BBQ Cheese Stuffed Bacon Burgers

I heart summer bbq food. My last few burger recipes have focused on being light, tasty, and healthy. I have put avocado in burgers, zucchini, and even broccoli rabe. Now here is a burger all about decadence, indulgence, and tantalizing flavors. 

Lets start with some crisp crunchy bacon that tops a mouthwatering juicy bbq-ed beef burger stuffed with cheese. To make it extra indulgent we aren't using any regular common cheese, but super creamy, smooth, decadent brie that oozes out so beautifully as you bite in a few bites towards the center. This will completely impress anyone you know AND is easy enough for a weeknight dinner. That is what I call a win win. 

BBQ Cheese Stuffed Bacon Burgers

Serves 4 
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray magazine. 

Ingredients:
4 Slices of thick bacon
1 lb lean ground beef
3-4 oz brie cut into 4 pieces
Veg oil
Salt and pepper
4 hamburger buns
Optional toppings: Tomato, lettuce or kale, ketchup, mustard, mayo, ect.

Directions:
1. If cooking everything outside, preheat your grill with one part being low heat and the other medium heat. 
2. Grill the bacon over low heat, use lid or cover, turn the bacon over halfway through, until crisp approx 10 minutes. *
3. Divide the beef into 4 burger patties and insert each chunk of brie into the center each burger.
4. Give each burger a brush of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 
5. Grill/bbq each burger, oil side down to start, over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Turn once. 
6. Toast the hamburger buns over low heat. 
7. Assemble burgers with bacon and any additional toppings you prefer. 

*Side note: Its 107 degrees at my house so I did the bacon inside in my oven where I could relax in the air conditioning. But if the sun is not scorching your feel free to cook everything outside on the grill. 

Enjoy another great burger recipe
From my Az Kitchen
Stephanie

Bacon & Scrambled Egg "Nests"

Mothers Day is May 10th this year. Yeah its coming up fast. Don't worry this recipe has you covered. You'll have to do the flower thing on your own but a nice breakfast in bed can go a very long way. I'll show you. 

Breakfast is a very busy time in my house so I usually don't take a lot of time to cook anything unless I am up before 6am. A snapshot of my kitchen on any given morning includes like two bowls lined up for the mircowave...the baby's frozen puree gets reheated for 45 seconds, my son gets frozen berries defrosted and warmed for his plain yogurt. A container of homemade granola is on the kitchen table, and my son can take as much as he wants of the maple flavored nutty mix. I eat some eggs of some kind with sliced avocado on top after the chaos has died down. My husband breezes in from work and has already eaten. He is headed to bed. Dishes are piled up for washing in the sink, teeth are speedily brushed, and the rest of us are headed to soccer, doctors appointments, the grocery store, school, ect... 

So when I saw this adorable egg "nest" recipe - my first question was how long does it take to make. Even a super cute breakfast has to be easy enough to execute with a hungry baby and a 5 yr old. Thankfully it doesn't take long AND most of the cooking time is in the oven = hands off cooking. 

So you should make this easy breakfast cutesy brunch thing because if I can do while trying to feed a baby after not sleeping all night with no cofee onboard, you definately can! Plus there's bacon. I love bacon. Don't you like bacon too? If you say no, I might not be able to be friends with you. Just saying... 

This is the perfect recipe for leftovers. One of my survival methods for cooking with a baby in the house is: If you have to do something once, double it, to stretch it for another meal. For example, if you have to shred cheese for mac and cheese, do some extra for eggs the next morning, or to top a salad for the next afternoon, or for a quick quesadilla lunch for the kids. Recently, I had just been to a little party celebrating season 2 of a new favorite show, When Calls the Heart, and brought a bunch of baked potatoes and toppings. The leftovers were perfect to transform into a breakfast of champions or these adorably cute nests. 

Bacon & Scrambled Egg Nests

Makes 6 nests  -  serves 3 
Recipe from: the cooking jar

Ingredients:
1 cooked baked potato, cooled, peeled
1 cup of medium or sharp cheddar cheese
salt 
pepper
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried parsley or 1 Tbs fresh if you have it
5 eggs
2 pieces of cooked bacon, small diced

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and use cooking spray/nonstick spray on a muffin tin to prevent sticking. 
2. On a large cutting board grate your potato or use packaged preshredded hashbrowns
3. On the same cutting board shred your cheese or use preshredded cheese. In a small bowl set aside a small handful of cheese for later.
4. Top the large pile of cheese and potatoes with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and olive oil. Mix together it with your hands.
5. While your hands are still messy use them to fill each tin with the hashbrown mix as even amounts as much as possible. 

6. Press the mix firmly along the sides of the muffin tin's holes to create space for the eggs to go into. 
7. When the oven is hot bake the hasbrown mix for 15-16 minutes. The edges of the hasbrowns should be golden and the cheese should be melted. 
8. Crack all the eggs into a bowl and scramble with a fork
9. After pulling the hashbrowns out of the oven, turn down the oven to 350 degrees. Then slowly pour some egg into each muffin tin carefully.

10. Sprinkle each with the cooked diced bacon, a sprinkle of of pepper, parsley, and the remaining cheese. 

11. Bake for 13-15 minutes (mine was done at 13 minutes). 
12. Let the nests set for a few minutes, this will also help you to not burn your fingers on hot food. Use a table knife and run it around the edge of each nest. For easy removal gently use a fork to lift the nest out hopefully in one piece. 

Serve with toast, biscuits, english muffins and/or fresh fruit.

Thats it. Happy eating from my Az Kitchen to yours
Stephanie

Smoky Bacon Baked Mac & Cheese

Happy Wednesday to you. This recipe is a gem that you'll definitely want to try!  I made it for the first time a week before Thanksgiving and then again just a few weeks ago. It works great as a potluck bring along, side dish or a main dish. This is comfort food at its best. 

Smoky cheese + smoky bacon + crunchy topping 

+ creamy whole wheat pasta = delicious!

Most people are looking for something healthy and light during the beginning of the year, but most people I know have kiddos. Kids love mac & cheese.  I love mac & cheese. On the family front, pasta is a great place to introduce a new veggie and or a new type of cheese to your kids or your hubby. Think of it as a delicious food exploration lesson versus the diet killer that it could be. But yes if you are on a diet serve this as a side dish with some grilled chicken, fish, or a burger sans the bun and a grilled/roasted vegetable. This recipe has some serious flavor and some serious calories hence me only making it once a month or so. 

Serves 3-5 as a main dish 

Prep + cooking time: 25- 35 minutes

Recipe lighted up and adapted from

Shugary Sweets 

(a fun blog with beautiful pictures)
Posted in collaboration with other bloggers at Whats Cooking Wednesday

Ingredients:
half of a box of veggie or whole wheat short dry pasta (approx 5-7 oz)
2 Tbs butter + 1 1/2 Tbs melted in a separate dish via microwave
1 1/8 cup of 1 or 2 percent low fat milk
1/4 cup of whole wheat white flour
3/4 cup of half and half
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 lb of smoked gouda or smoked cheddar cheese, shredded or grated
1/4- 1/2 lb of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or grated
*optional I have added 3 cups of blanched broccoli into it before right before baking and worked out great
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs (depending on the size of your baking dish - you want the top completely covered - you'll use more if you have a rectangle sized dish). 
4-6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled (I usually just make bacon earlier in the week and save some of it for this later)

Directions:

1. Cook half of a box 1 minute short of the al dente cooking time of veggie shell pasta or your favorite whole wheat small cut dry pasta. Then drain it. Should end up being 6-7 minutes but do check your own box directions.

2. While pasta is cooking preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare a baking dish with nonstick spray or some butter to prevent sticking.  

3. While pasta is still cooking make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat in medium sized- large pot. Then add the flour. Let it cook for a minute. Keeping the heat on medium add in the milk and half & half. Whisk it until the sauce begins to thicken. It should be boiling but not hard. Should take about 3-5 minutes for the sauce to get the consistency you want. Remove the entire pot from the heat and add in rest of the cheese sauce ingredients after it it is thickened. Trust me. Doesn't work well the other way. Add in the pepper, dry mustard, and grated or shredded cheese last. Once the cheese is melted you are done with the sauce almost. Taste it carefully - don't burn yourself. Add salt here if needed.

