Prosciutto and Bacon Mac & (5) Cheese

You know I really enjoy cooking. And you know I really enjoy trying out new recipes. I also love to cook for friends who, for whatever reason, could use some help with a hot meal. I usually fix chicken parmesan. I’ve found that if a food chain is in the works, there are likely more than a few meals of lasagna and/or spaghetti. Why not? They are fairly easy and are suitable for the idea of reheating. If that’s the case, I think they’ll welcome something different.

So lately I’ve been looking for the ultimate comfort food that is not real difficult. I think I’ve found it. I usually serve it with some panko chicken tenders. I made it a couple of times now, and I hear that it’s pretty darn good. I hope so, because after looking at the ingredients list, I’ve not made it for my house. If I can plan a night where I can hit the gym for an hour after dinner to cancel out some of the effects, maybe I’ll make it for the family. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Update 2013: my original recipe called for pasta shells and manchego as one of the cheeses. I've since switched to fusilli for two reasons:

1. The shells tend to "nest" when they cook, leaving them only partially cooked.
2. The more surface area to the pasta, the better for "grabbing" the cheese sauce.

So I'm not stuck any one pasta toe, but look for something that has a lot of surface area to soak in the cheesiness. 

I also switched from manchego to fontina. Fontina is much creamier. Since cheddar is a gritty cheese,  I found that combining it with manchego had too much grit in the combined sauce. Since switching to fontina, I've found the texture and taste to be perfect.

Prosciutto and Bacon Mac & (5) Cheese

(Serves many)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces thick cut bacon (or pancetta)

8 ounces prosciutto

1 pound fusilli pasta, or pasta of choice

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

1 cup Vidalia (or yellow) onion finely diced (or subtitute shallots)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 cups grated aged sharp Cheddar, divided

1 cup grated smoked gouda

1 cup grated gruyere

1 cup grated fontina

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, divided

Salt and pepper, as needed

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, plus additional leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat casserole dish with butter.

Place bacon on a baking sheet and cook in oven until half cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain off the grease and set aside. Once cool, chop into approximately 1" pieces. Do the same with the prosciutto, but baking for only 4 minutes.

Cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Strain and toss lightly in olive oil, and set aside.

In a saucepan lightly coated with olive oil, sauté the bacon over medium-high heat until firm. Add the diced onion and cook until transparent. Add the garlic and cook for additional 2 minutes. Dust the pan with the flour, stir in the milk and cream. Continuing to stir, add the prosciutto, nutmeg and the mustard powder. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly for several minutes to avoid scorching. Stir in 1 cup each of Cheddar, smoked gouda, gruyere, manchego and half a cup of Parmesan. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add the pasta and parsley. Stir until well combined.

Place into buttered baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses and place dish on baking tray and place in the oven. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown,. Let cool about 5 minutes, garnish with the fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy.

Chorizo Puffs

This one is real easy, and in my opinion tastes bigger than effort to make them. I use my homemade pizza dough, but you can also use the ready made from the store. Pillsbury makes one in a can that can be found in the biscuit section of the supermarket.

It's also very flexible, in that if you want to mix it up, make a plate of these with two or three variations in the stuffing. My favorite is chorizo and manchego, but I've also done ground sirloin and cheddar. The possibilities are endless - ham and swiss, italian sausage and provolone, cocktail weenies and velveeta. Ok, maybe the last one is a stretch.

Chorizo Puffs

1 lb chorizo sausage
8 oz manchego cheese, grated or small cubes
Pizza dough (ready made or home made)


Preheat oven to 450 F.


Form or cut  the sausage into approximately 3/4" chunks and place in a coated frying pan over medium heat. Cook for about 10 - 12 minutes or until cooked all the way through, turning as needed. Be careful not to overcook or the sausage may dry out. Place on paper towel to cool.


Roll the pizza dough to approximately 1/4" thickness. Cut into approximately 2" squares and press out until thin. Place 2 parts sausage and 1 part cheese on top, fold the dough over, and seal. It should be roughly the shape of a ball. The size is a matter of preference, but I make them approximate 1.5" diameter. 

Place the puffs on a coated cookie sheet approximately 1" apart. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake at 450 F for 10 to 12 minutes.  Serve warm.


If desired, you can serve them with sour cream, queso, or dip of your choice.

Chicken Pot Pie (NOT)

Today was a snow day. Yesterday was a snow day as well. The Blizzard of Oz struck Overland Park, KS, leaving 10+” of snow behind. Everyone stayed home yesterday, sitting in front of the fire, watching movies, eating popcorn. You know the drill.

I was really looking for a “fill the belly on a cold day” comfort food dinner. Chicken pot pie came to mind. The problem - I was the only one that DIDN’T have a snow day. I still had to work. AND this house is on a health kick, with everyone watching the girlish figures, so to speak (I’m watching Peg’s girlish figure, and I likey). So time and health being against me, I took a few shortcuts. And it worked out just fine, thank you very much! Next time I’ll prep this in small casserole dishes and but the biscuit mix on top. Last night it was not so much Chicken Pot Pie, as much as it was Chicken on a Biscuit. Either way, it was a perfect way to end a cold winter day.

Chicken Pot Pie (Lite)

(Serves 6)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup diced carrots

½ cup baby peas

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup diced shallots (or yellow onions)

1 cup chicken stock

½ cup water

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon savory

Salt and Pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/3 cup skim mik (or sub heavy cream for non-lite version)

Biscuits

2 cups Heart Healthy Bisquick mix

2/3 cup skim milk

In slow cooker combine in order – chicken stock, shallots, carrots, celery, chicken breasts, peas, water, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and savory. Cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours, or high setting for 2 to 3 hours. When chicken is tender and easily pulls apart, remove from the crock pot. Add the flour, milk and soups to the slow cooker and stir well. Shred the chicken and stir back in to the slow cooker, and cook for additional 20 minutes.

Combine the Bisquick with the milk and mix well.

From here there are several options. You can spoon out the biscuits into four equal drop biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450F for 9 minutes. Spoon the chicken mix on top and serve.

OR….

Pour the chicken mix into a shallow casserole. Roll out the biscuit mix to 1/4” to 1/2" thick and place on top of the casserole. Bake at 425F until golden brown, or about 20 minutes.