  And to make up for it, I pumped up the mushrooms (which I love).  I also used self rising flour (mostly b/c I ran out of all purpose flour).

This recipe comes together quickly.  It is a cross between a quiche and a pizza.  The topping is delicious, not to eggy, and with several assertive spices and flavor.  The crust is very crumbly, and I didn't care for its distinctive "oil" taste -- but that could probably be avoided by using a more neutral oil.   It is a fairly heavy dish, so you don't need a big piece.  A nice changeup to traditional brunch dishes, would be lovely with a fresh little salad.

Chicken Taco Cornbread Wedges with Ranchero Cilantro Drizzle

Dressing:
1/2 c ranch dressing
1/2 c salsa verde
1 c tightly packed cilantro leaves

Filling:
2 T olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped red bell pepper
1 T chopped jalapeno pepper
2 c shredded rotisserie chicken
3 T chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t pepper
1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes

Crust:
1 egg
1 7 oz package of cornbread mix
1/2 c milk
3/4 c crushed tortilla chips

Toppings:
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
3 c shredded romaine
1 c chopped tomatoes

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine ranch dressing, salsa and cilantro leaves in a blender.  Process until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate.

In 10 inch cast iron skillet heat oil.  Add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper, cook 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.  Stir in chicken, 3 T cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin and tomatoes.  Cook 5 minutes.  Remove from skillet.  Wipe out skillet.  In large bowl, beat egg.  Add cornbread mix and milk.  Place tortilla chips in skillet.  Pour cornbread mixture over chips.  Spoon chicken mixture over cornbread mixture.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 16-20 minutes.  Cut into wedges.  Drizzle with sauce.

This recipe is a great twist on a Mexican meets Southern meal.  It took every bit of 30 minutes to put together.  I used an entire (and large) jalapeno pepper, and it just gave a tiny bit of warmth to the dish, so don't be afraid to use it.  I also didn't use canned tomatoes.  It's summer time, and I am inundated with fresh tomatoes, so it seemed silly to use canned tomatoes.  Final confession:  I didn't make the dressing.  But I bet it would be really good.

This dish looks lovely.  The cast iron skillet makes a fun presentation.  The wedges come out nicely and are crispy on the bottom.  The cornbread crust fluffs up and envelopes the filling in a soft and almost sweet crust.  The bits of tortilla chips in the crust provides some texture and much needed salt.  This is a good dish, a fun dish, and lends itself to variations -- it would be good with ground beef, maybe add corn, or beans.  Nice addition to the repertoire.  Try it!