Off topic --> Awesome Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Here's a delicious macaroni and cheese macaroni and cheese recipe I made for my family tonight. Those who have followed my tweets know that I almost never follow any recipe exactly. I had a base recipe and made multiple adjustments. It was a hit all around. This made a 9x13 inch casserole - cut all the ingredients in half to make a 9x9 dish:

1 (16 ounce) package macaroni

1 stick butter (8 Tb)

2/3 cup flour

2 cup milk

2 cup half-n-half

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 heaping teaspoon dried minced onion

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded good quality

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

• Prepare macaroni to al dente following package instructions and set aside
• In a large saucepan gently melt stick of butter and add flour a little at time mixing with a whisk until smooth
• Slowly add milk and half-n-half a little at time, whisking the entire time to keep mixture smooth
• Add salt, garlic salt, minced onion, and freshly ground pepper
• Bring mixture to a boil then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, mixture will begin to thicken
• Slowly add cheese, stirring thoroughly with each addition until thoroughly incorporated
• Mix with cooked macaroni and pour into a 9x13 baking dish buttered or sprayed with cooking spray
• Mix bread crumbs with parmesan cheese and evenly distribute on top
• Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned

Totally off topic - recipe!

Faced with the what's for dinner conundrum tonight I decided to make a quiche. I haven't made one in a while and didn't have a ton of ingredients available, but I made due with what I had on hand and pulled off a cheddar and tomato quiche. It came out great, so I thought I'd share the recipe.

You can follow the recipe or add other ingredients to make something different, as long as you keep the basic egg mixture the same you're good to go.


Tomato and Cheddar Quiche / 375 degrees, 40 min

Pie crust of your choosing - pre-baked for 7-10 min

4 eggs beaten
1-1/2 cups half-n-half
1 Tb flour
1 Tb melted butter, cooled
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning, crush thoroughly with fingers to release flavor

1 medium tomato, sliced super thin
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-bake the crust and set aside. Beat the first 5 ingredients until fluffy. Layer the tomatoes and cheese in the pie crust and pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. The top should be puffy and lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy.