not so MANIC MONDAY

"mamas in the kitchen with the mac n' cheese..."

FLASHBACK january 24, 2014
another mandatory friday night means we need to come  up with another dish for dinner. that means i get to try another pinterest recipe!! i find the perfect side dish involving 4 of my favorite things: beer, bacon, cheese, and pasta!!

TODAY
it's a comfort food kind of day. and my mandatory friday night side would actually make a delicious main course for a simple monday dinner. you should give this pinterest success a try!!

BEER BACON MAC AND CHEESE

ingredients:

12 oz thick cut bacon
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground chile de arbol (or cayenne to taste)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 c beer (i used great lakes christmas ale)
1/2 c chicken broth
2 c milk
1 tsp worcestshire sauce
1 8oz bag of shredded mild cheddar cheese
16 oz dry elbow pasta

boil pasta until al dente. drain and set aside. 
cut bacon into bite size pieces. fry, over medium heat, until crispy. set aside and reserve 2 tbs of the drippings, discarding the rest. 
melt butter in skillet with reserved bacon drippings. whisk in flour. allow to cook a minute or two to cook off flour taste. add spices and beer. bring to a bubble for about 3 minutes. add milk. when it comes to a bubble, add worcestshire, bacon, and cheese. whisk to combine.
add pasta. stir to combine. allow to cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
pour into casserole dish. sprinkle with chives (optional). serves 4-6.

  

                         

enjoy!!!

bonus: kathy brought another successful pinterest recipe to mandatory friday night. click here to try CAKE BATTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. they were delicious!!!

SUNDAY SUCCESS!!

"hot potato hot potato..."

we've had this discussion before...sundays are made for jammies, couches, blankies, and football. and january sundays should include a pot of something warm. so off i go...into the land of pinterest...in search of the picture cold weather recipe. BOOM!! crock pot loaded baked potato soup!!

the bk put this concoction together the night before. two reasons...#1~i was at work and #2~it called for slow~cooking 8 hours and we wanted to enjoy it during our football game (GO BENGALS!) without having to get up at the crack of dawn. CLICK HERE for the original recipe, or follow ours:

CROCK POT LOADED POTATO SOUP


ingredients:

5 lb russet potatoes, diced and not peeled
4 tbs minced garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
64 oz chicken broth
16 oz cream cheese, softened
shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives for garnish (optional)

combine potatoes, garlic, onions, and chicken broth in crock pot. cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. scoop 3 ladles of soup into food processor and mix in 1 package of cream cheese, add back to crock pot. repeat. serve topped with cheese, a dollop of daisy, bacon pieces, and chives.

**this makes a GIGANTIC pot of soup. if you half the recipe, you will still have about 6 servings. or make it all, and freeze for later.**

enjoy this pinterest success!!!

SCRUMPTIOUS SATURDAY

"one potato...two potato...three potato...four..."

FLASHBACK november 5

mandatory friday night is coming...the "let's make a plan" email is going around. time? 6(ish). place? linksies. food? yes. we are grilling out...we don't even care that it's 30 degrees outside. it's byom (bring your own meat), byob (beverage), and a side to share. b has already said she's bringing deviled eggs. well boo...i've been dying for an excuse to make these again. so, yet again, i hit up pinterest, looking for the perfect side.

FLASH FORWARD mandatory friday

i decide on "crack potatoes", because...easy. and you can't go wrong with potatoes, cheese, and bacon.

CRACK POTATOES

ingredients:

2~ 16 oz containers of sour cream
2c cheddar cheese, shredded
2~ 3 oz bags real bacon bits
2 packages ranch dip mix
1 large bag (30 oz) frozen hash browns (shredded)

preheat oven to 400〫.  mix sour cream, cheese, bacon, and ranch dip mix in large bowl. stir in potatoes. spread evenly in 9X13 baking dish. bake for 60 minutes.
easy.

                     

PINTEREST SUCCESS!!

SCRUMPTIOUS SATURDAY

"this is the shoe and these are our people..."
FLASHBACK september 4, 2013
the bk is busy, busy, busy making plans for tailgating at the shoe. *for those who don't know, but everyone should know, the shoe is the home of the osu buckeyes* all he is responsible for is the sound system. nope. not good enough for bk. out comes pinterest and tons of tailgating recipes.

FLASH FORWARD today
off the bk went, with two delicious dishes in tow! try them for your next tailgate adventure or football party!!

CANDIED BACON

ingredients:
¼ c brown sugar
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs maple syrup
black pepper to taste
1 lb thick cut bacon

preheat oven to 350〫. place a cooling rack over a baking sheet. place bacon on cooling rack and bake for 10 minutes. turn slices and bake for 5 additional minutes. 

mix brown sugar, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and black pepper in small bowl.

remove bacon and brush both sides with brown sugar mixture. return to oven and bake another 5 minutes. repeat basting until bacon is crispy and brown, approximately 35 minutes.

and BOOM!!

TAILGATE SANDWICHES

ingredients:
20 small hawaiian sweet rolls
1 lb black forrest ham (or meat of your choice)
20 slices of provolone cheese (or your choice)
8 oz container of softened cream cheese
½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 tbs yellow mustard
1 tbs worchestshire sauce
2 tbs minced onions
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs poppy seeds (optional)

preheat oven to 350〫. lightly coat 9X13 pan with cooking spray. layer pan with bottom halves of rolls.  top with the ham. top ham with cheese. spread top halves of rolls with cream cheese and place on top of cheese, lining up with bottom halves.
in a medium bowl, mix butter, mustard, worchestshire sauce, minced onions, and parmesan cheese until well combined. pour evenly over sandwiches. sprinkle with poppy seeds.
cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. cut at seams and serve warm.

*note: we made up sandwiches the night before and heated the next morning. easy peasy.*

turns out they were a hit. pinterest successes!!
HAPPY PINNING!!