Grownup Macaroni and Cheese with a Twist

After deciding one day that I absolutely wanted Cheeseburger Macaroni for brunch, I set out on a Google journey to find a grownup version of said recipe. Most of these recipes call for the basics of macaroni noodles, hamburger, and Velveeta cheese which might I add is NOT cheese at all. It doesn't even require refrigeration therefore it can't be cheese...can it? With the basic recipes eliminated that require just those three ingredients, I found a fabulous one that had a little bit of a grownup flair and at the end of cooking a grown up taste. It took all of about an hour to complete from start to finish so for busy moms this would be a great recipe to try.

Enjoy

Ingredients Needed:
1 box of Elbow Macaroni - Feel free to substitute a fun shape for the kids
1 medium onion
2-4 garlic cloves - fresh garlic tastes best....garlic salt/powder not so much
1 lb hamburger or lean ground turkey
3 cups finely shredded cheese - You can use cheddar, mexican blend, italian blend, whatever you prefer
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of milk
salt and pepper
1/8 tbsp basil - you can use dried if you wish
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp melted butter

Steps for Cooking

• Preheat oven to 375
  
• Finely chop your medium onion and garlic cloves
• Brown your hamburger/turkey, adding the onion and garlic to the pan. Salt and Pepper.
  
• Meanwhile boil water for your pasta. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, drop your pasta and cook.
• Once meat is cooked completely, drain and set aside. Do the same with the pasta.
  
• In a large bowl combine the cream of mushroom soup, basil, salt and pepper, milk and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix well.
• Gently fold in your hamburger/turkey meat and the elbow macaroni.
  
• When this is folded in, add the remaining cheese. Mixture will be thick.
  
• Transfer mixture to a buttered 13 x 9 casserole dish.
  
• Combine 1 tbsp of MELTED butter with 1/3 cup of dry bread crumbs and crumble on top of casserole.
  
• Cook on 375 until bubbly and browned on the top, 20-35 minutes.
  

WORDS OF WISDOM

1. Feel free to use ground turkey for a lighter version and taste. This will cut down on unnecessary fats.
   
2. Adjust the amount of garlic and onion to your liking.
   
3. Ground Turkey tends to need more help in the seasoning department.
   

Pork....Bacon....Recipe for greatness!!!!

After much thought I decided to tackle the task of the Pork Loin. Now most of us think of this as the thing in the plastic wrap that is doused in peppercorn, teriyaki, or lemon pepper seasoning. Well I have tried those and haven't found one that was appealing. Peppercorn tastes like turning up a pepper grinder and eating the balls. Teriyaki is self explanatory and Lemon Pepper tastes like eating lemon rinds. So I found this delicious piece of pork goodness and decided to use what ingredients I had on hand and came up with a Maple Bacon Wrapped Pork Lion with dipping sauce. This was an instant hit with the hubby! There are a few steps to the process but its well worth it for a great Sunday dinner.
Ingredients needed for Pork Loin Cooking:

• Pork Lion - You can go as large or small as you need. DO NOT BUY PORK SIRLOIN. This does not cook up well and the meat tends to be tough.
• One bottle of Maple Syrup - Dark Amber is the best.
  
• Salt and Pepper to season and taste
• Package of Bacon - You can use thick cut, hickory smoked, applewood...your preference
• Italian Seasoning
• Bay Leaves
• 1 garlic clove minced
  

Ingredients for Brine

• Large Bowl for Cool Water - you will immerse the Pork Loin in this before cooking
  
• 1/3 cup of salt
• 1/3 cup of pepper
• 4 garlic cloves rough chopped
• 1/4 cup of Italian seasoning
  
• 1/4 cup Dark Amber Maple Syrup

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce

• 1/3 Cup of cornstarch
  
• Remnants of Pork Loin after cooking, skimming the fat from the remnants.
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup
  

Steps for Brineing
This is done to increase the tenderness of the meat. You can place the loin into brine for up to 24 hours. The tougher the cut of meat the longer the soak time.

***Most things you will read say to immerse your loin in brine for a minimum of 8 hours. Feel free to do this if you wish. I placed mine in the brine for a little under 4 hours and it turned out juicy!

Combine cool water, salt, pepper, garlic, and seasoning in a large enough bowl to cover the meat. Cover and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Steps for Cooking

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  
• Remove your loin from the brine solution and pat dry. Sprinkle with pepper. NO salt.
• Spray a cooking pan/dish to keep the loin from sticking. Place the loin on the sheet.
  
• Take your seasoning and rub onto meat being careful to spread it evenly.
  
• Take your Maple Syrup, at least 1/3 cup and brush onto the meat. You can use more or less depending on the strength of your syrup and how you want it to taste.
  
• Lay your bay leaves on the top of the meat. 3-4 leaves are sufficient.
• Spread your garlic on sparingly. More or less depending on how much you like.
  
• Open your bacon and lay crosswise atop the meat. Do not layer them too much as they wont cook evenly. About a half pack will suffice.

• Finish off with another brush of maple syrup.
• Place in oven for about an hour and a half or until an instant read thermometer reads 140 degrees in the thickest part of the meat.
• When pork loin is finished remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Steps for making Dipping Sauce

• Combine pork loin remnants and cornstarch on medium heat along with maple syrup. Cook until it begins to thicken.

WORDS OF WISDOM

• DO NOT BUY PORK SIRLOIN....IT WILL NOT COME OUT AS WELL
  
• LOOK IN YOUR SUPERMARKETS ETHNIC/MEXICAN SECTION. THEY OFTEN SALE HIGH QUALITY HERBS AND SEASONINGS AS CHEAP AS 99 CENTS.
  
• DIFFERENT BRANDS OF MAPLE SYRUP TASTE DIFFERENT. FIND THE ONE YOU LIKE.
  
• REMOVE THE BAY LEAVES BEFORE YOU EAT THE MEAT. THEY DO NOT TASTE GOOD :)
  

Give me some time to introduce myself

First on foremost welcome to my blog. This is for anyone who is starting out the process of learning to cook after years of having your mother do it for you! I think most people go through the process of learning to make something other than Hamburger Helper and Ramen Noodles, staples in the typical life of a college student. Upon marrying my one and only it became increasingly evident that cooking was no longer optional. In order to live out the death do us part section of the vows, I had to first muster enough courage to not kill him with the meals. He will say the fist year we lived together it was an endless cycle of Hamburger Helper meals, hamburger patties, and spaghetti. NOTE the strong occurance of hamburger. So with that said....I have been slowly learning and adding to my arsenal of recipes with the help of Rachael Ray and Kraft Foods.

Feel free to take the recipes you find here and try them in your own home!!!!