Macaroni and Cheese Cups

Even though I had my last day at my old job, I didn't want to miss a baby shower that we'd been planning for months.  Luckily, it fell during my week off between jobs, so I was able to make it!  I was especially excited to meet my former coworker's wife, Christina, because I love her blog, Proper Hunt.  She is absolutely gorgeous and has amazing taste!  She looked gorgeous at the shower in a floor length blue dress.  You couldn't even tell she was pregnant until she turned around!



The shower was a really nice time.  We played the "baby food game" which I'd never played before.  We guessed based on look alone what a whole bunch of 1 ingredient baby foods were.  The chicken and turkey with gravy are some of the grossest looking foods I've ever seen!  Then, we had a few extra credit multi-ingredient baby foods.  The fruit ones weren't so bad, but the chicken-based jars smelled so terrible.  There was no way I was tasting those!  Do people really give these to their kids? Or do they make their own foods for their babies?



I wanted to make something for the adults that would be a little bit fun.  I love these Mac and Cheese cups because they are filling enough for a luncheon, but don't require a knife and fork.  The original recipe used full size muffin cups, but I wanted to make them a little bit smaller to fit with the "baby" theme.  I think they came out super adorable and everyone seemed to enjoy them!



The original recipe called for seasoned breadcrumbs, but I really like to season my own.  It allows me to have more control over my ingredients and salt content.  I added a dash of cayenne because I know that the father-to-be enjoys a little bit of heat.  It was just enough to add flavor but shouldn't scare away anyone who doesn't like spice - they definitely weren't spicy!  I really like panko breadcrumbs so I decided to use them for this recipe, but you can use anything you have on hand or even make your own.



I think this recipe came out pretty tasty.  They are super easy to put together and you can eat them with your hands.  These would be a delicious and fun meal to make for your kids or to serve at a barbeque as a vegetarian option.  If you wanted to make them even more special, you could use different types of cheese like goat cheese or monterey jack.  You could even add in chopped bacon for some extra flavor.   But really, it's pretty wonderful as is!



Macaroni and Cheese Cups
adapted slightly from all recipes

Ingredients
2 c uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
1 c milk
1 1/2 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (divided)
1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c Panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, olive oil, and salt. Set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes (it should still be a little bit firm). Drain and return to the pan, removing from heat.
4. Stir in the butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated.
5. Stir in milk, mozzarella cheese, and 1 c of the cheddar cheese into the pasta.
6. Spoon into the prepared mini muffin tin.
7. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and the bread crumb mixture over the tops.
8. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan and serving.

Eggplant and Veal Parmesan Lasagna

When I went back to visit my parents for Thanksgiving, we had a special treat.  On Wednesday night, we had to pick my baby bro up from the airport right around dinner time, which meant we got to make a trip to Rino's Place, my absolute favorite Italian restaurant.  We've been going there for years, but ever since it was featured on Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives (of which it isn't any of the 3) it's been almost impossible to get a table at Rino's.  Fortunately, we're the only ones crazy enough to want an Italian meal with enormous portions the night before Thanksgiving, so it was relatively quiet.



My family is pretty predictable when it comes to Italian food.  My brother always orders Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli or Lobster Ravioli.  My go-to is chicken piccata, although I tend to be a little more flexible (on this particular night I had an open seafood and vegetable lasagna with huge chunks of lobster and scallops and shrimp, YUM).  Mom and Dad are fans of Veal and Eggplant Parmesan.  At Rino's, they have a dish that has both Eggplant and Veal in one dish, and it's what they both always order.



I was feeling a bit lazy this week, but I knew I really should cook at least 1 night.  Lasagna is always easy to assemble and leaves lots of leftovers, and I loved the idea of an Eggplant Parmesan version.  I knew the Monkey Scientist wouldn't quite be satisfied without meat, so I took a tip from Rino's and added veal!



The original recipe was a little bit confusing, so I tried to simplify it and be super clear for you.  I ended up making a few mistakes changes to mine, including mixing ALL the parm with all the breadcrumbs so I ended up having breadcrumbs in every layer - oops.  It didn't turn out all that different, but my topping definitely didn't bake the same way as the recipe I was following.  I also added an extra layer of lasagna noodles, which wasn't so smart since I used no-boil and there wasn't enough liquid on the last layer to really cook them.  Don't be like me.