4. Add the sauce to cooked pasta or vise versa depending on which pot is biggest. Stir to coat the pasta with the cheese sauce and carefully pour the hot mixture into the baking dish. 

5. Top the baking dish with crumbled cooked bacon, panko bread crumbs, and last but not least a bit of melted butter to give that great golden yellow color. 

 6. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes uncovered. 

Enjoy!
Stephanie

Bacon Parmesan Cheeseburgers

Two weeks ago I did a massive shopping trip and baking weekend in hopes of getting through 3 weeks without having to go to the store. We have been super busy and I just wanted to take some of the pressure off. My new years resolution of a more relaxed year with has already plummeted into the dirt. Between my husband's work, college, homework, orchestra, all my son's activities, and my doctors appointments every 3 days, its no wonder I wanted a more relaxed year. Although with all those things already scheduled I think I could've foreseen this resolution not getting far. But it was a nice daydream while it lasted for 3 minutes 27 seconds. 

So... how are your new year's resolutions going? 

Two lessons learned from my big shopping trip are deli sliced cheese gets eaten about the same rate no matter how much I buy (disconcerting), and also that a good chunk of parmesan cheese keeps really well and no one tries to snack on it. I heart cheese of any kind but I knew when I saw this recipe for Bacon Parm Burgers that this would be something tasty that I could shop for in advance and make later. Bacon keeps well in the fridge and freezer, parmesan cheese keeps well, and buns can be frozen then defrosted. Cheers to eating well even not right after you shopped. I will have some more fun ideas in the next week or two with other recipes that work well from your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Stay tuned. 

Note the recipe isn't mine I wish I could take credit for this genius idea. These juicy cheesy burgers were amazingly good! Nevertheless checkout Center Cut Cook blog for some other great ideas. Burgers + weekend = good times. 

Bacon Parm Cheeseburgers

prep + cook time: 20 minutes

serves 3 adults - recipe doubles easily

recipe from Center Cut Cook (wonderful blog)

Ingredients

1 lb of beef

1/4 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbs melted butter

3 pieces of bacon, cooked your fav way
1/2-3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
hamburger buns or rolls
cheseburger fixings: mustard, ketchup, pickles, onions, lettuce, tomato, ect. 

Directions

1- Preheat your grill or bbq

2- Bake up some bacon and set it aside on some paper towels to rest while everything else finishes up. I had some leftover from another meal that I saved. 

3- Melt the butter.

4- Stir together all the seasonings in a small bowl. Scoop out 1/2 tsp of the combined mix and whisk into the butter.

5- Form three large patties with the beef - pushing a thumb indent in the middle of each one so it doesn't form a hill while it cooks. 

6- Season each patty by sprinkling each side with the remaining spices

7- Grill the beef - approx 5-7 minutes over medium for each side or until your meat is cooked to your preference. Be sure to use foil or oil if needed to prevent sticking. Don't press down on the meat to make it cook faster or the natural juices will run out and your burger will dry out. I cooked mine for 4-5 minutes over medium and then flipped them over to the non heated side of the grill for a few minutes with the lid down to make sure the insides were well done and then moved them back over to the flame side to finish up and melt the cheese. LOL we like well done burgers in my family. 

8- Bacon & Cheese: Once the burgers are half way done - top each one with cheese and bacon. My bacon was cold from the fridge so I thought it was a clever way to reheat it and crisp it up. If you are baking bacon fresh for this its up it to you when you put the bacon on. My son didn't like how crispy the bbq made the bacon. I loved the extra crunch and smokier taste that bbq gives food. 

9- Buns: after putting the cheese and/or bacon on the burgers spread the melted seasoned butter over the buns and throw them on a grill or bbq to toast up. Garlic and other Italian flavors really compliment the cheese and bacon well. Your mouth and stomach will rejoice over this flavorful easy dinner.

10- Serve them up with all your fav fixings. I kept mine simple with mustard, ketchup, and pickles.

