Side Dishes

Instructions

For the béchamel:

1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it just comes to a simmer, then turn off the heat and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture turns light brown in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. While whisking constantly, slowly add the hot milk to the flour mixture until evenly combined and smooth. (It will get very thick when you first add the milk, then thin out.)
4. Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and while whisking constantly, cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the salt, taste, and add the remaining salt as desired. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To assemble:

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until it’s almost al dente (just on the edge of being underdone), then drain and rinse with cold water; set aside. (If you plan to top the mac ‘n’ cheese with panko and bake it, heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.)
2. Place the reserved saucepan of béchamel over medium heat and stir in both cheeses just until melted and smooth. Add the pasta and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is heated through and steaming, about 2 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately or, if baking, transfer to a 5-quart baking dish, sprinkle with the panko, and bake until bubbling and brown on top, about 25 to 30 minutes
3. http://www.chow.com/recipes/30436-homerooms-classic-macaroni-and-cheese

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 2 (16 ounce) packages beef frankfurters
• 16 wooden skewers

Directions

Prep 20 m

Cook 20 m

Ready In 40 m

1. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder. Stir in eggs and milk.
2. Preheat oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Insert wooden skewers into frankfurters. Roll frankfurters in batter until well coated.
3. Fry 2 or 3 corn dogs at a time until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
5. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/35149/corn-dogs/

ngredients

• 2 cups cherries, pitted
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Ingredients
2 cups flour, all-purpose
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoon butter, unsalted, cold
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil, for garnish
1 tablespoon salt, for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt in the food processor. Pulse to combine. Add cold butter a few small pats at a time, and pulse to combine. Add olive oil. Pulse to combine. Add water a little bit at a time. Pulse to combine after each addition. The dough should start to form a ball.

Roll dough out as thin as you can. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough out. You can make them Ritz-shaped or any shape that you like. Poke holes in the dough in the Ritz pattern or any pattern you like.

Bake the crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet for ten minutes or until the crackers just begin to brown. As soon as you remove the crackers from the oven, brush them with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Heather’s Helpful Hints
Keep a close eye on your crackers to make sure they don’t bake for too long. Depending on how thin your dough is you made need to take a couple minutes off the baking times.

https://sweetprecision.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/homemade-ritz-crackers/

• 1 pound pasta, I used conchiglie, but you could use elbows, shells or capatappi
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3½ cups whole milk
• 3 cups fontina cheese, shredded
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 ounce tub of mascarpone cheese
• 1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Kosher salt
• 1 small clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 pound cooked lobster meat, cut into bite size chunks
• parsley, chopped, for garnish
  Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cook the pasta to package directions in salted water, make sure the noodles are al dente. Drain and set aside.
  3. While pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Add the cayenne pepper and cook over medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes, whisking, until the flour mixture becomes light brown in color. Add the milk while whisking and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens, whisking often. Lower the heat to and cook for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
  4. While cheese sauce is cooking, prepare the breadcrumb topping. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small fry pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the breadcrumbs and raise the heat to high and toast for about 1 minute before stirring. Continue until the bread crumbs become toasty. Stir in the lemon zest and season with kosher salt and remove from heat to cool.
  5. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mascarpone until melted. Add the fontina and cheddar cheese and stir to melt. If the cheese isn't melting, turn the burner on low and heat until the cheese melts and becomes smooth with the sauce.
  6. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir to combine, getting the cheese in all of the nooks and crannys of the pasta. Gently fold in the lobster meat.
  7. Spoon the pasta into a 9 X 13 baking dish or 6 - 8 2 cup gratin dishes. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is bubbly and lightly browned on top.

   

Perfect Mashed Potatoes Recipe

• 4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Serves 8

This non-alcoholic egg nog is ideal for the kiddos or designated drivers at your holiday bash.

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 egg whites

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand up mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Add sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine whisk together milk, cream and nutmeg until combined. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat and add stir in just a bit of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Gradually add, stirring constantly, until well combined.
3. Transfer mixture to saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled.
4. When ready to serve, place egg whites in a medium-sized bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until egg whites form stiff peaks. Whisk egg whites into egg nog and serve with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg.
5. http://www.chow.com/recipes/30436-homerooms-classic-macaroni-and-cheese