Despite my lack of being able to follow instructions, this came out delicious!  I loved the mix of veal and eggplant; it added good depth of flavor.  Per usual, I kicked up the spice a lot, and it made it superbly tasty. I probably used twice the spice that I put in the recipe below, so don't be too afraid, but you can leave it out if you aren't into spicy foods.  The Monkey Scientist said this just might be one of his favorite meals I've ever made (although he still keeps talking about  those stuffed peppers I made last spring).  I've been eating this lasagna for lunch and dinner for a couple days now and I'm not tired of it yet :)



Eggplant and Veal Parmesan Lasagna
adapted from Heather's Dish

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil (divided) + more for drizzling
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1 lb ground veal
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (or use homemade if you’d like!)
2 cups low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
15 oz fat free ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 cups parmesan (divided)
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs (I used plain Panko with a tbsp of Italian seasoning)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)
~1/2 box pre-boil lasagna noodles (I use Barilla)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and eggplant, salt, pepper, and cayenne and cook until soft and golden brown. Move the eggplant to a large bowl.
3. In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil and veal. Break up and cook until brown.
4. With a slotted spoon, move veal to the same bowl as the eggplant. Add tomato sauce and toss.
5. In another bowl whisk together the ricotta, egg, and garlic powder.
6. In another bowl (sorry for the dishes…big thanks to the Monkey Scientist for helping clean!) mix together 3/4 of a cup of the parmesan, red pepper flakes, and the breadcrumbs.
7. Spray a 9×13 dish with nonstick spray and layer the lasagna:

• a small amount of tomato sauce, a layer of lasagna noodles
• 1/3 of the ricotta mixture
• 1/3 of the mozzarella
• 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese (not the mixture)
• 1/2 of the tomato sauce/eggplant/veal mixture
• a layer of lasagna noodles
• 1/3 of the ricotta mixture
• 1/3 of the mozzarella
• 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
• 1/2 of the tomato sauce/eggplant/veal mixture
• the last of the ricotta mixture
• the last of the mozzarella
• the breadcrumbs/parmesan mixture

8. Drizzle with a little olive oil, cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

9. Remove the foil and let bake another 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. 

10. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes to let the juices set before serving.

Mom's Stuffed Mushrooms

This Thanksgiving, Mom asked me to put together a recipe list before I came home for the holiday so she could start getting organized.  My first request for appetizers was her famous stuffed mushroom recipe. She has been making this hor d'oeurve for as long as I can remember and it is one of my absolute favorites.




I always thought this recipe had been my Mimi's and she had passed it on to my mom.  I learned that, actually, my mom got the recipe from her old tennis partner.  I think pre-2006 my mom mush have used a different stuffed mushroom recipe, but this one was such a hit that it must have replaced her old classic.  Either way, I'm definitely not complaining.



This is the first time I remember actually making these mushrooms, and it is way easier than I realized.  I love that you add the stems of the mushrooms back into the stuffing - that way nothing goes to waste.  We were actually able to assemble everything the day before and just throw them in the oven before we were ready to serve them.  Making things ahead is always the key to holding a successful holiday party. (However, I do apologize that since we made them ahead and baked them at night, the final photos are a bit dim.  Someday I'll by a DSLR so I can make manual adjustments to the ISO and make these photos come out better!)



If I didn't make this clear yet, these mushrooms are awesome.  This time they actually came out a little greasy, but that usually isn't the case.  They are the perfect size to pop in your mouth (I love a one-bite treat!) so there is no need for a fork and knife or even a plate.  They're warm and cheesy with depth from the oregano and breadcrumbs.  If you have a holiday party coming up, these are a simple and delicious appetizer that is sure to delight!



Mom's Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of Lisa Dunn circa 2006 via my mom

Ingredients
½ lb medium to large mushrooms
1/3 c dry, seasoned breadcrumbs
2 green onions, chopped (optional)
¼ c butter or margarine, melted
½ c cheddar or romano cheese, grated + extra for sprinkling
Dash white wine
½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Carefully remove stems from mushrooms and chop.
2. Combine stems and remaining ingredients (except mushroom caps) to make the stuffing.
3. Fill caps with stuffing mixture. Sprinkle top with extra cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.