The obvious and fun sides to any burgers are fries, chips, fresh crunchy veggies, potato salad, any steamed veg, ect. 

Enjoy from my kitchen to yours

Thanksgiving Bacon Autumn Hash

Healthy. Hardy. Colorful. Easy.

When Thanksgiving is near, and my fridge is loaded full of fall earthy root vegetables I find this hash to be the perfect breakfast or brunch offering. Leftover roasted veggies leftover from the Thanksgiving meal easily adds flavor with minimal effort when reheated with fresh sauteed vegetables. This year I couldn't wait for the leftovers and really was thankful I didn't. I know already have a veggie hash on my blog but this has BACON & brussel sprouts in it.... amazing flavor combo! The apple sweetens up the potato, and by roasting the onion and brussel sprouts together the flavors are given a new depth and texture. Even people like my husband who aren't a fan of brussel sprouts (because of bad memories of the mushy green round veg) will eat this :) 

Thanksgiving Bacon Autumn Hash

recipe adapted from: Martha Stewart Magazine Jan 2013

serves 4

prep + cooking time: approx 1 hr 10 minutes * Majority of this time can be done 1-2 days before. 

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (9oz) brussel sprouts, trimmed & halved

1 Tbs olive oil

1 apple, cored

1 Tbs butter unsalted organic

4 slices of bacon (approx 8-9 oz)

2 red potatoes (approx 12 oz), halved

1 tsp course salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 yellow onion,peeled, halved

*optional: Leftover veggies such as carrots, yam, parsnips, sweet potato, any vegetable not mashed would probably work - see step 11. 

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. 

2. Spread the veggies on the baking sheet/tray

3.Toss the veggies with the salt, pepper, and olive oil. 

4. Fill the center of the apple with the butter. 

5. Add the apple to the sheet with the vegetables and roast them together. 

6. Veggies will be roasted for 40-45 minutes. 

7. Apple will be roasted for 30 minutes. Carefully remove it early from the pan and set it aside. *Everything up to this point can be done the day before and just covered in a dish in the fridge. 

8. While vegetables are roasting cook the bacon until crisp on the stove - approx 10-12 minutes. Drain majority of the bacon fat away reserving a little bit for sauteing the roasted vegetables together. 

9. When the vegetables are done roasting cut them into bite size pieces.

10. Cut the apple into bite sized pieces. 

11. Put the apple, diced vegetables, and bacon into the pan and saute them until heated through - stir occasionally (5-10 minutes). *If you have any leftover roasted or cooked vegetables that you think might work - add them in here so they can be heated and mixed in. 

12. In a separate pan - cook some eggs - your choice to serve along side or up over the top. Personally I love a little egg yolk over a bed of yummy root veggies but that's just me. 

Possible sides: Coffee, Toast, Biscuits, Rolls, Pumpkin bread or some other fall treat :) 

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

From my happy kitchen to yours

30 Rachael Ray Recipes in 30 days: Avocado Tuna Bacon Salad

To celebrate the start of fall this year and to create a new challenge I am going to cook & blog 30 new (to me) Rachael Ray recipes over the next 30 days. I have been a long time fan of Rachael Ray's recipes so I am only going to focus on things I haven't made, fit the lovely fall season, and is football worthy food Trust me when I say I have stacks of her magazines and printed recipes from many different shows that are years old. I promise to find the good ones to share with you. Cooking magazine stacks....... does anyone else know what I am talking about here? 

I picked Racheal Ray, despite many of the good celebrity chefs, because I love her creativity. She does focus a little on meatless meals, cooking with veggies, and makes family friendly stuff. Making family friendly, family approachable meals is so important to me because I am not one of those parents that cooks up frozen kid meals while I make something else for myself. While, I let my hubby and son get away with a few things like commercialized cereal at breakfast, or an occasional handful of sugar covered/yogurt covered pretzels at lunch, in our house, at dinner everyone eats the same thing. Some things are harder than others because of my son's small hands... like a huge open faced sandwich is a difficult maneuver. But its been that way since we adopted our little guy and it works. If you don't cook for your whole family at dinner time, it might be worth considering that this could be a fun new experience for you. Not because it would save you time and money by not having to cook two separate meals, but to create new family experiences together. 

Please come on this fun trip over the next 30 days. Check back everyday and see if you might find something good to eat too. 

Anyways... to start off this fun challenge and if you need another reason to cook bacon here is my version of an avocado tuna bacon salad with homemade bacon mayo. The mayo, which has been adapted to fit into this beautiful tuna salad, originally was a make ahead meal for buttermilk fried chicken coleslaw sandwiches. The sandwich was good. I would probably make it again, but the clear winner of that dinner was this mayo. It was unforgettable!! Please click on the title above to see the original recipe.

Note: anything with bacon should have an explanation point

my salad... forgot to put the bacon before the picture... got distracted by the avocado... ooops! 

When you add this little condiment to your tuna, you are able to create a tuna salad that is so elevated, it lands in another stratosphere. Additionally you can use this condiment on sandwiches with the same results. No more boring tuna and no more boring lunch time sandwiches. 

Ingredients for one salad 
(double as needed): 

2 cups of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped
1 roma tomato, sliced
1/2 sliced avocado
1/2- 1 full cucumber chopped (depending how much you like cucumber) 
1 green onion, sliced green & white parts
1 can of tuna, drained
1/4-1/2 cup of mayo
2 Tbs of secret sauce (recipe below)
2 pieces of bacon, pan fried to a crisp and chopped into pieces

Directions for salad:

1. Cut up all washed veggies into a bowl or plate.

2. Combine the tuna, mayo and secret sauce in a small bowl.

3. Taste the tuna and add salt and pepper if needed. 

4. Top the fresh veggies with the tuna for a large adult salad

5. Garnish the salad with the silky buttery avocado and crunchy salty bacon chunks

Ingredients for secret sauce  

(makes approx 1- 1& 1/2 cups)
The sauce is good for 1 week covered and kept cold. 

2 slices of bacon, pan fried in 1 tsp olive oil, drippings kept

1 tsp grainy country dijon mustard

1 Tbs lemon juice

2 egg yolks 

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp taco seasoning store bought or click here for a recipe

Directions for sauce: 

1. Separate your eggs yolks.

2. Fry up your bacon. Keep the drippings. 

3. Cut the bacon into small pieces after cooled on a paper towel. 

4. Whisk everything together except the oil, bacon, and drippings. 

5. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while still whisking. Add in the bacon drippings and the bacon chunks. 

6. Set aside covered. It will thicken up within 5-10 minutes. It will be a thick spreadable mayo like sauce after cooling in the fridge.

There it is. Most incredible tuna salad ever! 

Many more recipes to come all inspired by Rachael Ray. 

from my kitchen to yours

Breakfast: Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles

I love breakfast foods.... If I could get away with it (via the scale) I would eat breakfast foods for breakfast and lunch every single day. I would eat burritos, waffles, egg sandwiches, bagels & cream cheese, gallons of coffee with silky half and half, bacon, sausage, delish chorizo egg dishes, pan fried pork chops, fried eggs, english muffins, chocolate chip muffins, breakfast breads/sweet breads/coffee cakes (banana/ chocolate walnut banana/apple/pear), cinnamon rolls, pumpkin donuts, 3 grain walnut pumpkin pancakes (Yum!), pumpkin french toast, delish whole grain berry french toast, breakfast pizza, cheesy bacon pull apart bread, or more exotic pastries.... and I would probably weigh a hundred pounds more. Seeing all the links above, you probably see my problem. I have quite a breakfast section here on my blog. This infatuation with breakfast might also be the reason why I go to the gym. Is there a 12 step program for this? Although, not sure I would go if there was a program for my slightly obsessive bacon carbs fun exciting breakfast driven addiction. My family is visiting from the beautiful rainy state of Washington, which is a perfect time to splurge and exericise later, right? Yes. I agree.

Here's where I introduce you to the best waffles I have ever had. They aren't usual incredibly healthy multi grain ones that I usually make... these have tons of milk, bacon, salt, sugar, and are forever going to be my favorite waffle. That being said. I did tweak the original a bit to make it a tiny bit more healthy..... I cut the oil in half, added a banana, cut the brown sugar just a little, and only used 4 pieces of bacon. I  have trouble following directions. Its a fact. Ask my husband.

Bacon Brown Sugar Waffles 

source: Life & Kitchen and All Recipes

4 pieces of bacon raw

1 Tb brown sugar (for the bacon) 

2 eggs

2 cups whole wheat white flour

1 3/4 cup 1% milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter 

4 tsp baking powder

1 really ripe mushy black banana

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract or  2 tsp maple extract for maple flavored waffles

2 Tbs brown sugar or equal parts maple syrup for a fall taste

possible toppings: butter, fresh sliced strawberries, syrup, powdered sugar, 

chopped nuts, and/or whipped cream + whatever sounds good

1. Mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Whisk until fluffy. 

2. Cook the bacon until almost crisp on one side on the stove. Flip it. Sprinkle 1 Tb brown sugar over the top of the bacon. Keep it on this side until the bacon is done. Let it cool and then break into small pieces. Or do it in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes and sprinkle the brown sugar on 3/4ths way through. Just keep an eye on it. 

3. Add in the rest of the ingredients to the batter. Stir until combined. Will be thick batter. Fold in the bacon and some of the bacon drippings (wink). Its okay. Just go with it. 

4. Heat up your waffle maker. One of these days I need to buy a cute one that makes heart shapes something fun instead of my single two square one that I bought for $5 someplace when I was 18. Yikes over a decade ago. Yeah thats lets not talk about that. 

5. Cook your waffles and enjoy with your fav toppings. Then make a tent in your living room to burn off the fat and sugar. It will all even out.

Store any leftovers in fridge or in a freezer bag in the freezer. 

Enjoy your next breakfast!

From my kitchen to yours

Whole Grain Bacon Mac & Cheese

Recently I came across a some mac and cheese recipes. Being a cheese lover, I made one and it was awesome (see Cauliflower Mac & Cheese). It was borderline healthy, easy, and kid friendly. But, I was looking for something with a bit more depth. Then I saw this one with fresh crispy bacon chunks, sauteed golden leeks, and two different kinds of cheeses. Yes depth and sophistication is EXACTLY what I found. It was the first grown up mac and cheese dish I had ever had. This would absolutely be appropriate for serving to guests, or on the weekend to your buds. (ppppst) by the way, when i say buds, I do mean friends, neighbors, random people on the street, and your taste buds. This is a must make! My husband actually surprised me by having seconds and asking if was going to make it again. Score!! This will be making second and third appearances in my kitchen. 

The amazing bacon, herb, havarti, sharp cheddar, leek, whole grain mac and cheese

serves 4 adults 

Adapted from Pinch My Salt  (halved the recipe except for a few things like bacon and cheese). I kept the important things. Used more bacon grease but less half and half. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of bacon
• 1 leek, light green and white part only, sliced into half moon crescents, rinsed
• half of a box of whole grain medium shells, approx 5 oz
• 1 cup (approx 4 oz)  + 1/2 cup sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 3/4th cup (approx 3 oz) creamy hartivi cheese, shredded
• 1 & 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk, 2 % or whatever you have
• 1/2 cup half and half, full fat
• 1/2 Tbs salt (for pasta water)
• 1/2 tsp herbes de provence blend, salt free
• Salt & pepper to taste 

Directions: 
1. Start cooking the bacon, until crisp.

2. Start boiling the pasta water, add salt to it. 

3. When the bacon is cooked, set aside on paper towels to drain some of the fat off
Take the bacon drippings and saute the leeks in the bacon fat over low heat for 7 minutes or until its golden - YUM! :) 

4.Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook as per directions on the box for al dente minus one minute. It will finish in the oven. 

5. Make the béchamel sauce with the butter, flour, and dairy. This is a very easy generic sauce that learned only a couple years ago.  This sauce starts with a small or medium saucepan in which you melt the butter completely over low heat. Then you add the flour and stir it until it looks unappetizing with yellow clumps. Let the flour cook over low heat for about a minute. Stir often. Add the half and half and the milk. Turn the heat up, bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Grab a whisk and a plain spoon. Start whisking every 5 seconds. It takes like maybe 5 minutes. As soon as it starts to look thick like buttermilk type of thick, dip the spoon in. If you can draw a line on the back of a spoon and the line stays there for a second then its ready for the cheese. Remove it from the heat and add half of the shredded sharp cheddar and all of the havarti cheese. Stir the sauce until all the cheese is melted.

6. While you are waiting at the stove for the sauce to thicken, chop your bacon, and boil your pasta, grab a small rectangle or square baking dish, butter your baking dish, and preheat the oven to 375. 

7. When the pasta is done cooking, drain all the water out and return the pasta to the pot. 

8. Combine it all together. Add the sautéed leeks to the pasta.  Pour the béchamel sauce over the leeks and pasta. Add in the chopped bacon.  Stir so everything is coated in cheese. Then pour it into the prepped baking dish. Taste it , add salt and pepper as needed. Top with remaining sharp cheddar cheese. 

9, Bake for 20-25 minutes until its warm and all the cheese is melted. Serve immediately  with veggies or salad to round out the meal - Enjoy!

Today mac & cheese has grown up and taken on some new flavors all from my Az kitchen. 

Bacon Guacamole

I stumbled upon something truly remarkable yesterday. Bacon is known to enhance flavor, but yesterday's discovery was nothing short of EPIC!!

Combining bacon and guacamole tasted soooo good it made me want to sing, and dance across the room. 

Overall, this recipe is remarkably easy, quick, and accessible, even for novice cooks. As football season approaches, consider preparing homemade guacamole instead of store-bought options, as it requires only a few ingredients and 10 minutes of preparation time.

Serves 3 or 4 or 2 

(depending on how hungry you are?)

Recipe from Kevin at Closet Cooking

Bacon Guacamole Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados
1/4 of a red onion approx 1/4 cup ( I didn't measure)
1 jalapeño ( I took the seeds out of mine since I have a youngster)
2 Tbs cilantro (healthy handful)
1 medium sized tomato, diced
1/4 tsp salt. kosher, course
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lemon juice (added this to the original recipe)
4 strips of bacon, cooked to a crisp

Directions

1. Cook the bacon until crispy. Pat the grease off and crumble it into a small bowl

2. Mash the avocados slightly, in a medium sized bowl, if you like chunky guac, just leave it all in chunks

3. Combine all the ingredients in the medium sized bowl.

4. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. This was pretty mild as far as heat. I kept it on the mild/medium side for my kiddo, but feel free to add heat by adding another jalapeno, more pepper, or even some red pepper flakes.

5. Serve with chips or on tacos or just grab a spoon! 

Enjoy! 

Steph ❤️

Top Five Recipes in 2012 (most viewed)

As the first day of 2013 is winding down. I hope you had a safe and fun end of the year celebration with family and/or friends. We stayed home this year (being new to the area) and not wanting to get a sitter. So my hubby and I put our little guy to bed, and filled the night with favorite tv shows, snacks, popcorn, a movie, and some experimental drinking. Yeah that's exactly what it sounded like. We have no real skills in mixing drinks, but were having a blast trying! Cheers to 2013 may the recipes overflow your kitchen with food cooked with love, and please may I learn a decent mixed drink before Dec 31, 1013! Click each name for the recipe. 

The Top/Most Viewed recipes for 2012 were: 

1. Beef and Sausage Corn Skillet with Rosemary Scented Rice with 132 views.

 2. Mexican Style Stuffed Acorn Squash with 20 views

 3. 8 Ways to Use Leftover Pumpkin with 17 views

4. Pizza: My family's favorite Meal with 16 views

5. Beef Stew: Turkish Style with a not shabby 15 views

Runners Up (all above 10 views each):

6. Perfectly Pumpkin Pasta

7. Sweet & Spicy Beef Picadillo (make ahead meal)

8. Italian White Pizza Dip

9. Bacon-y Cheese-y Brunch (pull apart bread - perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter or just because I want to treat my family to an easy special breakfast type of thing)


10. Smokey Spicy Chicken Sandwiches